Choose to be Curious

I had no experience with audio, radio, production, editing -- anything -- when I first undertook this show nearly 7 years ago. But I was an eager learner, improbably on the cusp of being on-air.  I had big ambitions and, like many newbies, I had no earthly idea just how big they were. I wanted to open my first show with reveille from the Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall. That shouldn’t be so hard, r...

Just in time for Valentine's Day we consider curiosity and how we experience and express love. Hailey Magee is a certified coach, educator, and writer who helps folks worldwide set empowered boundaries and break people-pleasing patterns.  She says curiosity is her love language. That seemed like a conversation we would all want to have! Check out Hailey Magee: https://www.haileymagee.com Read Hail...

How might choosing to be curious about language influence our familiarity with, understanding of, or comfort around the very words we use to express curiosity --- or anything else? That's where this fascinating conversation with University of Arizona linguistics professor Sonja Lanehart started.  But it wasn't long before we were talking about new words for curiosity, the forthcoming Oxford Dictio...

Natural Curiosity is both an entity and an idea. The entity, a nonprofit organization based in Toronto with a lab school and eponymous teaching guide, embodies the idea that environmental education must center our relations with all things, seen and unseen. Propelled by unequivocal recommendations from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Natural Curiosity brings indigenous perspectives i...

What if there was a way to help people meet and talk with others whose lives are very different (or not!) from their own? The Human Library does just that, by creating a safe space for dialogue, an opportunity for challenging stigma and stereotypes, and the chance to "unjudge" someone.  Co-founder and CEO Ronni Abergel joins me to talk about "publishing" people as "open books." Others come to the...

Sofia Forss, Ph. D. is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Zurich, specializing in comparative cognition and animal behavior. She's curious about how curiosity shows up in apes. A fascinating discussion about curiosity and the influence of others, upbringing, and perceptions of risk. What might these findings suggest for apes' close cousins, we humans? I was surprised and intrigued over...

Do you like a good scavenger hunt? Love the thrill of discovering new places? That’s your curiosity calling! Wait ’til you hear about geocaching, a GPS-driven treasure hunt game for the 21st century. Sonny Portacio hosts The Podcacher Podcast, a hit variety show all about "geocaching goodness" that he and his wife Sandy have been sharing since 2005. Who better to talk about curiosity and geocachin...

What makes someone "askable"? Arlington, Virginia has launched an "Askable Adult" program to build the capacity of adults to be nonjudgmental and approachable resources and supports for youth in the county. Program proponents believe that everyone has a role to play in supporting the health and well-being of children and youth in the community.  And on their short list of key skills that make adul...

The Right Question Institute (RQI), works to build a more just and equitable democracy by strengthening people’s ability to ask questions and participate in decisions that affect them. As RQI puts it, “When people of all ages learn to ask the right questions, it leads to feeling a new sense of agency, confidence & power.” Naomi Campbell directs RQI's Legal Empowerment program, leading RQI’s effort...

Local housing advocate Luca Gattoni-Celli joins me for a conversation about urbanism – the study of the built environment and how people interact with it – and learning to view the world with fresh eyes. How differently might we see things if we throw a little curiosity into the mix? Luca Gattoni-Celli was deeply moved by the passion and tragic death of Jim Pagels. I hope this show contributes to...

Danny Smith and Rich Maxham share a passion for violins. In a lovely and powerful apprenticeship partnership, Rich learns Danny's luthier craft, but Danny will tell you he's learning from Rich as well. It's apprenticeship as a joyful joint curiosity enterprise. Special thanks to Katy Clune, director of Virginia Humanities' Virginia Folklife Program, for facilitating this and so much else, and to R...

Kasha Patel is a triple threat: scientist, journalist and stand-up comedian, the perfect person to join me for a conversation about the rich alchemy of leaning into all three. Kasha Patel is the deputy weather editor for the Capital Weather Gang at The Washington Post, covering weather, climate change and the environment. Before joining The Post, she produced news stories, videos and features abou...

Some of what is kicking around in my head as I travel in Belgium and the Netherlands. Second in my periodic new series of "curiosity to go". [Editor's Note - perils of extemporaneous recording: the major bombardment (1300 bombs in 13 minutes) occurred in May 1940, not '43.]

Curiosity, say Perry Zurn and Dani S. Bassett, is a practice of connection: it connects ideas into networks of knowledge, and it connects knowers themselves, both to the knowledge they seek and -- perhaps even more importantly -- to each other. Twins, professors, and true curiosity connoisseurs, Perry & Dani return to Choose to be Curious for this delightful multidisciplinary distillation of this...

Inspired by a suggestion from dear friend, loyal sponsor and regular curiosity muse, Kate McCauley, I’ve been playing with the idea of an informal, supplemental dip into the stories behind and between my shows. I make no promises yet about how often or enduring this enterprise will be, but I thought I ought to give it a try. Never know until you do! Relying on that old 0.8 Prototyping once again…...

Curiosity is hot in the business world, but what does it look like on the ground, and for small businesses, away from the glitz of Forbes and Inc.? Tara Palacios knows. Tara is founder and director of BizLaunch, Arlington’s small business and entrepreneurial assistance network. She joins me to explore curiosity as a business tool -- especially as she and others discovered the power of a good and c...

"Urban Sketching" is an international movement of people who draw on location -- indoors or out-- capturing what they see from direct observation. The drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel. Todd Cumpston is both a practitioner and a teacher. I couldn't wait to talk with him about this delightful curiosity practice. Such power in sitting still, paying c...

All you need to know about Read Early And Daily (R.E.A.D.) and "Pajama Mama" Jennifer Sauter-Price is summarized in the organization's vision: "Empower families to foster empathy, curiosity, and self-confidence in their young children through the joy of reading together every day." This week it's all about the power of books to open eyes, minds and whole worlds, starting very, very early... Check...

What does it take to imagine worlds otherwise? Where do memory and curiosity fit into the creative process for a playwright, or in science fiction? Author Liz Coley indulges my curiosity in this warm conversation between old friends breaking new ground. Theme music by Sean Balick; “Entrance Shaft 11” by The Depot, via Blue Dot Sessions.

An entrepreneurial enterprise that has people looking for clues, thinking outside the box and seeing sights through new eyes? Yes, please! Creator Erik Neighbour joins me to talk about his new app/game "Capital Clues." You may never look at Abe Lincoln's hands the same way again! Theme and other music by Sean Balick.

Textile artist Andi Cullins considers herself the "Grandma Moses of quilts." Her lush and distinctive "2nd Life" quilts certainly support the premise. We explore the common threads connecting curiosity, her art, and Juneteenth. A joyful celebration of our collective and very human creative instincts. Theme music by Sean Balick. “Patched In” by Studio J, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Choose to be Curious intern Reed Weiler takes the helm, inspired by his own pandemic-era journey of reflection and spiritual insight. What might be possible if those efforts were made at scale? How is social justice advanced by our being spiritually curious? Reed turned to American University chaplain Rev. Bryant Oskvig to explore those questions and so many more... Theme and other music by Sean B...

Entrepreneur and former ad exec Michael Tennant founded Curiosity Lab to "spread curiosity, inclusivity, and empathy through storytelling experiences." One way to do that is with his "Actually Curious" playing cards, his attempt to gamify empathy and community. I think he's on to something... Theme music by Sean Balick; "Up, Up, Up and Over" by the Balloonists via Blue Dot Sessions. Photo used wit...

We'll only ever get one body, change tho' it may with time. Can we get to know our bodies better? What's going on, why, and how we might work with what we've got? Personal trainer and founder of The Line Method Eva Meier joins me for a conversation about putting curiosity to work for our bodies, and for ourselves. Theme music by Sean Balick. “Are We Loose Yet?" by Body Tonic via Blue Dot Sessions.

Arlington County Sustainability Planner Helen Reinecke-Wilt joins me to explore how choosing to be curious about our environmental impact helps Arlington achieve its goal of carbon neutrality. Might curiosity literally save the world? Theme music by Sean Balick. “A Certain Lightness” by Migration via Blue Dot Sessions.