Choose to be Curious

Lynn Borton
  • 4.9 (15)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Choose to be Curious

Choose to be Curious is a show all about curiosity. We talk about research and theory, but mostly it's conversations about how curiosity shows up in work and life. Now syndicated and available via Pacifica RadioNetwork.

  1. Ep. #254: The Art of Noticing, with Rob Walker

    2 DAYS AGO

    Ep. #254: The Art of Noticing, with Rob Walker

    Periodically I set myself a curiosity scavenger hunt theme with a fixed duration – 77 days of feet, a long hot summer of art, a month of biophilia, a week in the kitchen – and then I just keep my eyes open and my camera handy. It's a joy. The thrill of the hunt; the challenge and delight in finding something new in the very familiar; the excuse to get outdoors, whatever the weather; the visual puns; the surprisingly sentimental moments -- all culled from the everyday world around me. It is very much in the spirit of what journalist and author Rob Walker would call “The Art of Noticing.” Find Rob Walker on Substack: https://robwalker.substack.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Inessential” by Bayou Birds, via Blue Dot Sessions.

    28 min
  2. Ep. #253: Why Curiosity Makes Us Patient, with Abby Hsiung & Alison Adcock

    OCT 17

    Ep. #253: Why Curiosity Makes Us Patient, with Abby Hsiung & Alison Adcock

    I found myself thinking about the exquisite agony of a Hitchcock suspense when I came upon an article in Scientific American, "Why Curiosity Makes Us Patient." Abby Hsuing & Alison Adcock assert curiosity makes us hungry for knowledge, but not necessarily in a hurry to get it. It's a finding that runs in the face of a whole lot of curiosity theory that supposes curiosity is an urgent desire to know, now. But here is research saying: slow down -- it’s more interesting than that. Read the Scientific American essay here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/no-spoilers-please-why-curiosity-makes-us-patient/ Theme music by Sean Balick; “Turning on the Lights" by Speakeasy, via Blue Dot Sessions.

    28 min
  3. Ep. #252: The Ig Nobel Prizes: A Curiosity Celebration, with Marc Abrahams

    OCT 10

    Ep. #252: The Ig Nobel Prizes: A Curiosity Celebration, with Marc Abrahams

    The Ig Nobel Prizes recognize research efforts that make you laugh...and then think. They celebrate the unusual and honor the imaginative. They are, in my mind, a delightful and very deliberate celebration of curiosity. Ig Nobel Prize founder and editor of the magazine Annals of Improbable Research Marc Abrahams joins me to talk about the origins and contributions of this quirky prize. The awards gala is a mix of circus, opera and real Nobel Laureates, orchestrated to cheer on people who have devoted their time and talent to studying things the rest of us...have not... Check out Improbable Research: https://improbable.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Rabbit Hole" by Love and Weasel, via Blue Dot Sessions.

    28 min
  4. Ep. #251: Curiosity & The Sensational Museum, with Alison Eardley

    OCT 3

    Ep. #251: Curiosity & The Sensational Museum, with Alison Eardley

    What if museums were sticky, stinky, noisy places? What if they were sensational? Psychologist Alison Eardley is on a mission to make museums more accessible and inclusive -- physically and conceptually -- for all audiences. Her work draws on all of our senses, engaging us far more deeply with what's before us. What if museums helped us tap our collective curiosity to co-create our visits? More about The Sensational Museum here: https://sensationalmuseum.org Theme music by Sean Balick; “Micolai” by Wax Museum, via Blue Dot Sessions.

    28 min
  5. BONUS CONTENT: Rethinking Curiosity, with Todd Kashdan

    SEP 25

    BONUS CONTENT: Rethinking Curiosity, with Todd Kashdan

    ...In today's conversation, Todd Kashdan and I touched on evolving understandings about curiosity across the life span, the challenges inherent in certain kinds of curiosity, and a more nuanced way to think about "the curiosity zone". But I couldn't fit the whole conversation in 28 short minutes, so here's a little bonus -- a peek behind the production curtain, and some of the rich conversation that I didn't want you to miss.

    13 min
  6. Ep. #250: Rethinking Curiosity, with Todd Kashdan, PhD

    SEP 25

    Ep. #250: Rethinking Curiosity, with Todd Kashdan, PhD

    For the 250th episode of this brave little enterprise, I invited psychologist and curiosity researcher Todd Kashdan to join me to rethink some of the old curiosity standards. The research has evolved and we're going with it. What better way to keep the curiosity alive than by questioning what we think we know? More about Todd Kashdan: https://toddkashdan.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Shift of Currents” by Aeronaut, via Blue Dot Sessions.

    28 min
  7. Ep. #249: Olin College: A Curiosity Enterprise, with Gilda Barabino

    SEP 19

    Ep. #249: Olin College: A Curiosity Enterprise, with Gilda Barabino

    From the moment I set foot on campus, it was clear that Olin College of Engineering has a special and very intentional relationship with curiosity.   Olin embodies a willingness to try something new, make mistakes, and learn from those experiences. Gilda A. Barabino, Ph.D., is president of Olin and sets that curiosity tone. More about Olin College of Engineering at https://www.olin.edu Theme music by Sean Balick;“Come As You Are” by Cauldron, via Blue Dot Sessions.

    28 min
  8. Ep. 248: Is Earth Exceptional? with Mario Livio

    SEP 12

    Ep. 248: Is Earth Exceptional? with Mario Livio

    The big questions of astrophysicist Mario Livio's new book Is Earth Exceptional? The Quest for Cosmic Life are as close as we get to an ultimate curiosity -- questions about the origin of life, the universe, and where and how those two intersect. Dr. Livio worked with the Hubble Space Telescope and is a bestselling author of seven books. Together with Jack Szostak, a biochemist and Nobel laureate, he's written a kind of cosmic “what-dunnit” that shifts between the many and various disciplines that may someday provide the answers they seek about life's origins. Learn more about Mario Livio: https://www.mario-livio.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Great Great Lengths" by The Balloonist, via Blue Dot Sessions.

    28 min
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4.9
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Choose to be Curious is a show all about curiosity. We talk about research and theory, but mostly it's conversations about how curiosity shows up in work and life. Now syndicated and available via Pacifica RadioNetwork.

Information

  • Creator
    Lynn Borton
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2024
  • Episodes
    317
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Choose to be Curious

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