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.
Malka Ranjana Kopell and Palma Joy Strand are co-founders of Civity, a national nonprofit organization that works with people to build the relational infrastructure necessary for communities in which everyone has what they need to thrive. Malka and Palma created this word — “civity” — to describe a culture of deliberately engaging in relationships of respect …
Alicia Towns Franken embodies a tantalizing combination: wine — as another in my periodic series on curiosity and our senses — and an actual boots-on-the-ground effort to encourage and enable curiosity where barriers have long existed. Alicia is a sommelier and wine consultant who serves as executive director of Wine Unify, a nonprofit organization that … Continued
Curiosity gets a lot of credit for success. For me, that raises an interesting inverse question: what about curiosity and failure? Who better to invite into that conversation than Samuel West, creator of Museum of Failure, a collection of failed products and services from around the world? Theme music by Sean Balick. “The Rampart” by Castle … Continued
Research tells us that by leaning into externally-focused curiosity – “what do I notice that the world needs?” – and internally-focused curiosity – “How might I be able to contribute?” – we can find meaning and a sense of purpose in our lives. We can find what lights us up. Estee Levine did just that. A fun conversation about jumping in with … Continued
The World Peace Game is the brainchild of educator John Hunter. He describes it as “learning to live and work comfortably in the unknown.” It’s hard to imagine a more curiosity-centric undertaking. A three-dimensional, hands-on political simulation, the World Peace Game explores the interconnectedness of the global community through economic, social, and environmental crises and … Continued
“There is this nice jump from ‘I didn’t even notice it‘ to ‘At least I noticed it‘ to ‘Not only did I notice it, I took it to the next level,’” explains journalist and author Rob Walker. Rob Walker is a noticing artist — he takes the mundane and makes it magical, spots the otherwise-invisible … Continued
Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a Choose to Be Curious trifecta: researcher, theoretician — and practitioner. A neuroscientist and deep thinker about the personal and social implications of our curiosity, she conducts tiny experiments to focus closely on how we use our time and energy to best effect. She is the founder of Ness Labs, a collective platform for curious people, where “ambitious knowledge … Continued
“Slow down to the speed of wonder.” ~ John Muir Laws This is an episode about nature journaling, but Jack would be the first to say: it isn’t about the journal, it’s about the journey. He’s developed interdisciplinary programs that combine art with science and train us to observe the world with rigor and joy … Continued
Enough with the polite, front parlor pablum of the past — and onward toward rich discussion, mindful discourse, self-disclosure, and – dare I say it? – curiosity! Wanting to do something about the epidemic of loneliness among her peers, Ashley Kirsner set out to find a way to help people build their conversational and self-revelatory muscles. … Continued
“Creativitry,” writes legendary playwright Stan Lai in the preface to his new book of that name, “Doesn’t exist as a word. Just as all creative things do not exist — until they do. “Rhymes with Artistry, and Chemistry, and Sorcery. “The know-how, practice and mastery of creativity.” The overlap, undercurrents and interplay of creativity and curiosity come … Continued
How might understanding the experiences of disability help us be more curious about our own and others’ minds and bodies? And, most importantly, how might any of that help us be kinder and more patient with ourselves and each other? I’m profoundly grateful to legal scholar and disability media-maker Qudsiya Naqui for proposing today’s topic. Qudsiya Naqui: law.udc.edu/qudsiya-naqui/ … Continued
