Skip to content
Is Curiosity Dangerous? episode artwork

Oct 21, 2025 31 min

Is Curiosity Dangerous?

from Part-Time Genius Hosted by iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope

Where did the saying “curiosity killed the cat” come from, and is it just a way for the rich and powerful to oppress everyone else? (Hint: yes.) Today on the show, Will and Mango take a look at curiosity’s checkered history: from the Middle Ages (when it was considered a threat to society) to the 17th century (when it became downright trendy) to today (when we can Google anything we want). Day 2 listener activity: Head over to our Instagram (@parttimegenius) or Bluesky (parttimegenius.bsky.social) and tell us which three objects you’d include in a cabinet of curiosities. We’ll pick one comment at random to win a prize! For a bonus entry, take a photo or video of your objects, upload it and tag us. Deadline is 11:59pm ET, Sunday Oct. 26. Buy Barbara Benedict’s book, Curiosity: A Cultural History of Early Modern Inquiry. Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email [email protected] or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Is Curiosity Dangerous?

0:00 31:14

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Part-Time Genius?

This episode is 31 minutes long.

When was this Part-Time Genius episode published?

This episode was published on October 21, 2025.

Is there a transcript available for this episode?

Yes, a full transcript is available for this episode. You can read the complete transcript on the episode page.

Can I download this Part-Time Genius episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.