Choose to be Curious

Curiosity theories abound. How might curiosity contribute to their growth and attractiveness -- or/and how might it be an antidote? What happens when genuine curiosity is applied to these theories? Political scientist and University of Chicago professor Eric Oliver joins me to explore what happens when curiosity goes down the rabbit hole. Theme music by Sean Balick. “Shadow Plan” by Dorica via Blu...

The wise and wonderful healthcare advocate and equity champion Nicole Rochester, MD, founder and CEO of Your GPS Doc LLC, returns for a conversation about what the last two years have done to how curiosity shows up in medicine -- and society at large. Theme music by Sean Balick. “Rabbit Hole" by Love & Weasel via Blue Dot Sessions.

Information design consultant Alli Torban believes visuals can help anyone understand anything. Data visualization has undergone a seismic transformation in recent years. What role does curiosity play in how we collect, present and absorb information?  A morsel: "As a general rule of thumb, if I have a strong emotional response to a chart, I’m going to spend more time being skeptical of it." Theme...

Psychologist Todd Kashdan wrote his new book The Art of Insubordination to "elevate the value of curiosity, intellectual humility, and courage in public discourse, and to teach people how to amplify their voices and help others do the same." Todd is intent on cultivating principled insubordination and pushing back against incuriosity. I figured we should talk... Check out Todd's work here: https:/...

Research suggests that journalism focused on solutions outperforms problem-focused news. "Solutions Journalism" feels more interesting, trustworthy, uplifting -- and inspires people to get involved. Marie von Hafften of the Solutions Journalism Network joins me to explore the role of curiosity and all-important trust in finding and telling those stories. Today's Curiosity Practice Harvest: Ask "wh...

This started as a conversation about how curiosity shows up in mental health, but New Delhi-based independent journalist Tanmoy took us to post-colonialism property ownership, sussing out the boundaries of allowable questioning, our bias toward answers, and what we can learn from our kids. Sanity, through a whole new set of lenses. Theme music by Sean Balick. “Mind Body Mind” by BodyTonic via Blue...

Arlington County's restorative justice efforts strive for an equitable, empathetic community that honors the dignity and humanity of all people and creates pathways for belonging, healing, accountability, and growth. Restorative Arlington coordinator Kimiko Lighty explains how central curiosity is to the work. Theme music by Sean Balick. “Turning on the Lights” by Speakeasy via Blue Dot Sessions.

"Architecting Curiosity" turns out to be a pretty fabulous way to think about choosing to be curious. It is also a community and school with which to practice and train our natural muscle of inquiry. I decided to enroll. Architecting Curiosity founders, experience designers all, Pim Schachtschabel, Monica Canfield-Lenfest and Anthony Rocco were my most marvelous teachers and guides. This is but a...

This week we visit that uncomfortable place that curiosity can create as we wrestle with the courage of our questions. Social justice music-maker Crys Matthews illuminates the power of music to open hard conversations. And, oh, what a voice! "Exactly Where You Are" used with permission of artist.

How do the stories we read as children inform our curiosity about our environment? How do we "read" our landscapes wherever we are, no matter what age? Choose to be Curious intern Lydia Perry leads this rich conversation with environmental scientist Liam Heneghan. Theme and other music by Sean Balick.

Community engagement is a critical piece of our democracy puzzle -- a piece Dulce Carrillo, Supervisor of Public Engagement for Arlington Public Schools, is eager to help put into place. Curiosity in service of finding and asking the right questions! Theme music by Sean Balick; “Town Market” from Onesuch Village, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Do horror movies serve a purpose? Where do you draw the line between revulsion and wanting to know more? These are the questions that drive the research of Coltan Scrivner, PhD. Coltan investigates the evolutionary and psychological underpinnings of our fascination with the darker side of life, including horror, true crime, and all types of scary play. Just in time for Halloween, but with fascinat...

I wondered: how might curiosity help me understand my community better – or help me better my community through understanding? Local author, journalist and historian Charlie Clark joins me to talk curiosity and Arlington history. Theme and other music by Sean Balick.

To be “sober curious” is to reassess one’s relationship with alcohol. It’s part mindfulness, part overall attention to well-being, part solidarity in a frank re-examination and redefinition of how we socialize and celebrate in this country. I was so pleased to have Laura Silverman, founder of Booze Free in DC, Zero Proof Nation, & The Sobriety Collective join me to explore what happens when we app...

What is it about defying our own expectations that we find so irresistible? Close-up magician Mitch Praver thinks with me about how curiosity and magic intersect. From infants' understanding of object permanence to our own delight with what seems impossible, this is magic through a news lens. Theme music by Sean Balick; “We Build with Rubber Bands” by Lemuel, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Have you ever looked at a work of art and suddenly felt an extraordinary epiphany? Felt something kick in, come together, split open – finally make sense in a way it never had before? There is something about the creativity of others interpreting the world around us that helps each of us, all of us, see things differently. Artist Rebecca Kamen explores curiosity as a creative link between the arts...

How on earth to mark the 150th episode of this curiosity adventure? With this delightful, surprising, fresh exploration of one man's commitment to centering curiosity in -- you guessed it -- work and life. I am indebted to John Green. What do curiosity, pedagogy, conflict resolution and hair cutting have in common? You tell me... Theme music by Sean Balick; "Home Home at Last" by Warmbody, via Blu...

I’ll be forever grateful to Virginia Humanities for helping me find my way to artist, writer and educator Sushmita Mazumdar and her Studio PAUSE, an inviting place that provides time and space for Arlingtonians to explore creativity and celebrate community. It is, in my mind, a most marvelous curiosity enterprise. Theme music by Sean Balick. “A Burst of Light” by Delray via Blue Dot Sessions.

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I would turn my curiosity lens on community media itself, the very source of this show. Antoine Haywood, practitioner and doctoral student at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, is the perfect companion for this celebration of connecting people, participatory media-making, collective learning --- and care. Theme mu...

Most of our ideas about leadership are woefully inadequate for the world as we now know it. In his new book Rebel Leadership: How to Thrive in Uncertain Times, innovation advisor Larry Robertson helps us rethink what's needed in our "new abnormal" -- including how cultures of inquiry and curiosity contribute to our collective success. Such a timely conversation as we mark the radical rethinking th...

What if we were to leave learning up to curiosity? Although that's not the language used, the Montessori Method is built on children's own exploration and discovery. Education consultant Chandra Fernando joins me for a delightful conversation about curiosity, Maria Montessori, absorbent minds, failure and peace. Theme and other music by Sean Balick.

Have you ever felt a burning desire to know what might have been, had you chosen a different course of action? That's "counterfactual curiosity" -- the desire to know about possible alternative outcomes -- and it can sometimes cause us pain and regret. So why have it? Dr. Lily FitzGibbon helps me understand better. Lily investigates cognitive, behavioural and emotional responses to uncertain situa...

How might curiosity contribute to building peace? Alp Özerdem, dean of the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, joins me in exploring what happens when we approach conflict with curiosity and a commitment to transformation. It's hard to beat his closing affirmation, "After this, curiosity will be the backbone of our teaching and our research." Theme music by...

Some time ago I was at a STEM event for middle schoolers, talking about curiosity -- in particular their curiosity about death. That got me thinking: how does curiosity show up around death? Doula by Destiny founder Valoria Walker joins me to explore how choosing to be curious about death might help us acclimate to the inevitable -- and how compassionate curiosity helps her in her work. Theme musi...

Ep. #142: Science Thinking, Uncertainty & Kids, with Jamie Jirout by Lynn Borton