Latest Episodes
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Do Elephants Make Good Friends?
July 9, 2026First up, MIT economist Jon Gruber reflects on why independent government agencies matter, following the Trump v. Slaughter ruling by the Supreme Court. Then, we're airing Edgar’s new Curiosity Desk feature on the deployment of Waymo taxis in Boston. Afterwards, Animal behaviorist Jennifer Verdolin joins to discuss what humans can learn about friendship from elephants. Finally, ATC host Arun Rath returns to perform some mentalist magic on The Mystery Desk. -
The World Cup Effect
July 8, 2026Today, Edgar is joined by NPR World Cup correspondent Jasmine Garsd for "The World Cup Effect," a national special exploring how the World Cup is changing our perceptions of the rest of the world, and how the rest of the world’s perceptions of us are changing.The driving question: Can a global sporting event bring the US and the world closer together? And if so, can it last? Edgar & Jasmine talk to reporters from around the country to find out. -
Should A.I. Start Paying Up?
July 7, 2026It’s an AI news panel, this week focused on labor and workforce issues. We’ll hear from AI ethicists Nir Eisikovits & J. Hughes, and Boston Globe tech reporter Hiawatha Bray.It’s another round of Four Things to Know, with Aidan Connelly & Gal Tziperman Lotan. Edgar meets Adam Golub from the Generations Project & Charlotte Tragard from the Ogunquit Heritage Museum for a conversation about how Provincetown & Ogunquit became gay resort destinations. -
To Toss Or Not to Toss?
First up, Edgar talks with ReFED Executive Director Sara Burnett and John Hopkins researcher Roni Neff about what “sell by” labels on food packages actually mean, in light of California’s ban aimed at reducing food waste. Then, we meet mentalist Tom Indigo, who reads the minds of our host Edgar and volunteer Eva Doyne. -
What is the Election Fraud Doom Loop?
June 25, 2026 First up, it’s the latest edition of “The Glitch Report," with Joan Donovan from the Critical Internet Studies Institute. She'll discuss what she calls the "Election Fraud Doom Loop", political conspiracy theories, and general distrust of government officials. Ahead of the event Disability ReFramed: Celebrating Our Childhood on TV, we look back at disability-related programming of GBH past with Senior Accessibility Specialist Claire Houston & media historian Michelle Kelley.Lastly, Edgar catches up with Hakeem Oluseyi, host of the NOVA podcast “Particles of Thought." -
Who Wants The Bourne Bridge?
June 24, 2026 First up, how much of the lore around the historic liberty tree is real, and how much is myth carried out over centuries? That’s the focus of new reporting from GBH’s Hannah Loss. She joins alongside Arnold Arboretum director Ned Friedman, who was called to analyze a preserved sample of the tree’s roots.Then, with the Bourne & Sagamore bridges being offered up for “adoption," we learn why & how someone even would go about buying a bridge, with Tufts professor and engineer Brian Brenner.Lastly, We welcome back librarian-by-day, Abigail Adams interpreter by night Sarah Walsh who’s back in town for an America250 event. -
Is The World Cup A Religious Experience?
June 23, 2026It’s a Curiosity Desk faith leader news panel. We’ll talk World Cup, A.I. and trillionaires with B.U. Muslim Chaplain Naureen Mallick, Rev. Jessica Chicka, and Rabbi Charlie Schwartz from Lehrhaus. Then we've got another round of Four Things to Know, with Gal Tziperman-Lotan from the GBH Daily newsletter and Curiosity Desk Producer Rachel Armany. Lastly, Edgar meets Kristen Luise, senior animal care specialist with the New England Aquarium, as they prepare to release a new batch of endangered sea turtles off the coast of Cape Cod. -
What Makes World Cup-Quality Soccer Turf?
First up, Edgar meets Jennifer Felt from the Conservation Law Foundation + scientist Taylor Heyl at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, for a conversation about what’s to come of the Seamounts Marine National Monument following Trump administration de-regulations. Then, in celebration of Pride, Joan Ilacqua from Queer History Boston takes us into some under-explored moments of LGBTQ history in Boston.Lastly -- what goes into engineering the perfect World Cup soccer pitch? We’ll hear from Trey Rogers, professor of Turfgrass Management at Michigan State, who played a central role in designing the turf used in this years’ games. -
What Does A 174 Year-Old Speech Mean In 2026?
First up, it’s ICYMI, our Friday menagerie of misfit news. Joining this week, we’ve got GBH’s Renuka Balakrishnan and Boston Globe higher-ed business reporter Diti Kohli. We’ll get their reactions to some lighter World Cup headlines (think: Merlin the duck & Scotts’ love for Irn-Bru.) We’ll also talk about the D.C. reflecting pool algae bloom, and if it’s indeed time for Waffle House to expand north to New England.Then, Soul Fire Farm is an afro-indigenous community based in Grafton, New York, that teaches farming and sustainability while also addressing issues of racism and food inequity. Edgar talks with GBH News Rooted host Paris Alston about her recent trip to the farm & the proper way to enjoy a tomato. Lastly, this Mass Humanities has organized 76 public readings of Frederick Douglass’ 1852 address “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. Edgar meets Mass Humanities’ Latoya Bosworth for a conversation about the speech’s continued relevance around America’s 250th + Juneteenth. -
Do You Like, Hate When People Say Like?
It’s another edition of “The Glitch Report” with Joan Donovan from the Critical Internet Studies Institute. She’ll talk about some implications of A.I. deepfake videos becoming indiscernible from the real thing, and the fun-house reality of right-wing podcaster Candace Owens – who’s been promoting a bizarre conspiracy theory about the death of Charlie Kirk. Then, Neuroscientists Bob Datta and David Brann explain their groundbreaking research mapping out how our brains register smell. Lastly, Edgar checks in with Martha Barnette & Grant Barrett from the public radio show A Way With Words to answer some listener-submitted etymological curiosity questions. We’ll get into the origin of “dust bunnies,” and why New Englanders call drinking fountains “bubblers."
