As we head into another new year, we wonder what lies ahead in the coming months. We’re “curious,” we say, about what will happen in the November elections; what’s in store for us in new TV shows and movie premiers; the outcomes of our favorite sports teams; and what events will unfold in our lives, both traditional and unexpected. But curiosity is much more than simply striving to acquire information about things we’d like to know. In today’s episode, Perry Zurn, a professor of philosophy, and Dani S. Basset, a professor of bioengineering, will talk about a compelling thesis they present in their book, “Curious Minds”: that curiosity is fundamentally a practice of making connections. “Relational curiosity” connects ideas into networks of knowledge, and it connects the knowers themselves, both to the knowledge they seek, and to each other. The co-authors—who are also identical twins—will spell out three main styles of curiosity, which they’ve called the “butterfly,” the “hunter,” and the “dancer.” They’ll talk about what neuroscientists think is happening in the brain when people are curious, and they’ll describe the debate among educators as to how curiosity is related to learning. And Professors Zurn and Bassett will set out some thought-provoking arguments about how we should foster curiosity in the workplace, in schools, and more broadly in our culture—as a potentially important tool to help us navigate these challenging times. Curious to hear more? Listen in.