The Story Collider

This week, in honor of Halloween, we're presenting two classic stories about facing fears for science.Part 1: As a newly minted PhD student in geology, Erik Klemetti starts to question his decisions when Aucanquilcha, a 20,000-foot volcano in Chile, proves difficult to tame. Part 2: Explorer George Kourounis finds himself growing increasingly anxious as he prepares to enter a fiery sinkhole known as the “Doorway to Hell.” Erik Klemetti is an associate professor of Geosciences and volcanologist at Denison University. He works on volcanoes all over the planet, from Chile to New Zealand to the Cascades of Oregon and California. His research focuses on how crystals record the events inside a volcano before and between eruptions. For the past 9 years, he’s been teaching all the “hard rock” classes at Denison. He also writes for Discover Magazine. His blog, Rocky Planet, have been running since Fall 2017. Before that, he wrote Eruptions, a blog about volcanoes, for Wired Science for 9 years. You can also find him on Twitter (@eruptionsblog), variously tweeting about volcanoes, baseball (mostly Red Sox and Mariners) and his love of punk. George Kourounis is a renowned global explorer and storm chaser who specializes in documenting extreme forces of nature including: tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, deserts, caves, avalanches and more. He is an Explorer In Residence for The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, served as the Chairman of the Explorers Club Canadian Chapter, and has received several awards and medals for his efforts. He frequently finds himself driving into the eye of fierce storms, or descending ropes into actively erupting volcanic craters, often while hosting television programs including “Angry Planet” and others. He has given five TEDx talks, and has addressed the United Nations Environmental Emergencies Forum. George’s expeditions have taken him to over 80 countries on all seven continents to such far-flung places as: Madagascar, Turkmenistan, Vanuatu, Greenland, North Korea, Myanmar, and Antarctica.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers learn the hard way that getting high doesn’t always mean having a good time.Part 1: At his friend’s bachelor party, Andrew McGill joins in on a mushroom trip that quickly spirals out of control.Part 2: In an attempt to calm his nerves about going on an Alaskan cruise, Will Clegg turns to marijuana. Andrew McGill is a storyteller born and raised in Brooklyn, NY when not on stage is a English teacher at a high school in Brooklyn. Will Clegg is a filmmaker, storyteller, and new dad living in Westfield, NJ. He’s the co-creator and sometimes host of the long-running storytelling show “Awkward Teenage Years” as well as the writer and performer of two solo shows: “The Lonely Road” and “Syncope.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In honor of OCD Awareness Week, this episode features two deeply personal stories about living with obsessive compulsive disorder.Part 1: For Hannah Hedelius, a classmate’s hiccups trigger an overwhelming reaction she can’t hold back. Part 2: As a graduate student, Rachel Hostetler begins to realize that her intrusive thoughts may be more than just regular stress. Hannah Hedelius was born and raised in Idaho. She received her Bachelors of Psychology from Boise State University and is currently working on her Masters in Biomolecular Sciences. Hannah plans to attend medical school where she will work towards a dual doctorate for a career as a medical scientist. Hannah is a graduate assistant for the Dean of Students Office where she works in substance misuse prevention. She focuses on creating alcohol and other drugs education and awareness. Hannah is also doing research at Boise State where she studies cholera toxin and its potential in treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. In her free time, Hannah enjoys reading and spending time with her family. Rachel Hostetler is a scientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science and her role focuses on providing scientific training to users of the institute’s tools and datasets. Prior to working at the institute, she completed a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at West Virginia University, where she used many Allen Institute datasets to guide her research on somatostatin inhibitory interneuron diversity. She completed her B.S. at the University of Minnesota, double-majoring in Neuroscience and German Studies. Now living in Seattle, she yells out in excitement whenever she sees a mountain (not just Mt. Rainier but literally any mountain) after growing up in the Midwest. When not yelling at mountains, she spends her free time trying new seafood restaurants with her partner, snuggling with their very needy cat, and exploring the beauty of the PNW.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, we wade into the bloody (and sometimes gory) side of science. Part 1: Shawn Musgrave wants to donate blood, but runs headfirst into the FDA’s lifetime ban on gay men as donors. Part 2: While working with the condor recovery program, Molly Astell opens a freezer to find every researcher’s nightmare. Shawn Musgrave is a lawyer, journalist, lawyer-who-represents-journalists, and somewhat recent transplant to New York. His work has appeared in The Intercept, POLITICO, The Verge, VICE, and the Boston Globe, among other publications, as well as in the Netflix docuseries How to Fix a Drug Scandal. Molly Astell is a wildlife biologist who originally never wanted to be one of those "bird people", yet went on to exclusively work with endangered birds in their career. Fourteen of those years were spent working as part of the California condor recovery program in a variety of different roles, mostly with the wild condors in southern California, but also with the captive breeding birds in Boise, ID. Currently, they are a graduate student at Boise State University doing research with condor data they helped to collect, and is discovering the joys of teaching biology to undergraduates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, our storytellers face life-or-death moments they’ll never forget.Part 1: On a trip to Colombia for a research conference, biologist Stephanie Galla must rely on her fight-or-flight instincts when she is cornered by a mugger with a knife. Part 2: An ordinary day takes a shocking turn when Kim Weaver is struck by lightning. Stephanie Galla is an Assistant Professor in avian biology at Boise State University. She is interested in interdisciplinary conservation efforts for species in decline, and in particular, how genomic technologies can inform management decisions. Using DNA, her research team explores whether birds (including grouse and raptors) have the adaptive capacity to be resilient in a changing world. Outside of her everyday work life, she enjoys bird watching, making art, taking care of her backyard chickens, and watching TV with her husband and cat. Kim Weaver is a long-time storyteller and occasional guest host at Story Night in Bremerton, but she cut her storytelling chops as a high school math and engineering teacher.  (No matter how much you heckle, you will not be as brutal as a room full of Algebra I students.) She has also told plenty of ocean tales as a Science Communication Fellow aboard the E/V Nautilus.  Kim lives in Poulsbo, Washington where her primary role is meeting the demands of a high-maintenance corgi named Bird, but her actual job is providing STEM and EdTech support to teachers throughout the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we present two classic stories from people who had hypotheses. Part 1: Teaching sixth grade science becomes much more difficult when Xochitl Garcia's students start hypothesizing that fire is alive. Part 2: When journalist John Rennie is assigned to cover an entomological society event where insects are served as food, he sees an opportunity to face his fear of bugs. Xochitl Garcia is the K-12 education program manager at Science Friday, where she focuses on supporting the inspiring efforts of educators (of all types) to engage students in science, engineering, math, and the arts. She is a former NYC school teacher, who specializes in sifting through random piles of junk that she insists are "treasures," to figure out cool ways for learners to explore scientific phenomena. You can find her making a mess in the name of science education at the Science Friday office, her house, with other educators...you get the picture. Update: Xochitl welcomed her baby (not fire) into the world on 1/1/2020. John has worked as a science editor, writer and lecturer for almost 40 years. Most recently, he was a deputy editor at Quanta Magazine. During his time as editor in chief at Scientific American, between 1994 and 2009, the magazine received two National Magazine Awards. He co-created and hosted the 2013 series Hacking the Planet on The Weather Channel. Since 2009, he has been on the faculty of the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program in New York University’s graduate journalism school. You can learn follow him on Bluesky @johnrennie.sky.social or check his website, www.johnrennie.net. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, we’re featuring two powerful stories born from our education program.Part 1: As an undergraduate with no “real” science experience, Molly Magid is thrilled to join a research project studying how bats fly—until she discovers the bats refuse to cooperate. Part 2: As a child, Léa Souccar and her father explore the wreckage in the aftermath of a devastating bombing. Molly Magid is a science communicator and podcast producer. She has been telling stories about science since the first grade, when she wrote a biologically accurate story about ladybugs. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Molly now lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. She enjoys sharing her passion for science anywhere from podcasts to social media to declaring her love of longfin eels on the street. Léa Souccar was born in Lebanon, three years into the war. By the time the fighting stopped, she was twelve. In between, the voice of her storytelling grandmother carried her above the chaos—like a flying carpet—and helped shape who she became. During her first year studying Performing Arts, Beirut hosted its first Storytelling and Monodrama Festival. She skipped classes that week to attend every lecture by day and every performance by night. Something long asleep inside her woke up. From that moment on, she trained relentlessly, learning from renowned storytellers from around the world. After earning a Master’s in Theater Education for Special Needs, she began working as a storyteller and puppeteer, sharing stories in schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and prisons. In 2010, she became a primary school teacher in France. She found her place in a preschool classroom, where she began exploring all the ways oral storytelling can support and inspire learning. Today, she leads workshops where she shares her two greatest passions: storytelling and education—and the sparks that fly when the two meet.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, we explore how creativity, humor, and connection can be powerful tools for mental health and healing.Part 1: When anxiety starts taking over her life, Jude Treder-Wolff signs up for an improv class.Part 2: Counselor Belinda Arriaga and emergency medicine doctor Nancy Ewen join forces to collect scientific evidence of the power of culturally responsive mental health care.Jude Treder-Wolff is a creative arts therapist, writer/performer and trainer with Lifestage, Inc, a company that provides creative personal and professional development workshops and classes. She believes that creativity is a renewable resource that is the energy of change anyone can tap into for healing, change and growth. She hosts (mostly) TRUE THINGS, a game wrapped in a true storytelling show performed once a month in Port Jefferson, NY and brings storytelling workshops to the Sandi Marx Cancer Wellness Program and Seniors Program at the Sid Jacobsen Jewish Community Center and the Alzheimer’s Education and Resource Center on Long Island, the National Association of Social Workers in NYS as well as other social service organizations. She has been featured on many shows around the country, including RISK! live show and podcast, Generation Women, Mortified, Story District in Washington D.C., Ex Fabula in Milwaukee WI and PBS Stories From The Stage.Dr. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, LCSW, is an educator, advocate, and visionary leader fueled by love and courage. As the Founder and Executive Director of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS) in Half Moon Bay, she has transformed the farmworker community, infusing it with cultural pride and unyielding hope. Under her leadership, the Coast’s first affordable housing for farmworker elders became a reality, and mental health care for immigrants was reimagined with arts, culture, and community at the center. A beloved mentor and award-winning author of a children’s book on family separation, Belinda championed farmworkers’ needs during the pandemic and led her community’s healing after a mass shooting. From the southern border to the White House, her advocacy has touched countless lives and inspires change rooted in our collective humanity. A passionate educator, Dr. Hernandez-Arriaga teaches at the University of San Francisco, inspiring the next generation of counselors and activists. At ALAS, She has built groundbreaking partnerships with USF and Stanford to lead pioneering research on the power of culturally responsive mental health care. She has helped to publish works like There Is a Monster in My House, Cultura Cura, and Olvidados Entre la Cosecha, which illuminate the emotional experiences of undocumented and mixed-status youth. Belinda has presented ALAS’s findings at major conferences such as the American Psychological Association and the Pediatric Academic Societies, resulting in groundbreaking tools including the first-ever Spanish-language instrument to measure immigration trauma. Dr. Belinda's work has positioned ALAS as a national model for community-driven, mental health programs that champion the belief that La Cultura Cura, that culture cures. Belinda also co-founded the Latino Advisory Council in Half Moon Bay, helped launch the Latino Trauma Institute, and actively collaborates with Bay Area Border Relief. A former San Mateo County District 3 Arts Commissioner and inductee of the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame, Belinda is an active civic leader. She is also a proud mother of three and holds a Doctor of Education from the University of San Francisco.Dr. N Ewen Wang is a Professor Emerita of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics. She was Associate Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine for more than 20 years. Her career has been committed to serving vulnerable populations and decreasing health disparities locally as well as globally. She founded the Stanford section in Social Emergency Medicine, a field which uses the perspective of the Emergency Department (ED) to identify patient social needs which contribute to disease and to develop solutions to decrease these health disparities. As such, she directed the Social Emergency Medicine fellowship and was medical director for a student-run group which screened ED patients for social needs (Stanford Health Advocates and Research in the ED (SHAR(ED)). She has worked clinically and educated trainees and faculty globally, including at sites in Chiapas, Mexico; Borneo Indonesia and Galapagos, Ecuador. Her current research and advocacy includes investigating disparities in specialty care access and quality, including trauma and mental health. Dr. Wang also works with community organizations to understand best models to provide wraparound social and medical services for unaccompanied immigrant children, for which she has received Stanford Impact Labs, Center for Innovation in Global Health and Office of Community Engagement grants. She presently serves as a medical expert with the Juvenile Care Monitoring team for the U.S. Federal Court overseeing the treatment of migrant children in U.S. detention. In 2023, she was appointed as the inaugural Faculty Director of the Health Equity Education MD/Masters Program at the Stanford School of Medicine. Dr. Wang completed an Emergency Medicine Residency at Stanford and then a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship between LPCH and Children's Oakland.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, both storytellers face the challenge of evicting some very unwelcome guests.Part 1: While housesitting for her uncle, JiJi Lee’s peaceful stay takes a chaotic turn when a squirrel breaks in.Part 2: When a serious mold infestation takes over the university campus, Joshua Wilson is tasked with eliminating it.JiJi Lee is a comedy writer and performer. She has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Onion. And her work has been published in the McSweeney's humor anthology Keep Scrolling Till You Feel Something. Joshua Wilson is a Project Manager with over five years of successfully leading complex projects from start to finish. He splits my time between Boise and the Wood River Valley, where he co-founded a business providing skilled labor for high-end custom homes. He’s since managed facilities for Boise State and Northwest Nazarene University, where he championed multiple software integration projects to maximize business operations efficiency. He oversaw project management, capital planning, safety protocols, and team leadership. Now, in his junior year of a Computer Science degree at Boise State, he’s expanding his technical skills and actively seeking opportunities to apply his knowledge in software development, data analysis, and his unique background. Outside of work, he enjoys home improvement and automation projects, traveling, rafting, fishing, hunting, snowboarding, and mountain biking, often with his daughter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we present two classic stories about people struggling with their identity.Part 1: When science journalist Katherine Wu interviews a scientist about a new facial recognition algorithm, the conversation turns more personal than she expected. Part 2: Hurricane Katrina gives Mary Annaise Heglar a new perspective on both her grandfather and home state. Katherine J. Wu is a Boston-based science journalist and storyteller whose writing has appeared in Smithsonian magazine, Scientific American, NOVA Next, and more. She's also a senior producer for The Story Collider. In 2018, she earned a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunobiology from Harvard University, where she studied how bacteria deal with stress so she could one day learn to do the same. She can spell "tacocat" backwards. Mary Annaise Heglar is an author and communications consultant based in Birmingham, AL. Her writing has been published in Vox, The Cut, Rolling Stone, and WIRED, among other outlets. She is the author of the novel, Troubled Waters, and the children's book, The World is Ours to Cherish.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.