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!
Subscribe:.rss.atom.json.md.m3u.pls
Live Last read · last published · next check
Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.
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 mercy of one. Part 2: Jessica Lee Williamson's OCD fixates on a single question: how will she die? Monte…
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 education. Part 2: Guilherme Lichand uncovers a flaw in Brazil’s education system that leaves thousands of…
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 opportunity comes with the same obstacle: her immigration status. Part 2: For Saba Banaian, the opportunity to…
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 of her unconventional pet. Part 2: Patrick Honner starts to doubt his lifelong love of math when…
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 gets to college, she only sees two career paths ahead of her: medical school or scientific research.…
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 Ortiz believed that to be a good husband, father, and provider, he could never show weakness. Mike…
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 hysterectomy to finally stop the debilitating symptoms of endometriosis but all the doctors won’t seem to let…
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 Badger was wary of the ocean. But when she takes an oceanography class in college, she begins to question…
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 a creative way to help him attend. Samy Kamkar is a hacker-turned-security researcher building tools to…
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 her dad for support with her alcoholism. Bailey Swilley is a writer, comedian and storyteller from…
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. Part 2: During the pandemic, Aditya Surendran sets out to conquer making a 36-hour baguette. Rich…