Dating coach Tim Molnar blends social science and statistical scholarship with both personal experience and practical suggestions in hopes of transforming how people approach modern dating. 

How can curiosity help in our dating lives? Tim has thoughts!

We explore research's origins in "me-search"; getting curious about what is -- or isn't -- actually working; second dates and old-school advantages of the exposure effect; running small experiments with our lives; rejection leading to success; curiosity practices to keep dating your partner; and why caring about green smoothies is so very, very attractive.

Tim Molnar: https://timothymolnar.com

Theme music by Sean Balick; ”Le Marais” by The Sweet Hots, via Blue Dot Sessions.

This was a wide-ranging and exciting conversation about neuroscientist Matthias Gruber's ongoing efforts to understand curiosity's role in learning and memory. There's a lot here. You may have to listen more than once -- I know I did!

Matthias Gruber: https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/gruberm

Theme music by Sean Balick; “A Little Powder” by Nursery, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Lisa Kristine is a humanitarian photographer and fine artist. She uses her photography to expose deeply human stories and make pictures that tap our curiosity about the people and lives she has documented.

"Curiosity calls us to be present." ~ Lisa Kristine

Lisa Kristine: https://lisakristine.com

Theme music by Sean Balick; “Sand Reverie” by Desert Orchard, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Lean into the language of smell with me: we sniff things out, we follow a scent. We’re nosey!

Is this not curiosity, enacted? Embodied!?

So what do we know about our sense of smell, and might studying it offer insights into the way our brains explore, learn and remember?

Venkatesh Murthy: https://vnmurthylab.org

Theme music by Sean Balick; “A Palace of Cedars” by Pine Barrens, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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, recognize misinformation -- and stop it in its tracks.

RumorGuard is an initiative of the News Literacy Project to do just that. It fact-checks viral rumors and offers concrete tips to help us build our news literacy chops.

News Literacy Project: https://newslit.org

Theme music by Sean Balick; “Heartland Flyer” by The Balloonist, via Blue Dot Sessions.

How does a ghost writer get to the juiciest heart of their subject?

Laura Zigman is the author of six novels and has ghostwritten and/or collaborated on multiple memoirs and non-fiction books. We have fun talking about writing with someone -- not about them -- and getting their voice right; the line between curiosity and nosiness; compassion, empathy, trust and asking questions with kindness; respecting boundaries; and the honor of hearing another's stories.

Laura Zigman: https://www.laurazigman.com

Theme music by Sean Balick; "Step In, Step Out” by Crab Shack, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Photograph of Laura Zigman by Adrianne Mathiowetz, used with permission.

Mikel Herrington is a veteran of both AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. We explore curiosity as the underpinning 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 for years...

Theme music by Sean Balick; "Home, Home at Last" by Warmbody, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 and diverse world around us.

A delightful discussion creating and connecting dots. Join us for a conversation all about why "should know" and "worth knowing" are so very different; cultural literacy and the fabricated division of "high" and "low" culture; the many gifts of sharing interests; and what's to be gained from a little constraint.

Shawkat Toorawa: https://shawkutis.weebly.com

Theme music by Sean Balick; “Rabbit Hole" by Love & Weasel, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 for community, and how curiosity is like an insatiable puppy.

"The library can be a great refuge, if you will, for people who are questioning." ~ Diane Kresh

Theme music by Sean Balick; "4 Point Path" by The Bulwark, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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 Silvia Villacampa who have a few things to teach the rest of us...

Theme music by Sean Balick; “Discovery Harbor” by Cloud Harbor,, via Blue Dot Sessions.