PODCAST · science
The Story Collider
by Story Collider, Inc.
Whether we wear a lab coat or haven't seen a test tube since grade school, science is shaping all of our lives. And that means we all have science stories to tell. Every year, we host dozens of live shows all over the country, featuring all kinds of storytellers - researchers, doctors, and engineers of course, but also patients, poets, comedians, cops, and more. Some of our stories are heartbreaking, others are hilarious, but they're all true and all very personal. Welcome to The Story Collider!
Episodes
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Seen: Stories about becoming yourself
In honour of National Coming Out Day on October 11, we're sharing two stories about queer journeys, self-discovery, and what it means to finally become your authentic self. Part 1: Every time Billie Sainwood is intimate with a partner, she loses consciousness—a medical mystery that makes dating...
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Skeletons in the Closet: Stories about family secrets
Every family has secrets. But some secrets have the power to completely reshape who you think you are. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers uncover revelations that change everything they thought they knew about themselves. Part 1: When Ryan Jones receives a DNA test from his mom for...
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Best of Story Collider: Code of Ethics
This week we present two classic stories of people struggling with what the “right” thing to do is. Part 1: Catherine Macdonald always wanted to study sharks, but her first time tagging them in the field doesn't go as planned. Part 2: When Michelle Tong visits home after her first semester of...
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Do-over: Stories from Boise State University
This week’s episode — produced in partnership with Boise State University’s “AWESOME” Center — features two stories from The AWESOME Center’s research team. Part 1: Physicist Leslie Atkins has spent her life trusting evidence over intuition. Part 2: Eric Jankowski is determined to beat his...
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Chasing Perfect: Stories about the pursuit of perfection
While many believe striving for perfection is a fool's errand, in this week's episode both of our storytellers chase it anyway. Part 1: Weiji Ma grapples with the pressure of living up to his child prodigy reputation as he grows older. Part 2: Chia Lin's meticulously structured life is upended by…
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Taking Back Power: Stories about reclaiming control
In this week's episode, two storytellers reclaim their power—one by challenging a broken system, the other by confronting the ways trauma continues to shape her life. Part 1: Kimberly Babiarz sets out to fight human trafficking, only to discover that one of the biggest obstacles is the lack of...
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Best of Story Collider: Revelations
This week we present two stories from our archive of people who learned something about their childhood later in life. Part 1: Growing up in the fifties and sixties, Jenice Matias senses there's more to her mother's occupation than she understands. Part 2: D.B. Firstman has always known their…
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On the Edge: Stories about not having control
While we often like to think we're in control of our own lives, both of our storytellers learn that some things remain beyond our grasp, no matter how hard we try to steer the outcome. Part 1: After years of helping others safely navigate glaciers, Monte Montepare suddenly finds himself at the...
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Knowledge Gap: Stories about broken education systems
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers uncover cracks in the education system that prove harder to ignore than they expected. Part 1: While teaching a summer school math class in Texas, Justine Ang Fonte realizes that many of her students have never received even the most basic sex...
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A Long Way From Home: Stories about being an immigrant scientist
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers explore the challenges, opportunities, and unexpected lessons they encountered as immigrant scientists in the United States. Part 1: Michelle Lanuza has her sights set on a career designing communication systems for airplanes, yet each new...
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Best of Story Collider: Loneliness
This week, we're re-airing two classic stories about finding friends. Science can be a lonely job -- but it can also connect us to others in ways we'd never imagine. Part 1: Feeling isolated in her new job as a particle accelerator operator at Fermilab, Cindy Joe finds comfort in the friendship…
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Not a Straight Line: Stories about becoming a science journalist
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share the unconventional paths that led them into science journalism. Part 1: Keren Landman always wanted to be a writer, but her family didn’t see it as a practical career — so instead, she went to medical school. Part 2: When Adithi Ramakrishnan...
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Manhood: Stories about masculinity
What does it actually mean to “be a man”? In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers grapple with masculinity and are forced to confront what manhood means to them. Part 1: As a teenager, Mike McFadden realizes one part of his body isn’t developing like the other boys his age. Part 2: Ricky...
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Speak Up: Stories about self-advocacy
In a perfect world, getting the health care you need wouldn’t require fighting for it. But in this week’s episode, both of our storytellers discover just how hard they have to push to get the treatment — and validation — they need and deserve. Part 1: Cooper Joslin is determined to get a...
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Thalassophobia: Stories about fear of the ocean
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers come face to face with one of their deepest fears: the ocean. Part 1: When the children’s TV show host Carly Ciarrocchi is assigned a scuba diving episode, she’s forced to confront a lifelong fear of the ocean. Part 2: Growing up, Darcie Little...
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Best of Story Collider: Love and Technology
In this week’s Best Of episode, we present stories from people who navigated our changing relationship to technology. Part 1: As a kid, Samy Kamkar discovers his superpower -- hacking. Part 2: When Jordan Bush's father-in-law-to-be is diagnosed with cancer shortly before her wedding, she finds…
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Above and Beyond: Stories about the lengths we go to for loved ones
In this week’s episode, both storytellers discover just how far people will go for the ones they love. Part 1: When Bailey Swilley’s dad goes into cardiac arrest, she watches her mom care for him and starts to reevaluate what love really looks like. Part 2: At rock bottom, Pam Stepansky turns to...
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Gluten: Stories about the love of bread
In this week’s episode, storytellers share stories about carbs, control, and the unexpected ways bread shapes our lives. Part 1: When everyone in Rich Tackenberg’s family is diagnosed with celiac disease, he’s forced to confront a terrifying possibility: life without his emotional support carb....
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Trying: Stories about fertility
In this week’s episode, we’re bringing you two stories about navigating the uncertainty, hope, and heartbreak of trying to have a baby. Part 1: After a pregnancy loss, Annie Tan channels her grief into rescuing an injured mockingbird. Part 2: Kibby McMahon is convinced she can will her way into...
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Best of Story Collider: Leaving Home
In this week’s Best Of episode, we present two stories of people who had to leave home to find a new home. Part 1: When Ph.D student Ali Mattu's girlfriend tells him she is moving to New York City, he has to make some tough decisions about where home is. Part 2: Arlo Pérez Esquivel struggles to...
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In Memory Of: Stories about honoring loved ones
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers reflect on the ways we try to hold onto the people we love. Part 1: Gwendolyn Napier is left heartbroken when harsh Atlanta weather destroys the trees planted to honor her family members. Part 2: Bimini Wright looks back on her childhood spent…
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Balaena: Stories about whales
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share tales about whales. Part 1: As a child, Brittany Munson dreams of growing up to be a whale trainer. Part 2: As a marine scientist focused on living creatures, Maya Santangelo is convinced that diving to explore an old whaling shipwreck in the...
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Impending Doom: Stories about facing the scary unknown
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers are forced to confront the terrifying unknown and decide how to live in the shadow of what might come. Part 1: After three generations of women in her family develop Alzheimer’s disease, Mary Jo Pollack enrolls in a study that could reveal whether...
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A Science Journalist Tries to Hack Heartbreak | From A Slight Change of Plans
When her twenty-five year marriage unexpectedly fell apart, science writer Florence Williams (author of Heartbreak) felt shocked and blindsided. Such heartbreak led to a new range of intense feelings and, trained as a journalist, Florence set out on a journey to understand the science of...
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Outer Layer: Stories about literal and metaphorical shields
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers build shields to protect themselves and discover what happens when those defences fail. Part 1: As a lonely teenager searching for connection, Christopher Moncayo-Torres turns to an unlikely disguise—a giant Clifford costume—in hopes of bridging…
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Stories of Urban Climate Change: Air
Oxygen sustains almost every living thing on the planet and the air we breathe is meant to be invisible. But industrialization has changed that. In many cities around the world, the air is no longer clean. Polluted air affects our health, contributes to rising global temperatures, and harms...
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Stories of Urban Climate Change: Fire
Wildfires have become more frequent and more destructive in recent years, increasingly threatening communities on the edges of — and sometimes within — our cities. What was once considered a distant risk is now a reality for millions of people living in urban areas. In this week’s episode, both…
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Stories of Urban Climate Change: Water
Water covers roughly 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and is essential for human survival. But it can also unleash devastating consequences. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share tales about water — from flooding to polluted groundwater. Through their stories, we explore how...
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Stories of Urban Climate Change: Earth
Climate change doesn’t happen in the abstract. It happens where we live, work, and raise our families. In this special Story Collider series, each episode explores a different element of urban climate change — from fire and air to water and earth — through powerful, true stories from the people...
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Best of Story Collider: Women in Science
This week, in honor of Women's History Month, we're presenting two stories from our archive about women in science and the unique challenges they face. Part 1: Alison Williams' blossoming passion for chemistry is sidetracked by a professor's thoughtless comment. Part 2: Climate scientist Sarah...
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Stories of Urban Climate Change
This April, The Story Collider presents a special series on urban climate change. Through eight true, personal stories about science, we explore how the forces shaping our planet — earth, water, fire, and air — show up in the places most of us actually live: our cities. From flooded streets and...
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Chorea: Stories about science and dance
In this week’s episode, both storytellers explore the surprising connections between dance and science. Part 1: Learning a modern version of her childhood Indian dances puts Sumitra Mattai’s brain and body to the test. Part 2: When people doubt that dance can empower girls to pursue STEM careers,...
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Where Does It Hurt: Stories about the importance of compassion in healthcare
In this week’s episode, both storytellers share stories that illustrate why empathy, kindness, and humanity are essential to healthcare. Part 1: After feeling betrayed by the very systems meant to protect her, Karen McCaffrey chooses to become the advocate for survivors she once needed herself....
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Tresses: Stories about the power of hair
Hair might seem trivial, but for many of us it carries history, identity, and meaning far beyond keratin. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers explore the unexpected power their hair holds. Part 1: Being half Navajo and half white, Carissa Sherman turns to genetics to better…
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Best of Story Collider: Navigating Whiteness
This week we present two stories from Black people who were dealing with the ramifications of our racist systems. Part 1: As a science teacher, Mamoudou N'Diaye was supposed to have all the answers, but he struggles to explain being Black in the USA. Part 2: Rhonda Key fights to be taken…
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Like Me: Stories about finding representation in STEM
Science can feel isolating when you don’t see yourself reflected around you. This episode brings together two stories about the search for representation, connection, and belonging in STEM. Part 1: Graduate student Angelique Allen doesn’t fully understand the strong connection she feels to the…
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Anti-Love: Stories about heartbreak and break ups
Valentine’s Day may be all about couples, but this week’s episode celebrates heartbreak, breakups, and proudly being single as a Pringle. Part 1: Getting dumped is the push psychologist Jiawen Huang needs to step outside his comfort zone. Part 2: While completing her PhD in neuroscience, Leslie...
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Pay It Forward: Stories from CZI's Rare As One Project
Both of this week’s stories come from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Rare As One Project grantees, who share their deeply personal experiences with rare diseases and illustrate how research is so essential in the search for better treatments and cures. (For more stories like these, you can also…
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Best of Story Collider: Dating by the Numbers
This week we present two classic stories from people who found an intersection between numbers and their sex life. Part 1: When online dating isn't working out for him, Tristan Attwood decides to analyze the data himself. Part 2: In search of a deal, Gastor Almonte ends up with an unmanageable...
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Misinformation: Stories about the impact of false information
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers confront the real-world consequences of misinformation—and how it can spread faster than the truth. Part 1: Growing up, Modesta Abugu knows firsthand the challenges rural African farmers face. But when she discovers that misinformation is making...
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Choice: Stories about struggling to make the right call
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers find themselves reckoning with the choices they’ve made—discovering how a single decision, whether made years ago or in the chaos of a crisis, can shape who we become and the responsibilities we carry. Part 1: When Misha Gajewski’s grandfather has…
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AI: Stories about artificial intelligence
In this week’s episode, both our storytellers come face to face with the growing power—and pitfalls—of artificial intelligence. Part 1: When AI takes over comedian Kyle Gillis’s job, he takes it personally. Part 2: While researching an AI model, engineer Omiya Hassan discovers one major problem:...
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Hubris: Stories about over-confidence
In this week’s episode, like Icarus, both our storytellers fly a little too close to the sun—and learn the hard way that confidence doesn’t always equal competence. Part 1: As a kid, JR Denson is determined to master the art of homemade french fries—but then his kitchen experiment goes up in...
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Best of Story Collider: A Whole New World
In this week’s “Best Of” episode, we present two stories of people having to navigate a new world. Part 1: Sean Bearden has never been interested in education, but when he's incarcerated at the age of 19, he finds a passion for physics. Part 2: When Victoria Manning decides to get a cochlear...
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Don't Be Dramatic: Stories about downplaying it
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers look back on moments that might have deserved a little more drama than they got at the time. Part 1: When Jess Nurse feels a throbbing pain in her gut, she chalks it up to heartbreak. Part 2: When Maryam Zaringhalam’s physician mother goes in for...
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Coasting: Stories about having it easy
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers reckon with what happens when success doesn’t come so easily anymore. Part 1: After years of academic achievement, newly minted professor Stephanie Rowley is caught off guard when every paper she submits is rejected. Part 2: Growing up, Kate…
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Attitude: Stories about inner strength
Attitude is everything—and this week’s storytellers prove it. Even when life throws challenges their way, they show how perspective and perseverance can make all the difference. Part 1: Paralyzed but undeterred, Scott Imbrie is on a mission to regain movement. Part 2: After an accident leaves…
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Best of Story Collider: Animal Rescue
This week we present two classic stories from people who got called into action to save an animal they didn’t know they’d be called to save. Part 1: While running an errand, Andrea Azarian happens upon a lost horse that needs her help. Part 2: Left in charge of the farm for the first time…
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Bad News: Stories about tough conversations
In this week’s episode, both storytellers must navigate heartbreaking dilemmas as they try to figure out how to convey crushing news. Part 1: While doing fieldwork in the Congo, Stella Mayerhoff must track down a local researcher to deliver devastating news. Part 2: During his second year of...
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In Deep: Stories about being in over your head
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers bite off a bit more than they can chew. Part 1: Fresh out of college and in what seems like her dream job, drug and alcohol coach Rhana Hashemi quickly realizes she has no idea how to connect with the high school students she’s supposed to help.…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Whether we wear a lab coat or haven't seen a test tube since grade school, science is shaping all of our lives. And that means we all have science stories to tell. Every year, we host dozens of live shows all over the country, featuring all kinds of storytellers - researchers, doctors, and engineers of course, but also patients, poets, comedians, cops, and more. Some of our stories are heartbreaking, others are hilarious, but they're all true and all very personal. Welcome to The Story Collider!
HOSTED BY
Story Collider, Inc.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Story Collider have?
The Story Collider currently has 740 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Story Collider about?
Whether we wear a lab coat or haven't seen a test tube since grade school, science is shaping all of our lives. And that means we all have science stories to tell. Every year, we host dozens of live shows all over the country, featuring all kinds of storytellers - researchers, doctors, and...
How often does The Story Collider release new episodes?
The Story Collider releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 740 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to The Story Collider?
You can listen to The Story Collider on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Story Collider?
The Story Collider is created and hosted by Story Collider, Inc..
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