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Where does research begin? Tom Mullaney and Christoper Rae say it starts way before we think it does. Their book, Where Research Begins: Choosing a Research Project That Matters to You (and the World) is a remarkable book -- a workbook, really. They provide a curiosity-informed, generative process for finding and really understanding the questions underlying anything you might want to learn more about. A read both rigorous and delightful - I recommend it! Tom Mullaney is a Professor of Chinese History at Stanford University, a Guggenheim Fellow, and co-author of Where Research Begins. We had a great time digging into their curiosity practices... More about Tom Mullaney here: https://history.stanford.edu/people/thomas-mullaney Find Where Research Begins here: https://whereresearchbegins.com Theme music by Sean Balick. “Distill” by Darby, via Blue Dot Sessions.

The Curiosity Lab at IIT Gandhinagar (India) studies factors that generate, sustain and foster curiosity. The Lab is designed as an interdisciplinary space that promotes research and outreach initiatives specifically around curiosity. The Curiosity Lab takes on systemic inequalities, popular notions of what does or doesn't support curiosity, and generally makes it their business to encourage curiosity at every turn.  Jaison Manjaly is The Lab's principal investigator and chief cheerleader. Check out The Curiosity Lab at IIT Gandhinagar: https://www.curiositylab.iitgn.ac.in Theme music by Sean Balick. "Glass Beads" by the Balloonist, via Blue Dot Sessions.

"A citizen scientist is anyone who is curious about the world and eager to help explore and understand it,” explains National Science Foundation director, Sethuraman Panchanathan. Caroline Nickerson advises SciStarter, one of the allied network of organizations promoting citizen science and April as Citizen Science Month. Her citizen science enthusiasm is infectious! Learn more about SciStarter and Citizen Science Month: https://scistarter.org We mentioned these studies in our conversation. Check them out! Crowd the Tap: https://scistarter.org/crowd-the-tap Land Loss Lookout: https://cartosco.pe/kioskProject.html#/hubPage/landloss2016 Stream Selfie: https://scistarter.org/stream-selfie All of Us: https://allofus.nih.gov Yale Music Lab: https://www.themusiclab.org Theme music by Sean Balick. "Waterborne" by Algae Fields, via Blue Dot Sessions.

In 2017 Eva Marie Carney read a news story that changed her life. I invited her to share how being open to new information -- and allowing that information to influence not only her thinking but also her actions -- has enabled her to change other lives as well. This is an exploration of curiosity, very much as applied. Curiosity, in this case, in service of ending period poverty. Eva Marie Carney founded The Kwek Society which provides pads, tampons, liners, and underwear, along with educational materials and moon time bags filled with supplies to Indigenous students and communities needing these expensive menstrual supplies. Learn more here:  https://kweksociety.org Music this week: "Easement" and "Thirteens" by Bulwark, and "Great is the Contessa" by Contessa, all, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Claire Bown teaches techniques to help people connect more with art. Her guide How to Look at Art (Slowly) is as rich a compendium of curiosity practices as I've ever found. Claire's professional focus is museums, but she'd be the first to tell you: the skills she shares are useful anywhere... Check out Claire's work at Thinking Museum: https://thinkingmuseum.com Theme music by Sean Balick; "Purple Light" by Marble Run, via Blue Dot Sessions.

The well-deserved accolades pour in -- Newberry Medal, Coretta Scott King Award, Cyblis Award, and more -- but what caught my eye about Amina Luqman-Dawson's wonderful book Freewater was her deft deployment of curiosity. Whether as a springboard for her own writing and research, as an invitation to her readers, or the force that enables her characters' growth and literal freedom, curiosity in everywhere in this rich, evocative story of children escaping enslavement and finding their power. "Curiosity," she says, "is a wonderful place to begin." More about Freewater and Amina Luqman-Dawson: https://www.aminaluqman-dawson.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Home, Home at Last” by Warmbody, via Blue Dot Sessions. Amina Luqman-Dawson Photo Credit: Zachariah Dawson

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, right? Lucky for me, I teamed up with filmmaker, musician, composer, sound engineer and teacher Antonio Villaronga -- and a friendship/mentorship was born. When Antonio released his new narrative short film, You, Too, I wanted to be his first stop on the media tour. And so here we are! Check out the You, Too trailer and Antonio's other work at Cineronga: https://cineronga.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Curio” by Vacant Distillery, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 Hailey's original blog post "Why Curiosity Is My Love Language" Gary Chapman developed the idea of love language: https://5lovelanguages.com Take a moment to enjoy the poetry of Robert Frost, kindness of the Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/robert-frost Theme and other music by Sean Balick.

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 Dictionary of African American English, and curiosity as a privilege reserved for those who have already managed to establish legitimacy for their fields of study. Get to know Sonja Lanehart: https://coe.arizona.edu/person/sonja-lanehart Learn more about the Oxford Dictionary of African American English, and help crowdsource words: https://public.oed.com/oxford-dictionary-of-african-american-english/ Curious about Michael Harriot, Whypipologist? He explains all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spC2QSrM7f4 One of the breadcrumbs in my “inspiration trail” for this episode was Pip William’s lovely book The Dictionary of Lost Words: https://pipwilliams.com.au/the-dictionary-of-lost-words/ Theme music by Sean Balick; “Tuck and Point” by Onesuch Village, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 into environmental education. It is, as they put it, "the starting point of an important conversation about learning in relationship with Mother Earth." Alysse Kennedy and Aleksa Nitsis join me to unfurl what "indigenous perspectives of inquiry" entail, especially in the hands of non-indigenous teachers and learners. And we learn a few things from some 6th graders who model these lessons in a powerful way. Theme music by Sean Balick; “A Palace of Cedar" by The Pine Barrens, via Blue Dot Sessions. More on Natural Curiosity: https://www.naturalcuriosity.ca

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 library as "readers." And then the magic happens. Check out The Human Library: https://humanlibrary.org Read more about Joe Keohane and The Power of Strangers: https://joekeohane.net Theme music by Sean Balick; “Come As You Are” by Cauldron via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 and over in this conversation. I think you will be as well. Learn more about Sofia Forss' work and her lab at sofiaforss.com Check outage Social Curiosity workshop: https://www.psych.uni-goettingen.de/en/workshop/social-curiosity Want more animals? Here's episode #70 at the National Zoo: https://lynnborton.com/2018/12/26/animal-curiosity-at-the-national-zoo/

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 geocaching? Catch Sonny and Sandy and The Podcacher Podcast: https://www.podcacher.com Want to know more about geocaching? Geocaching HQ has you covered: https://www.geocaching.com/play There are lots of local groups as well; a special shout-out to the good folks at NoVaGO (Northern Virginia Geocaching Organization), who helped get me started in the game: https://www.facebook.com/groups/18688537318 Our theme music is by Sean Balick. “Slate Tracker” By Glacier Quarter via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 adults more askable? Be a curious co-pilot. To help us learn what it means to be an Askable Adult, I was joined by three dynamic and devoted Arlington community builders: Ashley Blowe, Training and Prevention Specialist, Department of Human Services; Siobhan Grayson, Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Prevention Unit under the Department of Human Services; and Scotney Young, Prevention and Outreach Manager at Doorways, a domestic and sexual violence response organization.

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 efforts to promote the adoption of the Right Question Strategy in legal practice settings serving low-income communities. The work is aimed at offering a simple way to integrate capacity-building into practice at the micro-level, as part of a systemic change strategy at the macro-level. That sounded to me like a serious curiosity practice in service of community transformation and I wanted to know more. Learn more about about The Right Question Institute: https://rightquestion.org Read Jamie Jirout's research on children's questions and problem solving: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15248372.2020.1832492 Take a look at this excellent coverage from The Guardian of work by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir on scarcity. Their work is not focused on curiosity specifically, but it certainly resonates! https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/23/scarcity-sendhil-mullainathan-eldar-shafir Our theme music is by Sean Balick. “Faster Faster Brighter" by Ray Catcher, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 that legacy: https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/04/13/d-c-cyclist-jim-pagels-killed-by-driver-hours-after-tweeting-about-unsafe-roads/ Read more about YIMBYs of Northern Virginia: https://www.yimbysofnova.org Our theme music is by Sean Balick. “City Limits” by Albany NY, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 Rich for his impromptu basement violin concert. Learn more about the Virginia Humanities' Virginia Folklife Program. https://www.virginiafolklife.org If you agree with Danny that Rich is going on to still greater things, keep an eye on him here: https://www.maxhamviolins.com/about The Virginia Humanities apprenticeship program caught my eye because my friends at Architecting Curiosity had primed me to think about the power of apprenticing in curiosity. Listen to my conversation with Anthony Rocco, Monica Canfield-Lenfest and Pim Schachtschabel: https://lynnborton.com/2021/12/22/architecting-curiosity-with-pim-schachtschabel-monica-canfield-lenfest-anthony-rocco/

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 about the Earth sciences, climate change and satellite research for NASA. And, she's a stand up comedian. Funny, smart, with a vision for how curiosity, science and humor can help us all, wherever we are. Kasha Patel: https://www.kashapatel.com Antidote for partisanship? In science, curiosity seems to work: https://news.yale.edu/2017/01/26/antidote-partisanship-science-curiosity-seems-work Center for Media & Social Impact, Yes...And Laughter Lab & GoodLaughs: https://cmsimpact.org Our theme and other music are by Sean Balick.

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 thing we call curiosity, celebrating the release of their new and groundbreaking book, Curious Minds: The Power of Connection. Perry Zurn is a professor of philosophy at American University. He is the author of Curiosity and Power: The Politics of Inquiry and co-editor of Curiosity Studies: A New Ecology of Knowledge. https://www.perryzurn.com Dani S. Bassett is J. Peter Skirkanich Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. They are the author of more than 300 scientific articles in neuroscience, physics, network science, and complete systems science. https://complexsystemsupenn.com Our theme music is by Sean Balick. “Charcoal Lines" by Sketchbook, via Blue Dot Sessions.