An experienced multi-lingual education specialist and organization leader, Loretta Goodwin is passionate about creating innovative, “anywhere/anytime” learning environments for young people, especially underserved youth.  She's also very curious about what AI offers her field -- and what it implies for all of us. So she undertook a 100-day learning journey. Lucky for us, she's got wonderful insights to share. It's a fascinating conversation about curiosity, productive struggle, creativity, bias, agency, inequity, and the joy of being a newbie. Find Loretta Goodwin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loretta-goodwin/ Theme music by Sean Balick; “Setting Up” by Studio J, via Blue Dot Sessions.

If you came across something that promises to offer students "evidence-driven, rigorously tested ideas that consider alternative perspectives" wouldn't you be interested? Research shows that high school policy debate teaches students how to analyze, explore and understand the world around them, while it hones additional skills like research, critical thinking, and communication. Sounds like a curiosity enterprise to me! Delighted to have David Trigaux of Washington Urban Debate League join me to discuss. Washington Urban Debate League: http://wudl.org Theme music by Sean Balick; “Turning on the Lights" by Speakeasy, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Six years ago I sat down with Jacqueline Gottlieb, Ph.D., Professor of Neuroscience and Principal Investigator at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute, the very first neuroscientist I’d ever interviewed.  It was a delightful and far-ranging conversation. At some point she made a bold and quite tantalizing statement. “Curiosity," she said, "is going to take neuroscience to the next frontier.”  Today we check in on that assertion. We talked about visual systems, value systems, motivation, cognition, personality psychology, stress tolerance, introversion, extroversion and why it's a good idea for scientists to talk to one another. Jacqueline Gottlieb: https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/jacqueline-gottlieb-phd Theme music by Sean Balick; “Cicle Veroni” by Cicle Kadde, via Blue Dot Sessions.

How do you like to learn? We all do it differently. Argha Manna uses comics. Argha is a cancer researcher turned comics artist. He specializes in documenting the history of science and explores how knowledge is generated. Find Argha Manna here: https://drawinghistoryofscience.wordpress.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Purple Light", Marble Run via Blue Dot Sessions.

How does choosing to be curious about the people and places around us help us discover, elevate and amplify history that's perhaps less well-known? In this third episode of the "Mile in Their Shoes" series, we use the Mount Vernon Trail as a vehicle for tracing our shared history, with the help of a local museum, a local government, and an independent journalist. Photo: "On the Point – ‘Buddies,’ May 30, 1897” Alexandria Black History Museum, used with permission. Visit Black Heritage Museum of Arlington: https://arlingtonblackheritage.org Visit Alexandria African American Heritage Trails: https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic-sites/african-american-heritage-trails Check out Kim O'Connell's work: https://www.kimaoconnell.com Theme music by Sean Balick; music by Onesuch Village, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Jason Logan is an artist and ink maker. But he doesn’t just make ink. He concocts magical potions from found ingredients. He forages, often in urban environments, everything from the berries you might expect, to scrap metal, cigarette butts and dry wall. It’s as if he looks at the world with one big “What if…?” Check out Jason Logan at: http://www.jasonslogan.com and https://torontoinkcompany.com Photo of Jason Logan credit to Sian Richards, used with permission. Theme music by Sean Balick; “Come As you Are” by Cauldron, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a renowned brain scientist known for her insights on brain hemispheres, and Valoria Walker, an end-of-life doula, share profound wisdom for the New Year. They discuss the transformative power of curiosity, urging listeners to embrace what has worked for them in the past instead of setting new resolutions. The conversation highlights the importance of compassionate communication about end-of-life wishes and explores how curiosity can enhance personal growth and understanding in life’s delicate moments.

BONUS: Innovation advisor Larry Robertson and I talked much longer and more widely than I could accommodate in one episode. I can't bear for you to miss out on his insights, so here's a little bonus pack, with lessons gleaned from Naomi Osaka and others, in honor of rebel leadership everywhere. My original interview with Larry was 3 years ago (July 2021). One unexpected benefit of some digital housekeeping I'm doing right now is that I discovered this BONUS never made it to Soundcloud and the RSS feed. So, here you go! Find Episode #147 here: https://soundcloud.com/choosetobecurious/ep-147-rebel-leadership-with-larry-robertson Find Larry Robertson here: https://lrspeaks.com

I'm taking a little break in December. I'm calling it Curiosity R&R -- Curiosity Respite & ReAirs, so this is a quickie... It's been a packed 8 1/2 years of production and I need a rest. Radio audiences will have uninterrupted programming -- and you can get a peek here. Links on my website. I also provide a sneak preview of what's coming in 2025. :) But mostly I just want to say thank you for listening! Theme music by Sean Balick; "The Green Room" by Warmbody, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Birds seem like a delightful lens through which to view curiosity: Here’s a species that lives among us, is literally part of the scenery, but to which many of us are almost entirely blind. But when we choose to be curious about birds, suddenly it's like a whole new universe emerges in our own backyards.  We see things we didn’t see before.  We hear things we didn’t hear before.  We learn things we didn’t know before. You can imagine my delight when I stumbled on María-Elena Montero, president of the DC Bird Alliance. She leapt at the chance to talk about birds--as well as some of the curiosity practices and life lessons to be learned from observing our avian friends. Check out DC Bird Alliance: https://dcbirdalliance.org Theme music by Sean Balick, "Wingspan" by Bayou Birds, via Blue Dot Sessions.