Choose to be Curious

Educator Patty Gómez used a question formulation technique to cultivate a collaborative culture of curiosity at work. Theme music by Sean Balick; “Entrance Shaft 11” by The Depot, via Blue Dot Sessions.

The World Peace Game is the brainchild of educator John Hunter. He describes it as “learning to live and work comfortably in the unknown.” It's hard to imagine a more curiosity-centric undertaking. A three-dimensional, hands-on political simulation, the World Peace Game explores the interconnectedness of the global community through economic, social, and environmental crises and the imminent threat of war. The goal is to extricate all the countries from those dangerous circumstances and achieve global prosperity, with the least amount of military intervention. And it’s played by 4th graders. World Peace Game: https://worldpeacegame.org Theme music by Sean Balick; “UpUpUp and Over" by The Balloonist, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Menka Sanghvi and I feel our ways around noticing as the first step to caring, taking responsibility for where and how we direct our attention, attention activism and artistry, not accepting default settings, the essence of parenting, and why looking at the sky first thing in the morning is such a good idea. Menka is a mindfulness and digital habits expert based in London. Her writing, speaking and many projects explore the relationship between attention, technology and society. She is the founder of Just Looking --- a community project that champions more curiosity and wonder in the everyday --- and co-author of the newly released book Your Best Digital Life: Use Your Mind to Tame Your Tech. Menka Sanghvi: https://menkasanghvi.com Theme music by Sean Balick; ”Mind Body Mind”, by Bodytonic , via Blue Dot Sessions.

XuanJun Gong is interested in media selection, computational modeling, communication networks, and information diffusion. He’s looked at how we choose media to manage our moods, how the sequence of our choices matters, and what draws us to that next book. All of this is one version or another of the old curiosity conundrum: explore or exploit? Do we seek novelty or leverage what we already know? Why? Does it get us what we want?  How do we even know….? XuanJun Gong: https://www.xuanjungong.com Theme music by Sean Balick; "Zig Zag Heart" by Nursery, via Blue Dot Sessions.

I have the good fortune of living in a place that values public art -- art that anyone can see at any time of night or day-- and that, with its very presence, invites just a little curiosity in a way that you might imagine would appeal to me. So I was delighted when Tomora Wright Swann, Public Art Projects Manager of Arlington County (Va.) reached out -- and propelled me to connect with contributing artist Aurora Robson. When I visit other cities, one of the things I look for is iconic walking tours – the cisterns of Istanbul, the passages couverts of Paris, the murals of Philadelphia, New Orleans’ Garden District. What a pleasure to talk with two people behind Arlington County's own art walking tours! Aurora Robson: https://www.aurorarobson.com Check out Arlington public art: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Public-Art/About/Self-Guided-Public-Art-Tours Theme music by Sean Balick. Hickory Interlude, Lemon and Melon, Sunday Lights, Town Market and Tuck and Point by Onesuch Village via Blue Dot Sessions.

I believe journalist, photographer and all-around producer Andy Isaacson has found ways to lean into his own curiosity, creating vehicles for the rest us to come along for the ride – in one case, literally. For him a good day sparks his curiosity -- a thought that came to him for the first time in this conversation. (Hurrah for asking about what makes for a good days!) We talk about why it's so important to meet people where they are; the intersections of respect, fairness, empathy and rigorous investigation; resourcefulness; and why stories are a form of currency. Andy Isaacson: https://www.andyisaacson.net Theme music by Sean Balick;“Union Hall Melody" by Union Hall via Blue Dot Sessions.

I see clear curiosity overtones in the ways we think about wisdom -- the meta-cognition processes of wisdom -- including intellectual humility, openness to others’ ideas and insights, even the search for constructive conflict resolution. So I wondered: is anyone thinking about wisdom through a curiosity lens? Igor Grossmann, Ph.D. leads the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario. He’s passionate about how people make sense of the world -- and how cultural forces shape behavior and societal change.  We talk about those meta-cognitive characteristics of wisdom, how our idea of "curiosity" influences how it might contribute to wisdom, situational adaptations, how wisdom is expressed across cultures -- and embracing intellectual humility when our assumptions about those presumed cultural differences prove to be all wrong. Igor Grossmann: https://igorgrossmann.com Theme music by Sean Balick; "The Envelope" by Aeronaut, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Sulma Arias is the Executive Director of People's Action and has two decades of experience advocating for immigrant rights and economic justice. She discusses deep canvassing as a transformative approach centered on listening and building rapport rather than conventional persuasion. Sulma highlights how curiosity facilitates understanding in divisive conversations, fostering genuine connections. She also explores creative analogies that illustrate the joy and unpredictability of curiosity, emphasizing its power to enhance personal growth and community dialogue.

Join orca experts Sara Shimazu and Jeff Friedman as they dive into the fascinating world of these marine mammals. Sara, a whale watch captain with a lifelong passion for orcas, and Jeff, who journeyed from Cleveland to the San Juan Islands for his love of whales, share captivating tales about orca behavior and social structures. They discuss the intelligence of orcas, their complex communication, and the ethical approach to observing them. Throughout, the duo playfully likens curiosity to hiking trails, emphasizing its vital role in ecotourism and our connection to nature.

Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight, a dedicated Wikipedia editor and co-founder of the Women in Red project, dives into the impact of volunteer contributions on knowledge and representation. She emphasizes the importance of reliable sourcing to combat misinformation and improve coverage on women’s biographies. The discussion also explores the evolving nature of knowledge, highlighting how collaboration fosters constructive debate and curiosity. Rosie shares imaginative analogies that illustrate curiosity's dynamic nature, inviting listeners to reimagine their own understanding.