The Curiosity Desk

Odcinki

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  Have We All Forgotten How To Apologize? 17.09.2026 53min

  September 17th, 2026 First, it’s the latest edition The Glitch Report, with misinformation researcher Joan Donovan. This week, she & Edgar talk with Astra Taylor, who co-authored the new book End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World with activist and bestseller Naomi Klein. Then: Yom Kippur begins this Sunday. Edgar welcomes Rabbi Charlie Schwartz from Lehrhaus and Hebrew College president Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld for a conversation about the notion of atonement, both within & beyond the Jewish faith.    After, our Wednesday ends with Edgar meeting organizers Richard Binder & David Watts Jr. ahead of the Commonwealth Pen Show. They’ll talk about some of the history of pens and penmanship, and whether it’s ever okay to do a crossword in pen.
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  Who's That Kitty In The Window? 16.09.2026 52min

  September 16, 2026  It’s the latest round of our AI ethics panel. This week we're focusing on debate around whether AI is progressing at a dangerous pace, we’ll talk with  Nir Eisikovits and J. Hughes from the podcast Prosthetic Gods, and Boston Globe tech reporter Hiawatha Bray. Then: ahead of Allston's inaugural Cat Stroll, Edgar chats with organizer Ashley Lesperance. Afterwards: Freelance journalist Liz Krieger expands on her piece about America’s current cultural moment with needles, vis-a-vis GLP-1’s, IVF & peptides & then, with all this additional needle usage, do we have the infrastructure in place to get dispose of them all safely? We’ll ask Ruth Rowe & Leah Zaroulis from the group NeedyMeds. 
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  Is There A Role For Flock In New England? 15.09.2026 52min

  September 15, 2026 We’re delving into controversy around the use of Flock cameras in towns across New England. We’ll begin speaking with Colonel Oscar Perez, Chief of the Providence Police Department, who’s been a defender of the cameras. And Kade Crockford,  Director for Technology and Justice Programs at the ACLU of Massachusetts. We’ll also open phone & text lines for listener thoughts.  Then,  it’s the latest iteration of a Curiosity Desk series exploring what different animal species can teach us about life. Today, it's what orcas can teach us about education. Our guest is Jennifer Verdolin, a wildlife behavior researcher and Associate Professor at SUNY Empire.  After, Edgar talks with sleep researcher Josh Levitt about his new study finding that timed bursts of pink noise can help to get more restorative sleep.  We end the show checking back with Antiques Roadshow executive producer Marsha Bemko after the series’ first-ever Emmy win. 
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  How Do I Get Into Investing? 14.09.2026 52min

  September 14th, 2026 Edgar learns about a system for affordable housing co-ops in Switzerland and efforts to implement a similar system in Massachusetts, with help from architects / historians Susanne Schindler & Sam Naylor.   We’re exploring some queer history in Boston’s original women-led motorcycle club – Moving Violations – with Fiona Charlson from Queer History Boston, & longtime member / president Patricia Caya.  Phone & text lines are open for a conversation about investing 101 with financial advisor Jennifer Lane. 
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  Where Is Medicine Headed? 11.09.2026 58min

  September 11, 2026  Today on the Curiosity Desk:  We start with our misfit news panel In Case You Missed It are GBH’s Adam Reilly & Cristina Quinn from the podcast Fighting Crime. They’ll discuss the 83 year-old Lexington woman who plead guilty to an $11 million dollar Ponzi scheme, a Kentucky man who pivoted to raising ostriches after contracting alpha-gal syndrome, and OpenAI solving a million-dollar, 90 year-old math problem known as the Navier-Stokes Equation. We’ll also meet MIT professor Justin Solomon to explain – best he can – why solving that math problem is significant.  Then, Edgar talks with GBH’s Ian Coss about his new podcast episode with The Big Dig, about how the September 11th attacks forever changed our airports.  After, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha joins to talk about the future of medicine. That includes AI and mRNA vaccines potentially bringing us closer to curing cancer, and President Trump naming Dr. Michael Davis to lead the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. 
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  How Safe Are We From Cyber Attacks? 10.09.2026 51min

  September 10th, 2026  Last week saw two significant cyberattacks in Mass. – one at Springfield Public Schools, the other at Everett City Hall. Edgar talks with Kevin Powers with Boston College Law School about we exactly happened and how vulnerable we are to future incidents.  To celebrate NFL season’s kick-off, we talk with MIT Sports Lab co-director Peko Hosoi & ​​football coach Andy Byron about football / sports IQ, and how & whether it can be taught.  Baker & influencer Mandy Silverman – aka Mandylicious – joins to explain and demonstrate the wonder of challah bread, ahead of Rosh Hashanah.  We welcome back Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett from the podcast A Way With Words to explain the origins of some fall-related words & phrases. 
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  What Do I Need To Know This Back-To-School Season? 09.09.2026 53min

  September 9, 2026  Craig LeMoult is in for Edgar. Kicking off back-to-school season, we'll talk with BTU President Erik Berg about recent K-12 headlines, including a cellphone ban bill languishing on Beacon Hill, ICE in classrooms, and Gov. Healey’s pursuit of an additional $100 million in school funding.  Then, from K-12 to higher-ed, we’ll pivot to GBH’s Kirk Carapezza for a conversation about his reporting on colleges closing, AI in classrooms, and how universities are navigating federal immigration restrictions.  After, GBH producer Rachel Armany answers some of Craig’s long-ignored curiosity questions. That includes whether putting black paint under your eyes really cuts glare, discrepancies between UK and US fluid ounce measurements, and why humans love the feel of soft things.  We round out the show with author John O’Connor about his book The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster. We’ll also meet local Bigfoot chaser Jon Wilk, who’s leading an expedition to search for the cryptid this weekend.  
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  Will Your Grandkids Want A Turtle? 08.09.2026 52min

  September 8, 2026  After a quick check-in on her coverage of the Lindsay Clancy trial, GBH’s Liz Neisloss talks about her recent reporting on ADUs in Massachusetts. She’ll be joined by Amy Dain, senior fellow with The Boston Foundation research center Boston Indicators.  Then, it’s another round of “Four Things to Know" with Gal Tziperman Lotan from the GBH Daily Newsletter.  After, following President Trump’s announcement last week of a deal to lower U.S. drug costs, MIT economist Jon Gruber breaks down why prescriptions remain so much more expensive than anywhere else in the world, and a few different paths to lowering costs. Lastly, Father and son duo Zak & Greg Mertz from New England Wildlife Centers join for a conversation about what local turtle populations are up to this fall. 
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  Are We Living Through A "Great Romance Slump"? 04.09.2026 52min

  September 4th, 2026 Jeremy Siegel guests-hosts live from the Boston Public Library. Here’s what’s on The Curiosity Desk:  First up, it's our misfit news panel In Case You Missed It. We’ll talk about a Cambridge reverend suing the MBTA over his slow experience on the Red Line, the end of Chicken Shop Date, and whether Allston Christmas has jumped the shark. Guests are Boston Globe metro transportation reporter Diti Kohli and GBH’s Renuka Balakrishnan. Boston rapper & portrait artist Nick Shea is this week's bonus ICYMI guest, reacting to a 311 call made about his doodle on an abandoned mattress in Back Bay. Then, Jeremy talks about the state of modern dating – and if we’re truly living through a “great romance slump” – with Atlantic columnist Faith Hill. Afterwards, We check in with GBH Reporter Liz Neisloss about the Lindsay Clancy Trial.  We round out our show with Elizabeth Barnes from the Massachusetts Division of Crop and Pest Services. She talks about damage wrought by the invasive spotted lanternfly, and why you should feel comfortable squishing 'em. 
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  Eyes Like a Hawk, Blind Like a Bat, and... Ears Like a Fish? 03.09.2026 52min

  September 3, 2026 On the day of the Ig Nobel prize ceremony (which recently moved from Boston to ​Zürich, Switzerland), Edgar talks with 2025 winner Dr. Julie Mennella & Ig Nobel organizer Richard Baguley. Mennella won for her research into whether babies can sense when their mothers have been eating garlic.  In Singapore, two thirds of buildings are certified green – with goals to hit 80% in coming years. Edgar talks with MIT architect John Fernández about how they pulled it off and what it would take to replicate their model in the U.S.  Author Amorina Kingdon joins to talk about her new book Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Under Water.  
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  Why Can't George Santos Use Kalshi? 02.09.2026 52min

  September 2, 2026 Joan Donovan from the Critical Internet Studies Institute guests hosts.  MS NOW Senior Reporter Brandy Zadrozny about an industry of conspiracy theory peddling that’s emerged around Charlie Kirk's death, fracturing MAGA circles & creating  George Santos just got banned from the betting market Kalshi, for placing wagers on ​his attendance of the State of the Union. Still, ethical issues abound within the industry. Joan checks in on that story and more – including how seriously we ought to be taking their political predictions – with NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn.  Since 2003, the restaurant review show Phantom Gourmet has been a mainstay on local TV networks in Boston. Joan meets host Dan Andelman to learn about the show’s secret recipe for success & why it’s helped to distance themselves from the “foodie” labels. 
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  What's The Consensus On Political Polling? 01.09.2026 52min

  September 1, 2026 This primary election day, Edgar talks with Stanford social psychologist Jon Krosnick about the state of political polling in the U.S., how the industry has changed in recent years & how the average person ought to consider polls.  We’re welcoming back Gal Tziperman Lotan for her weekly Four Things to Know segment.   We’re ending the show opening phone & text lines for “Ask the Remodeler,” with Mark Philben from Charlie Allen Renovations. This month, Mark joins with realtor Lauren Holleran to take listener questions about home buying & selling, and which renovations are worth the investment. 
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  What's Eating The Soft-Shell Clam? 31.08.2026 52min

  August 31st, 2026 We open with GBH’s Esteban Bustillos & reporter Cliff Corcoran from The IX Sports for a check-in on this inaugural season of the Women’s Professional Baseball League.  Afterwards, Edgar meets  Boston Hunters Captain Alli Schroder, whose background as a firefighter with the BC Wildfire Service was the focus of recent reporting from Esteban. Then, Edgar talks with Curiosity Desk Producer Hannah Loss and researcher David Kimbro on the fate of the soft-shell Ipswich clam – and researchers racing to protect them, in part, so we can continue eating them. And to close, Edgar welcomes back Sean Cash from Tufts Friedman and Northeastern food security expert Gabriela Garcia for a conversation about coffee bean sourcing and how climate change puts the industry at risk.   
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  How Do You Race With Kinetic Sculptures? (Chaotically) 28.08.2026 52min

  August 28, 2026  First up, it's our misfit news panel In Case You Missed It. Guests are Rooted EP Tyree Rush and standup comic Jason Cordova. They’ll talk about the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, a Maine meteorologist’s on-air laughing fit, and a world record attempt in Chicago this weekend around the bask liqueur Malört.   Then, the ICYMI panel meets Southern Illinois University researcher Lahiru Jayakody over Zoom to talk briefly about developing an edible plastic cookie.  Also, On Sunday, NASA plans to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope a million miles into space. Joining live from the launch site in Florida, Edgar talks with NASA astrophysicist and exoplanet ambassador Anjali Tripathi.  We round out by discussing the event few weeks from now the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race.  Contestants build & race wacky machines throughout the city on streets, massive mud puddles & across the Merrimack River. Edgar is a judge at the competition. Ahead of the madness, he talks with co-founder Michael Roundy and competitor Tom Calorie.  
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  Did Meta Really Lose? 27.08.2026 52min

  August 27, 2026  First, it's another round of the Glitch Report, with misinformation researcher Joan Donovan. Today she’s joined by tech reporter and CNN contributor Jacob Ward for ​analysis of the $17.1 billion dollar Meta settlement over social media addiction.   Then, MIT economist Jon Gruber joins with Nathaniel Hendren, founder and co-director of the group Policy Impacts. They’ll talk about what makes effective government policy, and why policy makers are so quick to get in their own way.  Lastly, it's National Peach Day today. We’re celebrating with Dan Souza from America’s Test Kitchen, who'll teach Edgar his not-yet-patented "Rubik’s Technique" for perfect slicing. 
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  Are We On The Cusp Of Nuclear Fusion? 26.08.2026 52min

  August 26, 2026 First up, we open with a conversation about – what else? – data centers, and the question of how much strain they put on energy grids. We’ll also look at lessons in large-scale data center growth from Virginia & Texas, with Rachel Mural from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.  We're moving from data centers to general electricity usage, and how things like vehicle charging and heating & cooling put a more urgent strain on infrastructure. Edgar talks with MIT’s Christopher Knittel & Barbara Kates-Garnick from The Fletcher School in front of Tufts University about how we can address the issue. We’ll air a field interview about nuclear fission, taped on-site at MIT’s Nuclear Reactor Lab, with managing co-director Gordon Kohse and Sukesh Aghara.  NOVA senior producer Caitlin Saks explains how close we are to a future powered by clean, safe nuclear fusion. And how a local fusion expert came to lead the U.K.’s Atomic Energy Authority earlier this month. 
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  Too Much True Crime? 25.08.2026 52min

  August 25, 2026  We're hosting a panel conversation around the use of AI in K-12 curriculums. Edgar talks with MTA President and longtime Andover history teacher Matt Bach, edX’s Nina Huntemann, and emerging industries lawyer-slash-activist Shaleen Title.  It’s another round of Four Things to Know with Gal Tziperman Lotan from GBH Daily.  B.U. researcher Kathryn Coduto reflects on the psychological impact of our cultural obsession with true-crime, in the case of Lindsay Clancy and others. 
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  How Is AI Playing Ping-Pong? 24.08.2026 52min

  August 26, 2026  While everyone hums and haws about AI consciousness, Colombia College Chicago Philosophy professor Stephen Asma has been reflecting on the seemingly-conscious & potentially horrifying implications of “wetware biocomputers,” small collections of human stem cells that can be taught to, among other things, play pong. He’ll join to discuss.   Tufts nutritionist Lynne Asuman helps decode the dense, confusing, multi-syllabic world of nutrition labels. There’s a feature on the Merriam-Webster website called “Time Traveler,” that lets you search word origins by year. Edgar talks with editor at large Peter Sokolowski about how our words are born and evolve with time, and how understanding their origin expands our understanding of the language we use. 
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  Why Does Craig LeMoult Have So Many Butterflies? 21.08.2026 52min

  August 21, 2026  First up, it's the latest edition of ICYMI, our menagerie of misfit news. Joining today are GBH’s Paris Alston & Jeremy Siegel. They’ll talk about Duxbury beachgoers frustrated by bird protections, a massive squid spillage in Rhode Island, and a Guinea Pig sanctuary up in Salisbury that’s housing 350 - 400 guinea pigs at any given time.  Then, we chat briefly with Kimie Smothermon and Jacquline Ranger from that Salisbury Guinea Pig Sanctuary.  Afterwards, we celebrate of Trans History Month, Edgar talks with Joan Ilacqua from Queer History Boston about the life and legacy of explorer and Harvard lichenologist Dr. Elke Mackenzie.  We round out the show talking about the thousands of monarch butterflies in New England that are gearing up for their great migration to Mexico. Edgar talks about what makes them remarkable with lepidopterist Abby Robinson and GBH Reporter Craig LeMoult, who’s been rearing monarchs at his home for years. 
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  What Is Cognitive Architecture? 20.08.2026 51min

  First up, Edgar will interview the newly-crowned winner of the 41st-annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest, which concludes this afternoon around 12:30.  Then, it’s another round of The Glitch Report, with misinformation researcher Joan Donovan. We’ll talk Flock camera controversy, Bill Gates’ daughter in hot water over a cookie-stuffing scheme, and teachers worried that AI is taking away student’s ability to think critically.  Lastly, we air a field piece from producer Hannah Loss, where Tufts Professor Justin Hollander explains the concept of “cognitive architecture,” during a tour throughout the city of Worcester.