The Curiosity Desk

November 6, 2026

First up, It's an end-of-the-week moment of election reflection, we’re exploring broader ballot measure trends beyond our New England bubble. Edgar talks with Erin Geiger Smith, who wrote about this in a piece published in State Court Report.  

Then, it's our Friday misfit news menagerie In Case You Missed It, with the Globe’s Emily Sweeney and podcast host Cristina Quinn. They’ll talk about the newly-crowned “Voice of Logan,” a bizarre superstition involving doctors in Thailand and KFC, and a failed NH bid to end their office of the Register of Probate . Today’s bonus guest is Donna Sytek, a former Register of Probate who’s been outspoken about abolishing the elected position.  

Lastly, we end the week with Your Friday Detour. Today we highlight “From Pepper Patch to Hot Sauce,” hosted by local nonprofit The Food Project. It’s a chance to learn how to grow peppers through the winter and ultimately turn them into delicious homemade hot sauce. Guests are Urban Agriculture Ambassador Memia McAllister and The Food Project’s Co-Executive Director John Wang. 

November 3rd, 2026

We open with a quick cross-Commonwealth Election Day check-in with GBH News’ Diane Adame in Brighton, and NEPM’s Phillip Whittemore-Bishop in Springfield. 

It’s another round of Four Things To Know with Gal Tziperman Lotan from the GBH Daily newsletter. 

We’re talking with Commonwealth Beacon reporter Chris Lisinksi about his coverage of a competition problem in Massachusetts, which beats out only Rhode Island in the percentage of uncontested races for elected office. 

We end with Reed Gochberg from Boston Athenaeum talking about how women suffragists spread their message through a community cookbook.

November 2, 2026 

First up - we open the show with Christine Farmer from the group Mass Blue Skies, to explain Friday’s news about Amazon withdrawing its proposal to offer drone delivery services in Westborough (for the meantime)

Then: with the eyes of the world on the U.S. ahead of election day, we turn our focus to global elections, with insights from Pablo Calderon Martinez, Associate Professor in Politics & International Relations at the Northeastern University London.

After: Why are marine rescue teams around the world taking cues from Cape Cod? We’ll ask Brian Sharp of Marine Mammal Rescue and Gemma O’Connor from Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

Lastly:  NYTimes Games director Everdeen Mason and Daniel King from Boston Globe Games.

October 30, 2026 

First up, it's an election-themed edition of our misfit news panel In Case You Missed It. Guests are Katie Lannan from MASSterlist and Axios Boston reporter Mike Deehan. They’ll talk about referendums on data centers, and undercurrent of reform in state ballot races, and the state of play in the race for treasurer. For this week’s bonus guest, we'll also meet Brookline fourth-grader Nova, whose hand-drawn design is featured on the city’s “I Voted” stickers. 

Afterwards, Edgar checks in on Witch City weekend happenings with Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo. Afterwards, we meet Erik Skogquist, mayor of “The Halloween Capital of the World™" – Anoka, Minnesota. 

Lastly - we are talking Dia De Los Muertos with Zaira Meneses, guitarist and founder of ALMA Boston. She's leading Day of DeadFest 2026 this weekend in Cambridge, and performs a song or two at the library. 

October 29, 2026

Misinformation researcher Joan Donovan returns for her Thursday segment The Glitch Report, this week with film critic Mike Snoonian to talk tech-anxiety reflected in classic cinema. 

Curiosity Desk producer Olivia Quercio answers some Halloween-themed Curiosity Questions about the origins of the Monster Mash & what’s going on in our brains when we sense a house is haunted. 

Edgar’s learning about the origins of black cat superstitions with cultural historian Roxie Zwicker, and why we ought to show our black cats more love with Jennifer Stott from Black Cat Rescue.  

 High Priestess Lori Bruno talks about the life and life philosophy of witches, and offers instruction on how to rid your home of evil spirits. 

October 28, 2026

First - we begin with NOVA Senior Producer Caitlin Saks, explaining this week’s news about the discovery of a new dwarf planet candidate right here in our solar system. How have we missed 2026 ED138 until now? And when will astronomers decide on a catchier name? We’ll also debrief with Curiosity Desk producer Leah Crowley, who’s getting reaction from library-goers. 

After - we're reflecting on Judge Judy’s adieu from daytime TV, with NPR TV critic Eric Deggans and Jessica Silbey from B.U. School of Law.

Then, ATC host Arun Rath talks about some of the history of Haloween-time magic. He’ll also conduct a live radio seance (wink wink) just days out from the 100-year anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death. 

October 27, 2026

We open with an AI News Panel, focused specifically on AI’s impact this election. Misinformation, AI voting support & more. We’ll hear from Boston Globe reporter Aaron Pressman, MIT political scientist Adam Berinsky, and Kate Gage from the Cooperative Lab Project. 

 Computer chips power so much of the technology we rely on, but do any of us understand how they actually work? Edgar ventures to learn, with help from MIT professor Suraj Cheema. 

We’re reflecting on the – still ongoing – life and legacy of Marty, that googly-eyed robot patrolling the aisles of Stop & Shop looking for spills and low-stocked shelves. Edgar meets Paul Ambruso and John Gehre from the Kentucky-based Badger Technologies, where Marty was born, to learn if this robot can love & be loved. 

October 26, 2026

 We’re starting off the week with an energy panel, exploring Gov. Healey’s interest in expanding natural gas pipelines in Massachusetts. We’ll hear from Jordan Wolman at Commonwealth Beacon, MASS Fiscal Alliance’s Paul Craney, and Eva Morgan from The Sierra Club.

Then: author Geo Rutherford on her book Spooky Rivers: 25 Strange and Mysterious Rivers That Snake Across Our Planet.

Lastly, it's Merriam Webster Editor-at-Large Peter Sokolowski on their new Scrabble Dictionary. We’re also celebrating 20 years of his word of the day podcast. 

October 23, 2026 

This week McLean Hospital announced a brand-new center for research into the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry. We’ll hear about the new center and the work to come from Dr. Virginie-Anne Chouinard, the center’s Associate Director.

Then, it’s our Friday misfit news menagerie, In Case You Missed It. Today we’re joined by freelance journalist Maura Johnston and Emily Schario from the B-Side. We’ll hear about a global chocolate conspiracy and some local outrage over Liberty Mutual’s new mascot. We’ll also mourn the loss of the leap second with help from bonus guest Judah Levine, who formerly represented the U.S. at the BIPM – the international authority on timekeeping.   

Lastly,  what is it New Englanders seem to love about those gnarled, bumpy gourds? We’ll ask Lauren Wilson & Jeff Callahan from Wilson Farm in Lexington. 

October 22, 2026 

First up, we begin with misinformation researcher Joan Donovan, back for another round of The Glitch Report. Today she joins with Libby Liu and Naomi Seligman of Whistleblower Aid, the pro-bono legal group that's defended the likes of Frances Haugen and the still-anonymous CIA worker whose 2019 complaint led to Trump’s first impeachment. 

Then, we're back answering another round of listener-submitted Curiosity Questions. Today, producer Leah Crowley ventures to answer questions about whether imagination can be learned, and if e-books are making the paperback obsolete.  

Lastly we find out..... what is at the bottom of the Charles River? GBH’s Craig LeMoult joins to talk about his morning hanging out with Harvard students and driving robots around the bottom of the river. He’ll join alongside Peter Girguis, the Harvard professor in their department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology who’s leading the research.