11:00 AM Pacific Time: Thursdays
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.
Hosted by Lynn Borton.
As much as I champion curiosity, sometimes it can take us down bad paths. Thank goodness there are excellent resources that help us lean into our curiosity and recognize misinformation — then stop it in its tracks. “Curiosity can help us avoid things like confirmation bias or motivated reasoning, where were looking for answers that …
How might curiosity show up in our much-besieged civil service? Mikel Herrington is a veteran of both AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. We explore curiosity as the foundation that brings people into civil service, reciprocal curiosity across cultural and experiential divides, humility, humor, how service allows room for listening, and why someone might carry a pecan … Continued
For 15 years, Professor Shawkat Toorawa has offered three things worth knowing from literature, music and general knowledge — no strings attached. Each week during the academic year, Dr. T delivers a curiosity booster shot for anyone who wants to partake. It’s his gesture toward true liberal arts and an ever-expanding appreciation of the rich … Continued
What happens to intellectual freedom when libraries come under attack? What happens to curiosity? Librarian and director of the Department of Libraries in Arlington, VA, Diane Kresh joins me to explore the long and storied history of bad-ass librarians, book bans and book sanctuaries, the “curiosity paradox” of such bans, what makes libraries a center … Continued
This week’s conversation is about curiosity in translation and interpretation. Not just the literal, “how do you say this thing in that language?” but how do we use our curiosity to communicate our ideas effectively, to investigate what’s really being said when we’re quite literally not speaking one another’s language. Luckily, there are people like … Continued
In the first of what I hope is a periodic series, Rabbi Nancy Flam joins me to explore curiosity in the Jewish tradition. It’s a lovely discussion of everything from Moses’ response to the burning bush and the Jewish value sakranut, to creative betrayal and the importance of not getting kicked out for our questions. … Continued
With science under attack, researcher Anthony Zador joins me to make the case for its value, especially of curiosity-driven, basic science. Anthony Zador is the Alle Davis Harris Professor of Biology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. We explore the charms of curiosity as a research motivator, what distinguishes curiosity-driven research from all … Continued
“If you change your point of view, you will see something new.” ~ Dad
