The Story Collider

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. Part 2: When Paul Davis and his wife struggle to get pregnant, they decide to foster a pregnant dog—and things escalate quickly. Rhana Hashemi is a Bay Area–based drug educator, national expert in youth overdose prevention, and Ph.D. candidate in Social Psychology at Stanford University. Her research adapts Lifting the Bar for youth who use substances. This intervention, called More Than That, elevates youth voices to show educators that a student is "more than" their substance use. By reducing stigma and strengthening student–teacher relationships, she demonstrates how seeing and empowering students can protect against risky drug use. Rhana is also the founder and Executive Director of Know Drugs, the first youth-focused harm reduction organization in the United States, which advances evidence-based drug education for young people. Bridging social psychology with community partnerships, she works to reduce drug misuse and promote more compassionate, effective responses to youth substance use. Paul Davis writes and directs horror movies. His last short won Screamfest and Ravenheart, two of the biggest horror film festivals in the U.S. and Europe. He is currently raising funds to expand it into a feature. Paul is passionate about storytelling. He has had stories air on NPR and published in Reader's Digest. He is also working on a solo-storytelling show. You can reach him on Instragram @pauldavisfilmmaker or gangoflightproductions@gmail.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re teaming up with Silenced Science Stories, a volunteer project that shines a light on scientists whose work has been derailed by federal budget cuts and mass firings. In this episode, both of our storytellers share deeply personal accounts of how these political decisions upended their work—and the science itself. Part 1: When an epidemiologist dedicated to preventing violence against children is suddenly fired from the CDC, she is left grappling with both the shock of losing her job and the uncertainty of what comes next. Part 2: At a global climate conference, climate scientist Tom Di Liberto learns that Trump has been re-elected—and feels the weight of what that means for him and the fight against climate change. Tom Di Liberto is a climate scientist and award-winning science communicator working as a public affairs specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Communication (as of March 29. He's been caught up in the government purges and is on administrative leave). As part of NOAA’s Ocean Today’s studio, he wrote and starred in NOAA’s first ever animated series Teek and Tom Explore Planet Earth. Previously he served as the senior climate scientist for NOAA’s Climate.gov and social media editor for the NOAAClimate accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. In addition to his work at NOAA, Tom also served as the lead of the Department of State’s U.S. Center at the United Nationals climate change conference COP29 in 2024. The U.S. Center is the premiere public face of the U.S. government at the UN Climate conference. As lead, Tom designed every aspect of the center from the build to the schedule to planning every event that took place. He previously served as emcee of the Department of State’s U.S. Center at the United Nations climate change conferences COP21, COP22, COP26, COP27, and COP28 Fun fact: Tom performs regularly at the Washington Improv Theater on two house teams including the Hypothesis, a team Tom started and is full of scientists and science-lovers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, in honor of Halloween, we're presenting two classic stories about facing fears for science. Part 1: As a newly minted PhD student in geology, Erik Klemetti starts to question his decisions when Aucanquilcha, a 20,000-foot volcano in Chile, proves difficult to tame. Part 2: Explorer George Kourounis finds himself growing increasingly anxious as he prepares to enter a fiery sinkhole known as the “Doorway to Hell.” Erik Klemetti is an associate professor of Geosciences and volcanologist at Denison University. He works on volcanoes all over the planet, from Chile to New Zealand to the Cascades of Oregon and California. His research focuses on how crystals record the events inside a volcano before and between eruptions. For the past 9 years, he’s been teaching all the “hard rock” classes at Denison. He also writes for Discover Magazine. His blog, Rocky Planet, have been running since Fall 2017. Before that, he wrote Eruptions, a blog about volcanoes, for Wired Science for 9 years. You can also find him on Twitter (@eruptionsblog), variously tweeting about volcanoes, baseball (mostly Red Sox and Mariners) and his love of punk. George Kourounis is a renowned global explorer and storm chaser who specializes in documenting extreme forces of nature including: tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, deserts, caves, avalanches and more. He is an Explorer In Residence for The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, served as the Chairman of the Explorers Club Canadian Chapter, and has received several awards and medals for his efforts. He frequently finds himself driving into the eye of fierce storms, or descending ropes into actively erupting volcanic craters, often while hosting television programs including “Angry Planet” and others. He has given five TEDx talks, and has addressed the United Nations Environmental Emergencies Forum. George’s expeditions have taken him to over 80 countries on all seven continents to such far-flung places as: Madagascar, Turkmenistan, Vanuatu, Greenland, North Korea, Myanmar, and Antarctica. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers learn the hard way that getting high doesn’t always mean having a good time. Part 1: At his friend’s bachelor party, Andrew McGill joins in on a mushroom trip that quickly spirals out of control. Part 2: In an attempt to calm his nerves about going on an Alaskan cruise, Will Clegg turns to marijuana. Andrew McGill is a storyteller born and raised in Brooklyn, NY when not on stage is a English teacher at a high school in Brooklyn. Will Clegg is a filmmaker, storyteller, and new dad living in Westfield, NJ. He’s the co-creator and sometimes host of the long-running storytelling show “Awkward Teenage Years” as well as the writer and performer of two solo shows: “The Lonely Road” and “Syncope.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In honor of OCD Awareness Week, this episode features two deeply personal stories about living with obsessive compulsive disorder. Part 1: For Hannah Hedelius, a classmate’s hiccups trigger an overwhelming reaction she can’t hold back. Part 2: As a graduate student, Rachel Hostetler begins to realize that her intrusive thoughts may be more than just regular stress. Hannah Hedelius was born and raised in Idaho. She received her Bachelors of Psychology from Boise State University and is currently working on her Masters in Biomolecular Sciences. Hannah plans to attend medical school where she will work towards a dual doctorate for a career as a medical scientist. Hannah is a graduate assistant for the Dean of Students Office where she works in substance misuse prevention. She focuses on creating alcohol and other drugs education and awareness. Hannah is also doing research at Boise State where she studies cholera toxin and its potential in treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. In her free time, Hannah enjoys reading and spending time with her family. Rachel Hostetler is a scientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science and her role focuses on providing scientific training to users of the institute’s tools and datasets. Prior to working at the institute, she completed a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at West Virginia University, where she used many Allen Institute datasets to guide her research on somatostatin inhibitory interneuron diversity. She completed her B.S. at the University of Minnesota, double-majoring in Neuroscience and German Studies. Now living in Seattle, she yells out in excitement whenever she sees a mountain (not just Mt. Rainier but literally any mountain) after growing up in the Midwest. When not yelling at mountains, she spends her free time trying new seafood restaurants with her partner, snuggling with their very needy cat, and exploring the beauty of the PNW. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, we wade into the bloody (and sometimes gory) side of science. Part 1: Shawn Musgrave wants to donate blood, but runs headfirst into the FDA’s lifetime ban on gay men as donors. Part 2: While working with the condor recovery program, Molly Astell opens a freezer to find every researcher’s nightmare. Shawn Musgrave is a lawyer, journalist, lawyer-who-represents-journalists, and somewhat recent transplant to New York. His work has appeared in The Intercept, POLITICO, The Verge, VICE, and the Boston Globe, among other publications, as well as in the Netflix docuseries How to Fix a Drug Scandal. Molly Astell is a wildlife biologist who originally never wanted to be one of those "bird people", yet went on to exclusively work with endangered birds in their career. Fourteen of those years were spent working as part of the California condor recovery program in a variety of different roles, mostly with the wild condors in southern California, but also with the captive breeding birds in Boise, ID. Currently, they are a graduate student at Boise State University doing research with condor data they helped to collect, and is discovering the joys of teaching biology to undergraduates. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, our storytellers face life-or-death moments they’ll never forget. Part 1: On a trip to Colombia for a research conference, biologist Stephanie Galla must rely on her fight-or-flight instincts when she is cornered by a mugger with a knife. Part 2: An ordinary day takes a shocking turn when Kim Weaver is struck by lightning. Stephanie Galla is an Assistant Professor in avian biology at Boise State University. She is interested in interdisciplinary conservation efforts for species in decline, and in particular, how genomic technologies can inform management decisions. Using DNA, her research team explores whether birds (including grouse and raptors) have the adaptive capacity to be resilient in a changing world. Outside of her everyday work life, she enjoys bird watching, making art, taking care of her backyard chickens, and watching TV with her husband and cat. Kim Weaver is a long-time storyteller and occasional guest host at Story Night in Bremerton, but she cut her storytelling chops as a high school math and engineering teacher. (No matter how much you heckle, you will not be as brutal as a room full of Algebra I students.) She has also told plenty of ocean tales as a Science Communication Fellow aboard the E/V Nautilus. Kim lives in Poulsbo, Washington where her primary role is meeting the demands of a high-maintenance corgi named Bird, but her actual job is providing STEM and EdTech support to teachers throughout the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we present two classic stories from people who had hypotheses. Part 1: Teaching sixth grade science becomes much more difficult when Xochitl Garcia's students start hypothesizing that fire is alive. Part 2: When journalist John Rennie is assigned to cover an entomological society event where insects are served as food, he sees an opportunity to face his fear of bugs. Xochitl Garcia is the K-12 education program manager at Science Friday, where she focuses on supporting the inspiring efforts of educators (of all types) to engage students in science, engineering, math, and the arts. She is a former NYC school teacher, who specializes in sifting through random piles of junk that she insists are "treasures," to figure out cool ways for learners to explore scientific phenomena. You can find her making a mess in the name of science education at the Science Friday office, her house, with other educators...you get the picture. Update: Xochitl welcomed her baby (not fire) into the world on 1/1/2020. John has worked as a science editor, writer and lecturer for almost 40 years. Most recently, he was a deputy editor at Quanta Magazine. During his time as editor in chief at Scientific American, between 1994 and 2009, the magazine received two National Magazine Awards. He co-created and hosted the 2013 series Hacking the Planet on The Weather Channel. Since 2009, he has been on the faculty of the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program in New York University’s graduate journalism school. You can learn follow him on Bluesky @johnrennie.sky.social or check his website, www.johnrennie.net. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, we’re featuring two powerful stories born from our education program. Part 1: As an undergraduate with no “real” science experience, Molly Magid is thrilled to join a research project studying how bats fly—until she discovers the bats refuse to cooperate. Part 2: As a child, Léa Souccar and her father explore the wreckage in the aftermath of a devastating bombing. Molly Magid is a science communicator and podcast producer. She has been telling stories about science since the first grade, when she wrote a biologically accurate story about ladybugs. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Molly now lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. She enjoys sharing her passion for science anywhere from podcasts to social media to declaring her love of longfin eels on the street. Léa Souccar was born in Lebanon, three years into the war. By the time the fighting stopped, she was twelve. In between, the voice of her storytelling grandmother carried her above the chaos—like a flying carpet—and helped shape who she became. During her first year studying Performing Arts, Beirut hosted its first Storytelling and Monodrama Festival. She skipped classes that week to attend every lecture by day and every performance by night. Something long asleep inside her woke up. From that moment on, she trained relentlessly, learning from renowned storytellers from around the world. After earning a Master’s in Theater Education for Special Needs, she began working as a storyteller and puppeteer, sharing stories in schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and prisons. In 2010, she became a primary school teacher in France. She found her place in a preschool classroom, where she began exploring all the ways oral storytelling can support and inspire learning. Today, she leads workshops where she shares her two greatest passions: storytelling and education—and the sparks that fly when the two meet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, we explore how creativity, humor, and connection can be powerful tools for mental health and healing. Part 1: When anxiety starts taking over her life, Jude Treder-Wolff signs up for an improv class. Part 2: Counselor Belinda Arriaga and emergency medicine doctor Nancy Ewen join forces to collect scientific evidence of the power of culturally responsive mental health care. Jude Treder-Wolff is a creative arts therapist, writer/performer and trainer with Lifestage, Inc, a company that provides creative personal and professional development workshops and classes. She believes that creativity is a renewable resource that is the energy of change anyone can tap into for healing, change and growth. She hosts (mostly) TRUE THINGS, a game wrapped in a true storytelling show performed once a month in Port Jefferson, NY and brings storytelling workshops to the Sandi Marx Cancer Wellness Program and Seniors Program at the Sid Jacobsen Jewish Community Center and the Alzheimer’s Education and Resource Center on Long Island, the National Association of Social Workers in NYS as well as other social service organizations. She has been featured on many shows around the country, including RISK! live show and podcast, Generation Women, Mortified, Story District in Washington D.C., Ex Fabula in Milwaukee WI and PBS Stories From The Stage. Dr. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, LCSW, is an educator, advocate, and visionary leader fueled by love and courage. As the Founder and Executive Director of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS) in Half Moon Bay, she has transformed the farmworker community, infusing it with cultural pride and unyielding hope. Under her leadership, the Coast’s first affordable housing for farmworker elders became a reality, and mental health care for immigrants was reimagined with arts, culture, and community at the center. A beloved mentor and award-winning author of a children’s book on family separation, Belinda championed farmworkers’ needs during the pandemic and led her community’s healing after a mass shooting. From the southern border to the White House, her advocacy has touched countless lives and inspires change rooted in our collective humanity. A passionate educator, Dr. Hernandez-Arriaga teaches at the University of San Francisco, inspiring the next generation of counselors and activists. At ALAS, She has built groundbreaking partnerships with USF and Stanford to lead pioneering research on the power of culturally responsive mental health care. She has helped to publish works like There Is a Monster in My House, Cultura Cura, and Olvidados Entre la Cosecha, which illuminate the emotional experiences of undocumented and mixed-status youth. Belinda has presented ALAS’s findings at major conferences such as the American Psychological Association and the Pediatric Academic Societies, resulting in groundbreaking tools including the first-ever Spanish-language instrument to measure immigration trauma. Dr. Belinda's work has positioned ALAS as a national model for community-driven, mental health programs that champion the belief that La Cultura Cura, that culture cures. Belinda also co-founded the Latino Advisory Council in Half Moon Bay, helped launch the Latino Trauma Institute, and actively collaborates with Bay Area Border Relief. A former San Mateo County District 3 Arts Commissioner and inductee of the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame, Belinda is an active civic leader. She is also a proud mother of three and holds a Doctor of Education from the University of San Francisco. Dr. N Ewen Wang is a Professor Emerita of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics. She was Associate Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine for more than 20 years. Her career has been committed to serving vulnerable populations and decreasing health disparities locally as well as globally. She founded the Stanford section in Social Emergency Medicine, a field which uses the...

In this week’s episode, both storytellers face the challenge of evicting some very unwelcome guests. Part 1: While housesitting for her uncle, JiJi Lee’s peaceful stay takes a chaotic turn when a squirrel breaks in. Part 2: When a serious mold infestation takes over the university campus, Joshua Wilson is tasked with eliminating it. JiJi Lee is a comedy writer and performer. She has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Onion. And her work has been published in the McSweeney's humor anthology Keep Scrolling Till You Feel Something. Joshua Wilson is a Project Manager with over five years of successfully leading complex projects from start to finish. He splits my time between Boise and the Wood River Valley, where he co-founded a business providing skilled labor for high-end custom homes. He’s since managed facilities for Boise State and Northwest Nazarene University, where he championed multiple software integration projects to maximize business operations efficiency. He oversaw project management, capital planning, safety protocols, and team leadership. Now, in his junior year of a Computer Science degree at Boise State, he’s expanding his technical skills and actively seeking opportunities to apply his knowledge in software development, data analysis, and his unique background. Outside of work, he enjoys home improvement and automation projects, traveling, rafting, fishing, hunting, snowboarding, and mountain biking, often with his daughter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we present two classic stories about people struggling with their identity. Part 1: When science journalist Katherine Wu interviews a scientist about a new facial recognition algorithm, the conversation turns more personal than she expected. Part 2: Hurricane Katrina gives Mary Annaise Heglar a new perspective on both her grandfather and home state. Katherine J. Wu is a Boston-based science journalist and storyteller whose writing has appeared in Smithsonian magazine, Scientific American, NOVA Next, and more. She's also a senior producer for The Story Collider. In 2018, she earned a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunobiology from Harvard University, where she studied how bacteria deal with stress so she could one day learn to do the same. She can spell "tacocat" backwards. Mary Annaise Heglar is an author and communications consultant based in Birmingham, AL. Her writing has been published in Vox, The Cut, Rolling Stone, and WIRED, among other outlets. She is the author of the novel, Troubled Waters, and the children's book, The World is Ours to Cherish. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers transform into someone they admire—one quite literally, the other more figuratively. Part 1: While juggling climate science studies and a budding comedy career, Rollie Williams finds an unexpected niche impersonating his environmental hero, Al Gore. Part 2: Scott Acton longs to follow in Hemingway’s footsteps, but when his English teacher squashes his writing dreams, he reluctantly accepts his role as “the computer guy.” Rollie Williams is a Brooklyn-based comedian, video editor, and guy with both student debt and a Climate Science & Policy degree from Columbia University. He is the creator and host of the digital comedy series Climate Town. In the past few years, the channel has amassed 600,000 subscribers, several millions views, and a handful of awards. Rollie is also the co-creator and co-host of podcast The Climate Denier's Playbook. Formerly, Rollie performed a monthly comedy show 'An Inconvenient Talk Show' doing sketches and comedic deep dives by pairing comedians (SNL, The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, etc) together with climate scientists (NASA, MIT, Harvard). When he's not doing climate stuff, Rollie plays an unhealthy amount of billiards and recently achieved his dream of commentating for the World Cup of Pool in England. Scott Acton is Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Virginia. He did his undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech and graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Scott’s laboratory is called VIVA – Virginia Image and Video Analysis. They work on image analysis problems from imaging for Alzheimer’s disease to analyzing classroom videos for improving elementary math education. Scott also recently worked for the National Science Foundation as a program director for programs in signal processing and artificial intelligence. When he’s not doing research at UVA, you will find him in the mountains on his purple mountain bike. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers are pushed out of their comfort zones—and challenged to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Part 1: As someone who always likes to play it safe, psychologist Kenneth Carter sets out to understand what makes thrill-seekers tick. Part 2: Philosophy professor Rob Reich is frustrated that so many new Stanford students are headed straight into computer science. Dr. Kenneth Carter is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology at Oxford College of Emory University and the founding director of the Emory University Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement. He served as the interim dean of Oxford College from 2022-2023. A graduate of Oxford College and Emory University, Carter received an MA and PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan. He is the author of several textbooks including Psychopathology: Understanding Psychological Disorders (Cambridge University Press) and the forthcoming Living Psychology (SAGE Publications). He has published in both academic and lay publications, translating psychology research into engaging everyday language. His articles have been published in magazines such as Psychology Today and Women’s Health, and he has appeared on news programs such as CNN Tonight, NPR’s: ShortWave, All Things Considered, and NBC’s Today show. The psychology of thrill-seeking is the current focus of Dr. Carter’s research. He has delivered TEDx talk on thrill-seekers and is the host of Mind of a Motorhead an NBC Sports web series that examines the personalities of motorsport athletes. His most recent book is Buzz!: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies (Cambridge University Press). When not teaching, speaking, or writing, Dr. Carter prefers reading and relaxing on the beach rather than wingsuit flying or BASE jumping. Rob Reich, is the McGregor-Girand Professor of Social Ethics of Science and Technology, Associate Director of Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), Co-Director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS), and the former Director of Stanford's Center for Ethics in Society. His scholarship in political theory engages with the work of social scientists and engineers. His current work is on ethics, policy, and technology. As a 2024-25 Scholar in Service, he will serve as Senior Advisor to the U.S. AI Safety Institute (AISI). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, we explore what pushes someone to steal, and how it feels to be the one robbed. Part 1: With a potential cancer diagnosis looming and his health insurance about to vanish, David Crabb finds an envelope stuffed with $100 bills. Part 2: When Zakiya Whatley bonds with another student in grad school, it feels like the start of a lifelong friendship – but turns out there's more to her new friend than she expected. David Crabb is a writer, performer & storyteller from San Antonio, Texas, where he spent his teenage years as a gay Goth, which was just as much fun as it sounds. David is a member of the Groundlings Main Company and the host of Risk! at Lyric Hyperion in LA. He's the creator of the solo show “Bad Kid” (New York Times Critics’ Pick) and writer of the memoir “Bad Kid" (Harper Perennial). David has performed solo works in LA, Australia, Scotland, Texas & NYC and his storytelling has been featured on NPR, BuzzFeed & The Moth. You can currently hear him playing multiple weirdos on Wondery’s "This Job is History" with Chris Parnell. Zakiya Whatley is a scientist turned storyteller who uses audio, video, and live events to bring science to life. She’s passionate about making science accessible and engaging for all kinds of audiences. She hosts two Webby-nominated podcasts—Breakthrough from Boston Children’s Hospital and Dope Labs, where science meets pop culture. Zakiya has trained scientists and researchers to share their stories effectively, helping them bridge the gap between their expertise and the broader public. Whether in front of the mic or behind the scenes shaping narratives, she believes storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for connection, understanding, and change. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s episode dives into one of the most personal decisions many women face: whether or not to have children. Part 1: When a piece of her IUD breaks off, Bailey Swilley’s spirals about her choice never to have children. Part 2: Christel Bartelse takes an unconventional approach to figure out if she wants to be a mother or not. Bailey Swilley is a writer and comedian based in Brooklyn. In August 2024, she took two storytelling shows to the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and most recently, she won her first StorySLAM at The Moth. Since 2021, she’s hosted the monthly storytelling hour, We Love a Theme, in Brooklyn. Christel Bartelse is an Actor/Comedic Performer, Storyteller, Clown, Writer, and Educator. She got her start in comedy and improv with the Physical Comedy Duo "The Burnt Marshmallows (Canadian Comedy Award Nominees). She has created and written six award winning Solo Shows "Chaotica", "ONEymoon", "Significant Me", "All KIDDIng Aside", "The Surprise" and "Encore" and has toured them all across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. Most recently she wrote "A Woman of my Age" which she continues to develop. She can be seen on stages all over Toronto with her comedy, character work, and storytelling. She was the Co-Producer and Co-Host of the hit Storytelling Show "But That's Another Story" for over five years. She now produces and hosts, "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" at the Burdock, Bi-Monthly, which features veteran comedians/storytellers sharing material on the theme of Age. She also teaches numerous workshops in improv, physical comedy, solo creation and storytelling around the city and is proud faculty member of Humber College, Toronto Film School, and George Brown College. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re presenting stories about the struggle to find acceptance — whether it’s at Space Camp or in the United States of America. Part 1: Computer scientist LaShana Lewis’s childhood dream of attending Space Camp starts to feel far away — until she gets the Christmas surprise of a lifetime. Part 2: When Guizella Rocabado leaves her home in Bolivia to pursue her education in the United States, her plan hits an unexpected snag. LaShana Lewis grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, where a love of the night sky led her to the Saint Louis Science Center as a longtime volunteer, and later a docent presenting talks on astronomy and aeronautics. She studied computational mathematics at Michigan Technological University, earned a HarvardX honor certificate in computer science, and attended NASA Space Camp. Now based in Los Angeles, LaShana serves on the board of STEAM Superheroes, a nonprofit inspired by Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols’ legacy, and leads L. M. Lewis Consulting, bringing over 20 years of experience in tech, strategy, and inclusive leadership. Dr. Guizella Rocabado is an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Her research focuses on chemistry education. She is mainly interested in uncovering the narratives of success of students from all backgrounds. Bringing diversity to STEM fields is a great focus of her work. Her current projects involve the development and testing of instruments for use with diverse populations to investigate the role of the affective domain in undergraduate STEM learning and persistence. In her spare time she loves to travel, try new foods and meet new people. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, we’re getting into the weeds—literally—with two stories about how gardens and green spaces can take root in our lives in unexpected ways. Part 1: Feeling lonely after a move to New York City, Kofi Thomas finds connection, purpose, and community through a neighborhood garden. Part 2: As he fights to stay sober, Michael Hudgins throws himself into an unusual form of therapy: pulling invasive plants from a city park. Kofi Thomas is a NYC based comedian with a curiosity for the world. He is a first generation immigrant to parents from Dominica, (not the Dominican Republic). Observer, commentator and creator of the world around him. An accidental community activist. Originally from Tifton, Georgia, Michael Hudgins has called Atlanta home for the last 15 years. Michael loves to write songs, watch documentaries and spend time with his wife and son. Professionally, Michael has recently found a calling working to protect and preserve local forests through invasive plant management. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s special episode—produced in partnership with Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society at Georgia Tech – features two powerful stories from individuals whose lives have been shaped by brain-computer interfaces. Part 1: As his Parkinson’s symptoms worsen and medications take a toll, Brandan Mehaffie faces a life-altering decision: continue down a difficult path or undergo brain surgery to implant an electrode to stimulate deep areas of his brain. Part 2: After an accident leaves Ian Burkhart with complete tetraplegia, he grapples with losing his independence — until he’s offered a chance to participate in a groundbreaking clinical trial using muscle stimulation controlled by a brain implant to help restore movement. Brandan Mehaffie: Graduate University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. Retired Director of Pharmacy Asset Protection Rite Aid Pharmacy. Married 25 years to wife Kelly and have two adult daughters Mae and Riley. Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2016 and recipient of deep brain stimulation surgery in 2022. I am a huge sports buff and gym rat. I enjoy spending time with and cooking for family and friends. Ian is a C5 complete tetraplegic from a diving accident in 2010. He is the founder and president of the BCI Pioneers Coalition and the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium President. After participating in a few clinical trials, he understood the need for engagement of individuals with lived experience from the start. Ian was the first person in the world to restore movement to a paralyzed limb using a BCI neuroprosthetic. He is also the Executive Director of the Ian Burkhart Foundation, which raises funds for medical equipment for other individuals living with paralysis. His research focuses on amplifying the lived experience of people with disabilities. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share tales of well-intentioned choices gone wrong. Part 1: In fourth grade, Ro Moran is thrilled to be trusted with the class pet iguana, Iggy, for the night. But by morning, something is very wrong. Part 2: As an exchange student studying superconducting oxides, Karoline Mueller tries to save money by gold-coating a cheap crucible instead of using a solid gold one. Ro is an award-winning empanada eater with a penchant for storytelling. His credits include Prose of Pie, Tiny Tales, Story Boom, Story Collider En Español, and producing the Westchester-based 'Say Word' show. He is most remembered for his groundbreaking trio with his 14yr and 3 yr old . They’ve since broken up due to ‘creative differences’. When Ro isn’t telling tales, he is a social justice warrior for human rights non profits. Karoline is the youngest of 4 siblings. Growing up in Germany, the family interests included music, art, nature, and building things. From fairly young, there was no question in her mind but she would study music and teach private music lessons. Her plan got smashed in the audition process and she was not accepted into a conservatory program. It took her some time to recover from this huge disappointment. In a relatively random way, she stumbled on the book, Urban Systems in Crisis, by a biochemist and network thinker and was fascinated by this new way of solving problems. She was reminded of fun chemistry demonstrations and enrolled at the Saarland University in Chemistry. Despite low confidence in her English, Karoline pursued a semester abroad and came to the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston. Delighted by the amazingly supportive mentorship at the center, she decided to return for her Ph.D. in Chemistry. She has been working there as researcher and student mentor ever since. Karoline’s passion for science outreach grew over the years and now she takes great pleasure in organizing presentations and demonstrations of superconductivity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.