The Curiosity Desk

First up, The FDA is making it easier to study the medical applications of psychedelic drugs. Edgar talks about the policy change with Genny Kanter, associate professor of public policy at USC, before turning to Franklin King lV to discuss his work at MGH’s Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics.Then, we’ll talk about the merits of BMI with Dr. Mara Gordon, a physician and writer based in Philadelphia. Lastly... Do bumble bees have rhythm? A new study suggests they may. We’ll talk about the state of bee research with behavioral ecologist Philip Starks from the Starks Lab at Tufts.

First up, Edgar learns about the first-ever care package – delivered 80 years ago – and discusses the state of global humanitarian aid with Michelle Nunn, CEO of CARE. Then, Edgar talks with music journalist Tim Reilly about what everyone gets wrong about Bob Dylan.  Lastly... What’s the weirdest thing you can buy at the Oddities & Curiosities expo? Edgar gets a debrief from GBH Morning Edition producer Diego Lopez. 

First up we celebrate May Day. We are learning some essential Massachusetts labor history, from the 1912 Bread & Roses Strike in Lawrence up ’til our present moment, with Steve Striffler, director of the Labor Resource Center at UMass Boston.Next, Edgar explores the evolutionary link between dinosaurs of millennia past and our modern-day birds, with author & evolutionary biologist Steve Brusatte.  Lastly, Would you show up for a public wedding on a park common? There’s one this weekend in Cambridge. We’ll talk with the bride and groom-to-be, Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem & Vijeta Saini. 

First, it’s B.U. misinformation researcher Joan Donovan on why so many people – on the left & right – were quick to cry conspiracy after the WHCA dinner shooting, and the impact of manifestos in our digital era.Then: As climate change creates harsher conditions for farmers, scientists are MIT are working to develop drought-resistant super-seeds. We’ll learn more with professor Benedetto Marelli & postdoc Giorgio Rizzo.And, inspired by some listener comments, Edgar learns about home brewing and the politics surrounding it. He’ll talk with Ash Corbett-Collins from the UK’s CAMRA movement & Northeastern professor & beer historian Malcolm Purinton.  

 First up, It’s our AI news panel. We're talking about local and national job losses to AI, major security risks in Anthropic’s Mythos, and a few ethical questions around morality and artificial intelligence with Globe reporter Hiawatha Bray, who joins UMass Boston’s Nir Eisikovits and J. Hughes from the podcast "Prosthetic Gods.”  Secondly, we’re tending to the public media garden that is the GBH archives, with Rebecca Fraimow & Lauren Jefferson. We’ll look back at some golden gardening moments from the days of ZOOM, Thalassa Cruso, and Victory Garden. Lastly, we’re answering a few listener-submitted Curiosity Questions! This week, we’re talking about the origins of Nantucket Red, if your bird feeder is having a negative impact on your backyard ecosystem, and why November is associated with the number nine. 

First, we learn about the inner workings of debt court, and a deluge of under-prepared, under-resourced coverage attorneys working on behalf of debt collection agencies, with GBH’s Liz Neisloss and former coverage attorney Sandy Patterson.Then, Merriam-Webster editor-at-large Peter Sokolowski returns to talk through the words that defined our April. Lastly, University of Michigan's Elizabeth Trinh breaks down her new research suggesting people enjoy small talk more than they let on. 

Up first, Edgar learns about the history of Mashpee Wampanoags in the American Revolution, with ​Ava Costello & Richard DeSorgher from the Mashpee Historical Commission.Then, we have Author & architect Michael P. Murphy on his new book The World in Ten Buildings: How Architecture Defines Who We Are and How We Live. Lastly, Wildlife conservation biologist Mikaela Gerwing helps us answer a listener question about whether or not monkeys laugh.  

First up, we check in with NENC’s Cori Princell, who oversaw coverage across public radio newsrooms in New England. She’ll discuss a few standout stories for the weeklong reporting series, and how climate consciousness can be as good for your health (& wallet) as it is for the planet. Then, we mend some clothes! Today, Edgar meets textile artist Jessamy Shay Kilcollins to get a crash course in the process of darning.  Last up, we celebrate Space Week here in Massachusetts. We’ll talk with Alissa Haddaji and Ted Zhu from the Space Consortium about Star Fest on Boston Common. 

Up first, MIT Economics Chair Jon Gruber breaks down the role and responsibilities of the Fed and its chair, in light of confirmation hearings this week for Kevin Warsh. Then,  historian Susan Strasser speaks to the social & historical context behind our notion of “spring cleaning.” Lastly, Edgar talks decluttering, de-griming, dusting & more with Rayanne Lara from the Newton-based cleaning service Two Maids. 

First, we dive into the science of oil extraction with geoscientist Robert Buchwaldt.Next, Edgar visits Quincy Gas, where he speaks with owner Harvey Kertzman and violist Caroline Leguia about the new tunes you can hear at the station.Finally, ahead of the new NOVA documentary Rain Bombs airing tonight at 9 p.m.,  we’re joined by storm chaser Mike Olbinski and Colorado State University atmospheric science professor Sue van den Heever.

When GBH Reporter Craig LeMoult found a 1926 copy of The Boston Post hidden in his home, he uncovered a forgotten piece of Boston history.What did the headlines reveal? And how much has really changed in 100 years?

It’s a Boston Marathon live-coverage, special edition of our show! We open with GBH’s Jeremy Siegel, describing his coverage of the marathon's opening & the runner who kindly agreed to let Jeremy track him from Hopkinton to Copley. Then, GBH’s Hannah Reale dives into some of the broader coverage & reporting on the race.Afterwards, Edgar interviews some active marathon runners near Wellesley College. We also check in with Curiosity Desk producer Patti Daniels by Fenway, before getting some analysis of the top finishers and big-picture takeaways from GBH’s Esteban Bustillos. 

First up.... The Bad Fibs return! It’s our newsy spin on the classic Mad Libs format, with help from our live studio audience. This week Edgar is joined by our steady hand Patti Daniels, with special guest Renuka Balakrishnan to talk about her reporting on the legacy of William Dawes. Then, Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi joins to talk about comets and meteor showers on view later this month. Lastly,  we’re bringing vaudeville to the BPL with help from Alex Feldman, A.K.A. Alex The Jester, ahead of a 110th Anniversary Show at the Regent Theater. We’ll also talk with Regent Theater director of programming Leland Stein. 

First up, we're exploring how trainers & runners optimize a marathon performance, and what happens on a physiological level when our bodies are pushed to their limit. Edgar will talk with Peko Hosoi from the MIT Sports Lab and Loughborough University visiting professor Andy Harland. Then we're cracking the case! What do the labels on your egg cartons mean? We'll chat with Dan Souza from America’s Test Kitchen.  Lastly, the April edition of “Ask The Remodeler,” with Mark Philben from Charlie Allen Renovations. He’ll talk fence painting, pressure treating your deck for springtime, and respond to calls & texts from listeners. 

First up, this Tax Day, we ask: why is it so hard to file my taxes? We’ll talk with Beverly ​Moran, a senior tax fellow at Boston College.Secondly we'll chat about the helium shortage.. What’s going on? How is helium mined, ​​how is it used (beyond the birthday balloons) and what happens if we do actually run out? We’ll ask Linda Doerrer, an Assistant Professor in Chemistry at B.U.’s college of engineering. Lastly, It’s peak pruning season. We’ll open phone and text lines to “Ask a Gardener,” with Wakefield Arboretum Executive Director Debbie Merriam. 

First up - Edgar decodes our paychecks, asking "what exactly happens with all the money taken out each week?” We’ll have some help from Steven Dean, a professor of law at Boston University.  Then, we'll exploring the world of microplastics research with oceanographic researcher Victoria Fulfer, whose work has brought her as close as New England as far as Antarctica.  Lastly we answer the question...  Is the pollen in our air worse getting worse by the year? Richard Primack, a professor plant ecology at B.U., explains why there might be some truth to that idea. Caroline Sokol is a physician scientist who’ll speak to how pollen impacts us on a physiological level. ​ 

First up, Edgar hosts an AI news panel with Reuters tech reporter Deepa Seetharaman and Shaleen Title, former chair Cannabis Control Board commissioner who teaches AI regulation at Roger Williams University School of Law. They’ll talk about last week's attack on Open AI CEO Sam Altman, pushback to the construction of data centers in Everett, and the value of AI in school classrooms. Then, we’re celebrating National Scrabble Day with Bradley Whitmarsh, a competitive Scrabble player ranked in the top 100 for the U.S. We’ll talk strategy, learn about the world of competitive Scrabble, and take calls & texts from listeners.  

First up.... With some help from our studio audience, we’re playing a game of “bad fibs” – that's news-inspired mad libs, with nightside anchor Tori Bedford and a special guest appearance from reporter Marilyn Schairer. Then, All Things Considered host Arun Rath just so happens to be a practicing magician. He’ll join to talk about Boston’s rich history in the world of magic. He’ll also perform the first-ever live radio magic trick in Curiosity Desk history.  (And yes... you can do this along at home, all you need is a desk of cards) Lastly, Mount Auburn Cemetery has become a living laboratory for scientists in the field of biodiversity. Edgar meets Herpetologist Joe Martinez & Vice President of Cemetery of Visitor’s Services Bree Harvey to talk about their work reintroducing native aquatic amphibians missing from the cemetery. 

First, Edgar speaks with NASA flight director Rick Henfling, who is overseeing the Artemis II crew’s return this weekend.Next, shifting from outer space to the ocean’s depths, Edgar sits down with Boston University microbiologist Jeff Marlow to discuss his new book, The Dark Frontier: Unlocking the Secrets of the Deep Sea. Finally, Edgar explores the question, “Who’s really naming all these creatures?” in a conversation with Steve Heard, Honorary Research Professor at the University of New Brunswick, about his book,  Charles Darwin's Barnacle and David Bowie's Spider: How Scientific Names Celebrate Adventurers, Heroes, and Even a Few Scoundrels

First up.... Mass. is one week into a new system tracking Alpha-Gal syndrome across the state. The worst concentrations remain on Martha’s Vineyard – but not Nantucket. What’s going on? We'll explore all things Alpha-Gal with biologist Patrick Roden-Reynolds and epidemiologist Lea Hamner, both from The Martha’s Vineyard Tick Program. Then.. We get caught up on Four Things To Know for today, with Gal Tziperman-Lotan who writes the GBH Daily Newsletter. Lastly, we addressing the pressing question: how does an emoji make it from concept to smartphone? We’ll ask Joan Donovan, who helped co-create the beaver emoji. She’ll join alongside Jennifer 8. Lee, a member of the Unicode Emoji Standard and Research Working Group. 

Edgar talks with GBH reporter Trajan Warren about his latest reporting on a lack of major protests over the killing of Stephenson King, and the state of police accountability activism in Boston. Then... we’re exploring the psychology and economics behind betting sites like Polymarket, with MIT economics chair Jonathan Gruber.Lastly, as the crew on Artemis II rounds the moon & begins their return home, we'll check back with Houston Chronicle space reporter Andrea Leinfelder about the state of the mission. 

First, we're going behind the scenes on how influencers make a living with Maddie Graves-Witherell, a Boston-based influencer known as Maddie GW, and creator economy expert Lia Haberman, who’s provided social and influencer marketing insight to Google, Robert Half, AT&T and more. Then, for our America 250 coverage, Edgar interviews Nina Sankovitch, author of “Not Your Founding Father: How a Nonbinary Minister Became America's Most Radical Revolutionary,” about the 18th century minister known as Public Universal Friend. Lastly, we dive into the importance of enriched uranium with renowned scientist and Harvard professor John Holdren.

On today’s podcast: Jeremy Siegel guest hosts! First, we dive into Anime Boston with chair Omega Au and researcher Mel Stanfill, exploring the world of fandoms. Then we take a look at Boston’s public restrooms and discuss accessibility with Max Grinnell. We’ll also preview Red Sox opening day with GBH reporter Craig LeMoult. And finally, astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi joins us to guide us through April’s night sky.

We’re learning about the wild world of ants, and a new research project documenting the morphology of over 2,000 ant specimens. Helping us along is Evan Economo, a researcher with the University of Maryland. And more animal news, there's new research into how horses make their “whinny” sound, and it turns out they’re creating two different tones simultaneously. We’ll get insights from Élodie Briefer with the University of Copenhagen.Plus, Edgar talks with Peter Girguis, a Harvard Professor of Organic and Evolutionary Biology, about his work curating an exhibit at the Harvard Museum of Natural History titled "Sea Monsters: Wonders of Nature and Imagination.” 

First up, we’re learning the latest on the launch of Artemis II with Andrea Leinfelder, a space reporter with the Houston Chronicle – on site in Florida!Then, we'll investigate whether we can turn the ocean into one big CO2-absorbing sponge. Adam Subhas is a researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who last year led a major study around ocean geo-engineering. He’ll join alongside Kristin Kleisner with the Environmental Defense Fund.  And lastly, we explore the psychology of why we laugh with Harvard psychologist Natalie Dattilo. 

We explore the short and long-term economic consequences of going to war – with Iran or otherwise – with MIT Economics Chair Jon Gruber.Plus listeners' linguistic curiosity questions are answered by Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette, hosts of the podcast & radio show “A Way With Words.” And it's time for "The Secret Ingredient" with James-beard winning chef Irene Li. This week Irene joins us with Tamika Francis, founder of the global cuisine-focused pop-up Food & Folklore. We’ll look at goat meat as an under-utilized and climate-conscious source of protein. 

We get a crash course into the science around DNA testing – and how data can be misconstrued – from Boston Globe reporter David Scharfenberg. Edgar meets Sarah Walsh, librarian by day and Abigail Adams impersonator by night, ahead of an America 250 event happening at the Buttonwoods Museum. The event commemorates Adams' “remember the ladies” letter to her husband John. Tessie Velesig is the 11-year old yellow lab who made international headlines last week after falling into a 12-foot sinkhole in her Falmouth yard. Edgar speaks with owner David Velesig about the dramatic rescue, and what constitutes a feel-good story in 2026.  

We dig into a new book with a provocative title, To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right. Edgar talks with author Christopher Mathias and disinformation expert Joan Donovan, ahead of their panel discussion this weekend at Boston University’s Power of Narrative Conference.And, we learn quantum computing is all about. Wall Street Journal reporter Peter Champelli helps us understand how this technology is about to shape our digital lives.  Plus, move over March Madness. On the North Shore, it’s Beef Madness! Andy Ferg shares his search for the ultimate North Shore beef sandwich.

Asteroids careening toward Earth – not ideal. MIT Professors Julien de Wit, Richard Binzel, and research scientist Artem Burdanov explain how their work will help prevent it from happening.And, calling balls and strikes with GBH reporter Esteban Bustillos. He explains how baseball’s new ABS system allows certain players to challenge calls they don’t like. Plus, our the best of a classic genre, baseball movies. Edgar talks with writer Noah Gittell in this interview from our archives. ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

The GBH podcast Catching the Codfather tells the story of Carlos Raphael, a fishing tycoon whose empire ended with his arrest in an elaborate sting operation. Podcast creator Ian Coss takes us behind the scenes of how the series was reported and produced.And, the science of smell. Neurologists Bob Datta and Mark Albers explore how our sense of smell can be used to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Plus, we enter the World of Words with Peter Sokolowski, an editor for Merriam-Webster. He talks us through the most-searched words this month and, no surprise, many of them connect to the wear in Iran.---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Outer space is vast, but it’s not a lawless frontier. Ely Sandler is a Harvard fellow behind a report calling for updates to rules and guidelines around space diplomacy. He explains the changes he thinks are useful for the 1967 space treaty.Gal Tziperman-Lotan returns with four things to know for Tuesday, March 24th. Plus, a raucous good time with pogo stick legend James Roumeliotis of Tewksbury. He holds the Guinness World Record for more consecutive pogo-stick hops, a record that took 11 hours to set! Joining the fun is Will Weiner, producer of Pogopalooza.   ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Year after year, Finland gets crowned the “happiest” country on the planet. But if we dig into the methodology of the survey, does the result hold up? We talk about the World Happiness Report with Jon Krosnik, a professor at Stanford and an expert in survey methodology. And, Bob Crawford plays bass in the Avvett Brothers, but he’s also a historian, podcaster & author of the new book America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick. He joins for our Monday America 250 coverage. Plus, when a specific situation begs to have one word that encapsulates it, like “the last bit of dessert you’re too polite to take” or “people who are more than acquaintances but less than friends.”  We talk to Barbara Wallraff, writer of the Boston Globe column, May I Have A Word.  ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

On Comm Ave, a public phone is now a hotline to “Call a Boomer”, dialing direct to residents at a senior living facility in Reno, Nevada. Calla Kessler is part of the project that gives college students easy access to advice from elders, she explains how it works. And we talk to Matthew Kaplan, who works in Intergenerational Programs and Aging at Penn State, about the power of friendships between generations.   Worcester was the scene of a key historical development of the world’s first modern rocket. GBH reporter Sam Turken takes us behind the scenes on his reporting of the story.And it's time again for "The Secret Ingredient"! Chefs Irene Li and Kelcey Rusch introduce us to the apple’s under-appreciated cousin, the quince. ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos. 

An official Scottish tartan memorializes thousands of women who were executed over accusations of witchcraft. Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi from the Witches of Scotland campaign explain why that history matters now.Visitors to Boston Common point it out time and again: our squirrels are noticeably chunksters. We ask Liza Meyer, president of Friends of the Public Garden, why that's the case.And Mark Philben returns for our monthly call-in segment “Ask The Remodeler.” Today, he tells us how to keep melting snow and spring rains from seeping into our homes. ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Chinese political dissidents use memes and creativity to evade censors and communicate about their activism. Disinformation expert Joan Donovan discusses how they pull it off.As we near the end of Ramadan and while Lent is ongoing, we talk to Boston University Muslim chaplain Sister Naureen Mallick and Rev. Jessica Chika, BU's Protestant chaplain, about the reasons many religions have a tradition of fasting. And a coffee taste-off in our studio! We learn the Scandinavian tradition of whisking eggs into hot coffee, plus sample Vietnamese iced coffee and read Edgar's fortune in the grounds of Turkish coffee. Guests are Pan Sapkasem from Phinsta Cafe, Karyn Tomlinson from Mireal Cafe, and Kristin Santangelo from Sofra Bakery. ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

The U.S. health care system relies heavily on immigrants to provide essential patient care. MIT economist Jonathan Gruber dives into what happens to care and costs when we lose their immigrants from the health care workforce. The GBH Archives is a treasure trove of Boston history. Our colleagues Leah Weiss and Lauren Jefferson share some of the St. Patrick’s day gold from GBH of yesteryear. And GBH News’ Gal Tziperman-Lotan brings us Four Thing to Know in today’s news.---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

The GLP1 boom and spurred a resurgence of the "skinny culture" of the 1990s-2000s. We talk about the impact that has on body image and mental health with family physician Dr. Mara Gordon and Rachel Rodgers, Associate Professor of Psychology at Northeastern.We've had a few big snow storms and yet... technically we are still in a drought. Meteorologist Dave Epstein explains why.  And Mondays are America 250 days! Today we spotlight one extraordinary American, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock and Roll. We learn her story from Gayle Wald, George Washington University American Studies Professor.  ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Racial disparities in kidney transplants have been a persistent problem, but a change to a key algorithm that measures kidney function is yielding important progress. Anil Oza, a reporter for Stat News, and LaVarne Burton, president and CEO of the American Kidney Fund, explain the science and what it means for Black patients. GBH reporter Jeremy Siegel got inside an air traffic control simulator recently, while reporting on a program that recruits and trains people for a critical role. He takes us behind-the-scenes of job that – turns out – is an ideal fit for young gamers. If the Gen Zers in your life are speaking a language you don’t understand, take heart. Linguist Nicole Holliday and New York Times columnist Sam Corbin teach Edgar about Gen Z slang — where it comes from, how words travel, when words die.---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

A mysterious short-wave radio broadcast from Iran sent out a series of number sequences, when the US and Israeli attack on Iran began. Reporter Shane Harris wrote about this for The Atlantic, and explains how similar dispatches were used by spies in previous generations, and what this dispatch of numbers could mean for the war in Iran. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory designed to detect cosmic gravitational waves. MIT scientists Nergis Mavalvala and Salvatore Vitale explain how close we are to observing the dark universe.Mondays are America 250 days for The Curiosity Desk. Today,  history influencer Daniel Berger-Jones tells the stories of several Boston women who made crucial advances in astronomy and space exploration, from the 1800s to now. ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Wildfire smoke from Canada is increasingly part of our summer experience in New England. Writer John Vaillant chronicled one of the most destructive fires that consumed Fort McMurray, Alberta, 10 years ago for his book, "Fire Weather". Vaillant talks with us about how fires and firefighting techniques are changing, due to climate change.GBH News’ Gal Tziperman-Lotan brings us Four Thing to Know in today’s news.And, warm days and cold nights mean maple sap is flowing. Angelica Marcellino is Wampanoag and talks to us about the first people who made sap into syrup. Marcellino is author of "The True Natives of Cape Cod Massachusetts and their Food Ways."---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Some birds are doing better than others, and there are plenty of factors in the mix.  John Hebert and Lyra Brennan from Mass Audubon join to explain why some species are more resilient than others.GBH News’ Gal Tziperman-Lotan brings us Four Thing to Know in today’s news.The squeak of a sneaker on the basketball court is one of the most identifiable sounds in sports. But what actually makes that sound? Adel Djellouli is a materials scientist at Harvard, and he explain his research into the science of squeaky sneaks. Plus, a delightful romp through weird but true Boston stories with Emily Sweeney and Heather Hopp-Bruce from the Boston Globe.---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Nantucket’s wastewater is revealing a not-so-hidden secret: people on the island are consuming noteworthy amounts of cocaine. Axios reporter Mike Deehan and JohnCarl McGrady with the Nantucket Current talk through the story that water samples tell.Mondays are America 250 days on The Curiosity Desk. Today, how AI is brining history to life in the Boston Museum of African American History exhibit, Black Voices of the Revolution. Curator Angela Tate joins us, along with Rahsheeda Windham from Timelooper, the company behind interactive AI-powered elements for the exhibit.  And, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has some things to say about the health risks of sugary drinks at Dunkin’ Donuts. We get a reality check from Cecilia Gerard, managing director of the Food is Medicine institute at Tufts University. ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

AI is being used in modern kinetic wars and in cyberwarfare. We learn how, and how to understand the risks of it, with cybersecurity professor Josephine Wolff at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and Joan Donovan, founder of The Critical Internet Studies Institute. The Paralympics are underway, and GBH reporter Megan Smith takes us into the sport of wheelchair curling.  And it’s our monthly Star Gazer’s Guide with astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi. To celebrate the Spring Equinox and St. Patrick’s Day, we learn about some green-themed phenomenon up in space (nebulas, aurorae, and a pulsar dubbed “little green men").

Strategy, tactics, reading the room – all skills that Jennifer Shahade says we can learn from chess. She would know best, she’s a three-time national chess champion, and author of the upcoming book “Thinking Sideways.”  Shahade and Edgar talk about life and chess, while she gives Edgar a whooping in a live game.Punch, an orphaned baby macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, gained a social media following when he bonded with an orangutan stuffed animal that zookeepers used to console him. Edgar talks to a wildlife conservation biologist Mikaela Gerwing about the monkey social dynamics on display. Plus, Oriana Aragon talks with us about the human response to cute monkeys like Aragon is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati, who’s done research into “cute aggression.” 

Pokemon has been delighting fans for 30 years, becoming a cultural and financial behemoth in the process. Edgar talks to Daniel Dockery, a freelance writer and author of “MONSTER KIDS: How Pokemon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All,” and Heather Cole, associate professor in Game Design and Interactive Media at West Virginia University.GBH News’ Gal Tziperman-Lotan brings us Four Thing to Know in today’s news.And, who says we can build big things anymore? Matthew Kiefer explains the concept of air rights, and what’s involved in constructing buildings on top of  the Mass Pike. Kiefer is a land use attorney and professor at the real estate program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

MIT Economist Jon Gruber explains the factors that determine the U.S. poverty line, a rubric that impacts trillions in federal aid. Then, Wikipedia is full of curiosities, and Annie Rauwerda is here for it. Her wildly successful Instagram page, Depths of Wikipedia, shines a light on odd and charming corners of the website. Rauwerda’s one-woman show is at the Wilbur next week. And, it’s time for the “Secret Ingredient”! Chefs Irene Li and Laurence Louie explore the culinary wonders of Spam. Li is a James Beard-winning chef, and Laurence is the chef behind Quincy’s Rubato and a competitor on the newest season of Top Chef. 

The US and Israel attacked Iran this weekend, and fake images, videos and disinformation about it immediately spread across the internet. We talk with disinformation expert Joan Donovan about to find credible info on chaotic news events. And, the power to wage war versus the technical power to declare it. Boston College history professor Seth Jacobs explains the War Powers Act, and its shortcomings in practice. Plus, on Mondays we highlight American history as part of GBH's America 250 project. Today, a profile of 19th century diplomat and “learned blacksmith" Elihu Burritt. Historian John Loughery and Rod Skinner, Burritt's great-grand nephew, uncover this story of one extraordinary American. 

Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica has been called "the Doomsday Glacier," a reference to the rise in sea level that would results if Thwaites melts. Brent Minchew, a geophysicist at Caltech and chief scientist with the Arête Glacier Initiative, describes his research into how to stop that from happening.  Cape Cod got hit hard in the blizzard, and our colleagues at WCAI were put to the test to keep the station on the air and delivering critical updates. Morning Edition host Sam Houghton recounts how he slept at the station for days and kept in on the air, until snow and fallen trees reopened roads to CAI's broadcast center. (Did we mention he also had Norovirus?) And out monthly chat with astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi looks at really cold and windy places in outer space.---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Advertising in ChatGPT was the last straw for Zoë Hitzig. She quit her job as a researcher at OpenAI, saying that ads inject a troubling incentive structure into AI. We talk to her about her work and her perspective. And, another round of Curiosity Questions from listeners! Edgar and senior producer Aidan Connelly answer queries about blue whales, Harvard’s “whispering arch,” and why weather apps sometimes gives different users different temperatures for the same locations. Plus a regular does of trivia from Erin McCarthy, former editor-in-chief at Mental Floss. Today, fun stories about people born on February 26th. (Happy birthday Johnny Cash, Fats Domino, Jackie Gleason & Victor Hugo!) ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.

Put aside your space savers, and take a look up north: Montreal Gazette transportation reporter Jason Magder describes his city's ingenious method of removing snow from city streets. Then, historian Sara Morrison from Westfield State describes the long history of methods Boston has tried for managing snow here. Things were much more chaotic in Boston of yore. And our monthly look at the most-searched words in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary. Editor at large Peter Sokolowski shows us how word searches reveal trends in what's on people minds. ---------Have something you’re curious about? Leave us a voicemail anytime at 877-301-8970, or submit questions via the form on our landing page at GBHNews.org.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content and exclusive videos.