Episodes
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The Curious Meanings of Timeless Quotations
Humor writer Eli Burnstein discusses how someone becomes a humor writer, how much wisdom is embedded in these famous yet misunderstood phrases, and what Robert Frost really meant by "The Road Less Traveled." Eli's new book is Phrased & Confused: The Curious Meanings of Timeless Quotations.
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Angela Duckworth on Finding the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best
Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of GRIT and a renowned professor at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses how we can make meaningful changes in our situation - whether large or small, why it's important for us to step out of our comfort zone, and where optimism comes from. Dr.…
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Logan Gilbert, Starting Pitcher for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert discusses what it's like to pitch on Opening Day, how to create the right mindset for success, and how to balance family life with being a pro athlete.
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How Games Make Us Human
Tim Clare, award-winning writer, poet, and podcaster, discusses why we play games as humans, why board gaming for adults has become popular over the past 25 years, and why it's okay to just have fun. Tim's new book is Across the Board: How Games Make Us Human.
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A Pickleball Quest
Clare Frank, the State of California’s first female Chief of Fire Protection, discusses how she got hooked on pickleball, how pickleball players and tennis players can make peace, and whether pickleball has a bright future. Clare's new book is Just One More Game: A Pickleball Quest.
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Nature Writer Robert Moor on the Wisdom of Trees
Robert Moor, bestselling author of On Trails, discusses how we can think more like trees, how cultures around the world celebrate trees, and what it's like to climb to the top of a 300-foot giant sequoia. Robert's new book is In Trees: An Exploration.
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Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, one of the world’s foremost historians and leading antiracist scholars, discusses his analysis of the ICE occupation of Minneapolis, how the Iran war is connected to Great Replacement Theory, and what we can collectively do to fight back against authoritarianism. Dr. Kendi's…
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Hacks to Boost Your Memory, Focus, Problem-Solving, and Much More
Nelson Dellis, a six-time US Memory Champion, two-time Guinness World Record holder, Grandmaster of Memory, keynote speaker, and world-renowned memory coach, discusses what it takes to have a genius mindset, how we can talk to our kids to encourage them to stay curious their entire lives, and…
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Alex Stewart on Avallé Wines and Taste Washington
Alex Stewart, Head Winemaker for Avallé, whose brands include Matthews, Tenor, From the Sky Down, Jaine, Single Barrel, and Blackboard, discusses what the transition was like from Quilceda Creek to Matthews Winery, what is extraordinary about Washington wine grapes, and how drinking wine is...
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Hala Alyan on Parenting, Multiculturalism, and the Middle East
Award-winning novelist Hala Alyan discusses how she is thinking about teaching her daughter about her rich culture, how she talks to her daughter about current world events, and what Hala's own upbringing looked like. Hala's new memoir is I’ll Tell You When I’m Home.
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The Case for American Power
Shadi Hamid, an acclaimed columnist at The Washington Post, discusses whether America has the ability to learn from its past mistakes, what some examples are of America using its power for good, and what we should say to our kids about why we need to restore American power. Shadi's latest book is...
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Former U.S. Education Secretary John B. King on Teachers Who Change Our Lives
John B. King Jr., who served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the tenth U.S. Secretary of Education, discusses how important it is for every student to have at least one caring adult in every school building, how we can shift mindsets so that educators believe every student can learn, and...
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Martha Barnette on Friends with Words
Martha Barnette, longtime journalist and co-host of the popular radio show and podcast A Way with Words, discusses how one can make a living after learning Latin and ancient Greek, what local dialects or colloquialisms stood out to her when she traveled around the United States, and how we can…
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Amanda Morgan and Christopher D'Ariano on the Ballet World and AfterTime
Choreographers and Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers Amanda Morgan and Christopher D'Ariano discuss how they decided to become professional dancers, how much of dance is drive versus talent, and how we can encourage our kids to pursue their dreams. Their new work, AfterTime, has its world premiere...
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Selfhood in the Digital Age
Award-winning tech journalist Vauhini Vara discusses whether tech companies are delivering on their promises, how AI chatbots manipulate us into giving them data, and how we can circumvent bias baked into the AI code itself. Vauhini's latest book is Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age.
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Robert Macfarlane on Whether Rivers Are Alive
Internationally renowned nature writer Robert Macfarlane discusses how rivers used to play a bigger role in human culture, how rivers influenced our personal life journeys, and how rivers help us reimagine the flow of time itself. Robert's latest book is Is a River Alive?
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William Shatner and Neil deGrasse Tyson on The Universe Is Absurd
Cultural icon William Shatner and renowned astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson discuss Bill's experience in space, whether Neil would travel beyond Earth, and how to instill a lifelong sense of curiosity in our kids. Bill and Neil were recently in Seattle for their groundbreaking two-person...
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How 500 Million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships
Scientific expert Nathan H. Lents discusses what human relationships looked like before marriage was invented, how animal sexuality compares to human sexuality, and how we can help human society stop being so uptight. Nathan's latest book is The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years of Sex,...
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The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women's Ascent of Denali
Cassidy Randall, an award-winning writer who tells stories on the environment, adventure, and people who expand human potential, discusses what cultural barriers women adventurers had to endure in the 1970s, how the world reacted after Grace Hoeman and her team completed their climb, and how we…
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Sameer Pandya on Our Beautiful Boys
Acclaimed author Sameer Pandya, Associate Professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, discusses how we should listen to our teens when they try to speak to us, how to talk to teens about their futures while giving them both agency and guidance, and how we…
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Tyler and JJ Williams on Kiona Vineyards and Taste Washington
Tyler Williams and JJ Williams, brothers who are the third generation head winemaker and general manager of Kiona Vineyards, a family-owned winery in eastern Washington’s Red Mountain American Viticultural Area that is celebrating its 50th anniversary, discuss how Washington winemaking is…
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The Science of Racism
Dr. Keon West, a social psychologist at the University of London, discusses which scientific studies demonstrate the effects of racism in society, what the science says are effective ways to respond to racism, and how we should talk about racism with our kids. Professor West's new book is The...
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The Science-Backed Strategy to Uncovering and Harnessing Your Innate Talents
Betsy Wills, co-founder of YouScience, a national online psychometric-assessment service, and Alex Ellison, founder of Throughline Guidance, a college and career counseling practice, discuss next steps after discovering your superpowers, how to maximize career wellness, and what the difference is...
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The Untamed Dynasty That Shaped a Nation
John Kaag, a professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, discusses whether the Blood family members, who play a prominent role in American history, are people to emulate or a cautionary tale, where the Bloods are now, and how their story relates to today's polarization in...
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A Life of Language Love
Linguist and psychologist Julie Sedivy discusses how she developed her love of languages, how language imprints upon us in utero, and how language can bring our country together. Julie's new book is Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love.
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A Father’s Memoir of Heartbreak, Parenting, and Love
Charles Bock, a creative writing professor at New York University, discusses what happened after his daughter Lilly read his memoir, why he never imagined himself having kids while he was growing up, and how he ended up bonding with Lilly. Charles' new book is I Will Do Better: A Father’s Memoir…
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A True Crime Natural History, with Eels
Writer, journalist, and academic Ellen Ruppel Shell discusses why baby eels are worth $2,500 a pound, how we can disrupt the baby eel black market, and what we're really eating when we order unagi at a Japanese restaurant. Ellen's new book is Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels.
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Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World
University of Sydney professor Peter Godfrey-Smith, author of the bestselling Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness, discusses how life on Earth has changed our planet, whether there might be life on other planets, and what the future of humanity could look…
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How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap
Yale professor Ebony Reed, a seasoned journalist who is also the Chief Strategy Officer at the Marshall Project, a news outlet focused on the justice system, discusses the intersection of race and money, how the current Black/white wealth gap compares to the gap after the Civil War, and how we...
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Luke Raley of the Seattle Mariners
Luke Raley, outfielder and first baseman for the Seattle Mariners, discusses how he manages stress when he walks up to the plate, how he stays grounded in reality as a major league baseball player, and what advice he has for young people who want to become professional athletes.
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Daniela Rus on Our Bright Future with Robots
Daniela Rus, Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, discusses how smart robots actually are, what the differences are between robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, and why Iron Man is her favorite superhero. Dr. Rus' new book is The…
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Adam Gopnik on All That Happiness Is
Adam Gopnik, staff writer at The New Yorker, discusses how to overcome our anxiety about trying new things, how to redirect our kids away from having too much screen time, and what ultimately gives us the most happiness in life. Adam's latest book is All That Happiness Is: Some Words on What...
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Derek Black's Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism
R. Derek Black (they/them), a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Chicago whose father was a former Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and started Stormfront, the Internet's first white supremacist website, discusses how it felt to be the heir apparent to a white nationalist…
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Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah on Chain Gang All Stars and the Power of Student Voice
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, New York Times bestselling author and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University, discusses whether you can be a fan of consumer sports like the NFL and still criticize them, how we can disrupt America's systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass...
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How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully
Communication, collaboration, and conflict management expert Elaine Lin Hering discusses how to create a sense of safety in the workplace or at home so that people will feel comfortable speaking up, how much conflict is healthy in an organization or a family, and how to teach our children when to...
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Kayta Apekina on Family, Identity, and Intergenerational Trauma
Novelist, screenwriter, and Russian translator Katya Apekina discusses what to say to our kids about the Russia-Ukraine war, what it's like trying to raise a bilingual, bicultural child, and what it feels like to leave your family behind and move to a new country. Katya's new novel is Mother Doll.
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How to Find Balance and Reclaim Your Life
Burnout management coach and TikTok star Emily Ballesteros discusses what burnout does to us, what the impacts are of not having a "third place," and how hard we really need to work. Emily's new book is The Cure for Burnout: How to Find Balance and Reclaim Your Life.
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Washington Wine Legend Dick Boushey
Iconic Washington winegrower Dick Boushey discusses how the Washington wine industry has changed over the years, what advice he would give to people who want to get into the winegrowing business, and what he's looking forward to at this year's Taste Washington March 16th and 17th at Seattle's…
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Jamie Peha on Washington Wine Now and in the Future
Jamie Peha, Executive Director of the Auction of Washington Wines and the Host and Editor-in-Chief of Table Talk Northwest, discusses how she navigated her unique career path, how we can help our kids appreciate fine wine and good food, and how Jamie sees Washington wine evolving. The 8th Private...
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Prachi Gupta on the Myth of the Model Minority
Award-winning journalist Prachi Gupta discusses what to do when family members become estranged, what it's like being labeled as a model minority, and what it would take for everyone in the United States to feel seen and valued for who they really are. Prachi's debut memoir is They Called Us...
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Nell Greenfieldboyce on the Science of Life
National Public Radio Science Correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce discusses what we can say to our kids to soothe their fears, what it's like being a national science correspondent for NPR, and what Nell's primary role is as a parent. Her new book is Transient and Strange: Notes on the Science of...
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A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars
Kliph Nesteroff, who has been called the “premier popular historian of comedy,” by The New York Times, discusses how cultural taboos have changed over time, whether the political right is better organized than the left, and when free speech should be limited. Kliph's new book is Outrageous: A...
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Life Lessons from the Early Greeks
Adam Nicolson, author of many books on history, landscape, and great literature, discusses how the pushback that the Greek philosophers endured in their time compares with today's red states versus blue states, slavery's role in how the Greek philosophers were able to make a living, and how we…
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David Brooks on How to Know a Person
David Brooks, one of the nation’s leading writers and commentators who is an op-ed columnist for The New York Times and appears regularly on PBS NewsHour and Meet the Press, discusses how we can get over our fear of connecting with others, how we can help our kids see others deeply and feel seen...
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What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things
Dan Ariely, bestselling author of Predictably Irrational and a Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, discusses how stress and ostracism lead to misbelief, what we can do as individuals to bring our country back together, and how big of a national problem misbelief...
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Amy Schneider on the Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life
Amy Schneider, a 40-game Jeopardy! champion - the most successful woman ever to compete on Jeopardy! and the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, discusses how her ADHD became a Jeopardy! superpower, how she discovered her gender identity, and how good…
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Wynton Marsalis on the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Future of Jazz
Wynton Marsalis, internationally acclaimed musician, composer, educator, and a leading advocate of American culture, discusses what he says to kids who want to be musicians, what makes the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra unique, and what he is trying to tell the world through his music. Wynton…
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How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution
Cat Bohannon, a researcher and author with a Ph.D. from Columbia University in the evolution of narrative and cognition, discusses why gynecology was the most important human invention, why not conducting medical research on females is dangerous, and how the female body drives evolution. Cat's…
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Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance
Dan Egan, author of the New York Times bestseller The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, discusses what extreme measures people have used to find phosphorus, how phosphorus is misused in U.S. agriculture, and how it's so essential to all life on earth. Dan's latest book is The Devil’s Element:...
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The Transmission of Knowledge from Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic
Acclaimed author Simon Winchester discusses whether we should limit the information we take in, how much information leaders should have, and which knowledge is truly important today. Simon's latest book is Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge from Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic.