Arlington County Sustainability Planner Helen Reinecke-Wilt joins me to explore how choosing to be curious about our environmental impact helps Arlington achieve its goal of carbon neutrality. Might curiosity literally save the world?

Theme music by Sean Balick. “A Certain Lightness” by Migration via Blue Dot Sessions.

Curiosity theories abound. How might curiosity contribute to their growth and attractiveness -- or/and how might it be an antidote? What happens when genuine curiosity is applied to these theories? Political scientist and University of Chicago professor Eric Oliver joins me to explore what happens when curiosity goes down the rabbit hole.

Theme music by Sean Balick. “Shadow Plan” by Dorica via Blue Dot Sessions.

The wise and wonderful healthcare advocate and equity champion Nicole Rochester, MD, founder and CEO of Your GPS Doc LLC, returns for a conversation about what the last two years have done to how curiosity shows up in medicine -- and society at large.

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

Information design consultant Alli Torban believes visuals can help anyone understand anything. Data visualization has undergone a seismic transformation in recent years. What role does curiosity play in how we collect, present and absorb information? 

A morsel: "As a general rule of thumb, if I have a strong emotional response to a chart, I’m going to spend more time being skeptical of it."

Theme music by Sean Balick. “Charcoal Lines" by Sketchbook via Blue Dot Sessions.

Psychologist Todd Kashdan wrote his new book The Art of Insubordination to "elevate the value of curiosity, intellectual humility, and courage in public discourse, and to teach people how to amplify their voices and help others do the same."

Todd is intent on cultivating principled insubordination and pushing back against incuriosity. I figured we should talk...

Check out Todd's work here: https://toddkashdan.com

Theme music by Sean Balick. "Hash Out" by Sunday at Slims via Blue Dot Sessions.

This episode first aired on WERA-LP, February 2022. It has been refreshed, May 2023.

Research suggests that journalism focused on solutions outperforms problem-focused news. "Solutions Journalism" feels more interesting, trustworthy, uplifting -- and inspires people to get involved. Marie von Hafften of the Solutions Journalism Network joins me to explore the role of curiosity and all-important trust in finding and telling those stories.

Today's Curiosity Practice Harvest: Ask "who is doing it better?" Subject your own efforts to assessment and evaluation: are you having the impact you hope and or intend? (Re)Think whom you consider the "experts" and where insights and solutions may reside.

Theme music by Sean Balick. “Filing Away” by Crab Shack via Blue Dot Sessions.

(This program was first aired in February 2022 and has been refreshed, November 2022.)

This started as a conversation about how curiosity shows up in mental health, but New Delhi-based independent journalist Tanmoy took us to post-colonialism property ownership, sussing out the boundaries of allowable questioning, our bias toward answers, and what we can learn from our kids. Sanity, through a whole new set of lenses.

Theme music by Sean Balick. “Mind Body Mind” by BodyTonic via Blue Dot Sessions.

Arlington County's restorative justice efforts strive for an equitable, empathetic community that honors the dignity and humanity of all people and creates pathways for belonging, healing, accountability, and growth. Restorative Arlington coordinator Kimiko Lighty explains how central curiosity is to the work.

Theme music by Sean Balick. “Turning on the Lights” by Speakeasy via Blue Dot Sessions.

"Architecting Curiosity" turns out to be a pretty fabulous way to think about choosing to be curious. It is also a community and school with which to practice and train our natural muscle of inquiry.

I decided to enroll.

Architecting Curiosity founders, experience designers all, Pim Schachtschabel, Monica Canfield-Lenfest and Anthony Rocco were my most marvelous teachers and guides. This is but a taste of what time with them is like... 

Theme music by Sean Balick. "Slow Lane Lover" by Barstool via Blue Dot Sessions.

This week we visit that uncomfortable place that curiosity can create as we wrestle with the courage of our questions. Social justice music-maker Crys Matthews illuminates the power of music to open hard conversations. And, oh, what a voice!

"Exactly Where You Are" used with permission of artist.