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Weekdays from 1 to 2 p.m.

Edgar B. Herwick III hosts GBH’s newest show, The Curiosity Desk, weekday afternoons from 1 to 2 p.m. Tune in for conversations, insights and profundities about the world we live in.

We want your input. Have something you’re curious about? Submit your questions via the form below, or email curiositydesk@wgbh.org for the chance to hear them answered on the show.

Watch The Curiosity Desk on the GBH News YouTube Channel or listen daily on GBH.org or 89.7 FM. To weigh in during the show, call or text at 877-301-8970.

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Listen to previous shows

  • The Curiosity Desk

    Why Does Craig LeMoult Have So Many Butterflies?

    August 21, 2026 First up, it's the latest edition of ICYMI, our menagerie of misfit news. Joining today are GBH’s Paris Alston & Jeremy Siegel. They’ll talk about Duxbury beachgoers frustrated by bird protections, a massive squid spillage in Rhode Island, and a Guinea Pig sanctuary up in Salisbury that’s housing 350 - 400 guinea pigs at any given time. Then, we chat briefly with Kimie Smothermon and Jacquline Ranger from that Salisbury Guinea Pig Sanctuary. Afterwards, we celebrate of Trans History Month, Edgar talks with Joan Ilacqua from Queer History Boston about the life and legacy of explorer and Harvard lichenologist Dr. Elke Mackenzie. We round out the show talking about the thousands of monarch butterflies in New England that are gearing up for their great migration to Mexico. Edgar talks about what makes them remarkable with lepidopterist Abby Robinson and GBH Reporter Craig LeMoult, who’s been rearing monarchs at his home for years.
    The Curiosity Desk
  • The Curiosity Desk

    What Is Cognitive Architecture?

    First up, Edgar will interview the newly-crowned winner of the 41st-annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest, which concludes this afternoon around 12:30. Then, it’s another round of The Glitch Report, with misinformation researcher Joan Donovan. We’ll talk Flock camera controversy, Bill Gates’ daughter in hot water over a cookie-stuffing scheme, and teachers worried that AI is taking away student’s ability to think critically. Lastly, we air a field piece from producer Hannah Loss, where Tufts Professor Justin Hollander explains the concept of “cognitive architecture,” during a tour throughout the city of Worcester.
    The Curiosity Desk
  • The Curiosity Desk

    Why Does A Cheating Bird Change Its Tune?

    First, Mary Cate Colapietro from ISO New England quizzes Edgar on “the grid” and how it actually supplies our electricity.Then, we meet Norwegian researcher Tore Slagsvold for a conversation about why male pied flycatchers will subtly change their song when they’ve been cheating on their mates.Lastly, Dr. Vincent Martin from the University of Cincinnati explains why we get migrants ahead of inclement weather.
    The Curiosity Desk
  • The Curiosity Desk

    Why Is It So Hard To Make The Ocean Drinkable?

    We’re answering a listener’s curiosity question about the challenges of desalination, with MIT researcher and author Amos Winter. Then it’s Gal Tziperman Lotan, back with Four Things to Know. Lastly, Mass. General Brigham’s Dr. Ashwini Nadkarni explains why we can still experience seasonal affective disorder in the summertime.
    The Curiosity Desk
  • The Curiosity Desk

    What's The Best Dog For My Cat?

    First -- it's our faith leader news panel, with B.U.’s Rev. Jessica Chicka, B.U., Associate Muslim Chaplain Sr. Naureen Mallick, and Rabbi Charlie Schwartz from Lehrhaus. We’ll get their thoughts on the Luigi Mangione trial, Facebook being addictive to children, and New York legalizing medical aid in dying. Then, phone & text lines are open for the latest round of Ask the Dog & Cat Behaviorists. Today, Edgar’s joined by Rachel Geller from All Cats All the Time & Kate Bigger from High Fidelity Dogs.
    The Curiosity Desk
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