Choose to be Curious

Professor of philosophy Perry Zurn asserts "curiosity is political" and asks us to attend to those whose stories we might otherwise overlook, whether intentionally or otherwise. Historian Susan Strasser and poet Marcia E. Cole ask us to do the same -- with a shameful part of US history: lynching. Choosing to be curious about some hard stuff. A thoughtful and thought-provoking 6 minutes.

At some level I've been making this case for a while, but American University professor Perry Zurn makes it explicit: curiosity IS political. What questions are sanctioned? Who gets to ask what? Of whom? When? We dig into the power of attending to what gets passed over and think about how our ideas about education and institutions might be transformed through curiosity.

What do librarians reading Russian literature and comedians talking about racism have in common? A lot, it turns out. Six fast minutes of insights on War & Peace, truth and wisdom...

A team from Arlington Public Library navigated War & Peace as a summer Big Book Club -- and curiosity as a travel companion.  Alex Zealand, Jennifer Rothschild, Megan Biggins and Peter Petruski are a lively bunch of librarians; they led 200+ loyal readers through 1,200 pages of Napoleonic grandiosity and Russian fatalism. A good time was had by all. Except maybe the characters. They're never very...

Shane McCarty, Ph. D. is devoting his life to helping students find ways to improve school climate -- and their own lives in the process. In four short weeks at Yorktown High School he worked with AP Psych students to do just that - and I got to listen in. Short story: the future is in very good hands.

The wisdom of youth: two very different conversations in seven fast minutes. Shane McCarty of Cor Foundation and students from Yorktown High School on student-led research; Anderson Escobar and Mariami Shengelia, both formerly of Wakefield High School, talk about their experiences as immigrants. Spoiler: curiosity helps.

What is it about celebrities that so excites our curiosity - and might we learn anything from them, or about ourselves? Dean Rogers, entertainment news journalist and founder of The Rogers Revue, tells all!

The great American literary figure Lemony Snicket says, "Being curious is the most important part of being a journalist. It might be the most important part of being anything.” Entertainment news reporter Dean Rogers and "hard news guy" Drew Costley would hardly disagree.

Whether its in business, writing or life, honing ones craft takes work. And maybe a little curiosity. Management professor Matt Cronin and author Laura McBride explore "craft" in all its many glories.

Are some people just born more creative than the rest of us? Absolutely not says George Mason University professor Matthew Cronin -- but true "creatives" work hard to hone their craft, and curiosity turns out to play an important role. It's all about the process... Find Matt Cronin's Craft of Creativity here: https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=23350 Theme and other music by Sean Balick. Episode f...

"Infidelity is the antithesis of curiosity" says Tracy Schorn, whose blog "Chump Lady" has amassed 20M page views. We explore curiosity as a power tool in facing relationship betrayal. There's a reason she's an internet and publishing sensation....

One word comes up a lot in our curiosity conversations: trust. "Chump Lady" Tracy Schorn and corporate culture & engagement guru Scott Nycum come at it from quite different directions but have surprisnigly similar things to say about how curiosity reflects and deepens trust. All that in five minutes!

Listen in, listen up: you might hear something that surprises you. Award-winning audio journalist, media consultant and audio artist Jocelyn Frank on curiosity and the awesome power of listening carefully to the people and sounds around us. Photo by Kristian Whipple @kwhipplephoto kwhipple.com Theme music by Sean Balick

Look up, listen up! We're all about paying attention to the world around us in this short visit with audio journalist and artist Jocelyn Frank and Atlas Obscura's DC chief explorer, Elliot Carter. Why choosing to be curious about the small sounds and lesser known sights is so rewarding. All that in six short minutes!

Two TED Talk superstars on the power of curiosity to beat bad habits and overcome fear. Drs. Judson Brewer and Mario Livio in a rich, fast five minutes.

You've seen his TED Talk on habit change, now Dr. Judson Brewer joins us to talk more about the central role curiosity plays in mindfulness and breaking bad habits. Its all about understanding our craving mind.

What might we learn by choosing to be curious about outcomes? Sharon Shutler spent the better part of 2017 supporting the effort to "flip Virginia blue." Then she spent some time looking at what worked -- and what didn't. Now she's sharing what she and others learned. And special thanks to Rene Barger for his segment "The Rocking Horse" and Sean Balick for his original tunes.

Michelangelo, the master artist, wrote, “I am still learning." We're all about the spirit of life-long learning in this week's segment, featuring Sharon Shutler's lessons learned from the 2017 Virginia elections and Marjorie Varner of Encore Learning.

Sixteen students, seven days, one remarkable adventure in curiosity, courage and systems transformation. Students of Central Falls High School (RI) came to Washington DC as part of their class "How to Change the World" - they have a lot to say about their experience. Join us next time when Sharon Shutler shares lessons learned from Virginia's 2017 Election.

Teacher Seth Kolker thought, “If we’re not teaching kids how to change the world, then our education isn’t doing them very much good.” So he and sixteen of his students from Central Falls (RI) set out to learn how to change the world. This is a taste of their story, made possible by the miracle that is community media!

"Change is hard," says historian Susan Strasser as she and poet Marcia E. Cole join me for A Double Take on Lynching. We choose to be curious about tough parts of our history so that we may learn, grow -- and change. Valeria Gellman collected oral histories from local legacy businesses in Arlington, VA, for the same reason. All in six minutes!

A White historian and an African-American poet team up to view the history of lynching in the U.S. with fresh eyes. What do we discover when we become curious about parts of our past that are shameful and violent? How might choosing to be curious about lynching's historic context and continuing consequences help us move forward? Theme music by Sean Balick. "Surly Bonds" by Aeronaut, via Blue Dot S...

It's not going away and neither is she. We take a look at Miriam Gennari's journey from curiosity to concern to advocacy as she takes on expanded polystyrene, Styrofoam. Are you a badger mom? Listen in to find out?

Paying attention to the world we call home - from our environmental footprints to our grasp of world affairs. Miriam Gennari and Bunmi Akinnusotu take on the world, literally. All in six minutes!

Two conversations about what really matters: Dr. Ellen Fox on bringing curiosity to ethical dilemmas in healthcare and Dr. Raya Kheirbek on narrative medicine and the art of really listening. Humane curiosity right where we need it - all that in just six minutes!