Podcast
Curiously with Dustin Grinnell
Hosted by Dustin Grinnell · EN
Curiously is a podcast about questions—how we ask them, where they lead, and what we discover along the way.
Host Dustin Grinnell talks with scientists, doctors, artists, and everyday thinkers about sleep, health, imagination, space, therapy, technology, and the search for meaning.
If you’ve ever wondered how science connects to real life, or how people make sense of uncertainty and complexity, Curiously offers context, insight, and new ways of thinking about the questions that matter most.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Talk of the Table: The Mom in The Bear, Power Slap Madness, Liver King & The Masculinity Crisis, Will Smith’s Mid-Life Spiral, What “Baby-Girled” Really Means & Why Reality TV Isn’t Real
Sep 901:47:54Tap to summarizeSince starting the podcast in 2023, I’ve made a conscious effort to stay out of the way. I ask questions, I guide guests through their stories, I stay detached. I never wanted to be one of those hosts who dominates their show with their own opinions. But staying detached comes at a cost: listeners don’t really get to know me. And in podcasting, that connection matters. People want to feel like they know the person behind the mic.One morning over breakfast, I had the TV on and caught an episode of Jenna & Friends. Jenna Bush and her guest were casually discussing whether it’s weird to share your phone location with friends and family. The guest wanted to track her kids; her husband wasn’t on board. It was simple, relatable, and somehow compelling. I realized: people love hearing familiar voices they trust weigh in on everyday topics and current events, even when they don’t always agree. There’s something engaging about watching two people wrestle with a relatable idea in real time. So I decided to try something new: a “Talk of the Table” format, inspired by CBS Mornings, where hosts bring topics or news stories that grabbed their attention and just talk them over. For my first attempt, I brought back a past guest as co-host: Katie Concannon, who joined me to discuss her work in Ayurveda and her wellness business, Frost and Float Wellness Collective. After that episode aired, people told Katie their favorite parts were when we went off-script—when we digressed into something funny or personal. That’s why she felt like the perfect person to experiment with.We each brought a handful of topics that caught our attention recently—current events, headlines, cultural moments—and we just went back and forth: reacting, sharing takes, trading stories, letting the conversation flow wherever it wanted. No structure. No scripted transitions. Just two people talking about what’s happening right now.In this episode, we discuss:• Headlines and cultural moments that made us stop scrolling• Hot takes, honest reactions, and unfiltered opinions on what’s happening now• Stories that made us laugh, cringe, or rethink something • The balance between staying informed and getting overwhelmed by the news• What it’s like trying a new podcast format in real time• Why letting more personality show might matter more than perfect preparation💡 Learn more about Katie Concannon’s workAyurveda with Katie: https://www.ayurvedawithkatie.com/ Frost and Float Spa: https://www.frostandfloatspa.com/ 💡 About Curiously: https://www.podpage.com/curiously/
Transcribe →Distant Galaxies, Dark Matter & Our Place in the Cosmos
May 26, 202502:27:15Tap to summarizeEver since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by space. As a kid, I had a poster of the Eagle Nebula on my bedroom wall and a telescope I used to study the moon. My favorite movie is Contact, based on Carl Sagan’s novel about searching for extraterrestrial life. Thinking about the cosmos gives us perspective. Not just on our own lives and problems, but on our entire species. Sagan reminded us of this in his iconic Pale Blue Dot speech. When you see how small and fragile our planet is in the vastness of the universe, it humbles you. It makes you feel insignificant, but also, paradoxically, special.So when I had a trip planned to Baltimore, I reached out to Dr. Dan Coe, an astronomer at Johns Hopkins’ Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the operational home of both the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. To my surprise and excitement, he said yes. Not only that, he invited me to see where the magic happens, where scientists and engineers operate humanity’s most powerful eyes on the universe.What followed was a 2.5-hour conversation that moved from mission control to Dan’s office overlooking a bright green forest, and finally to a local pub for lunch and beers. We covered everything: the origins of the universe, the search for extraterrestrial life, what dark matter might actually be, the role of AI in astronomy, and perhaps most importantly: how to find meaning in a universe so vast where we seem so small. This is a conversation about looking up at the stars and finding perspective, humility, and maybe even kindness in the vastness of space. In this episode, we discuss:• The origins of the universe and what the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed• The search for extraterrestrial life: microbes, intelligent beings, or something we can’t comprehend• What dark matter might actually be and the best current theories• How AI is transforming astronomy and space science• The role of the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes in unlocking cosmic mysteries• What it’s like working at mission control for humanity’s most powerful telescopes• How to find meaning in a universe where we seem cosmically insignificant• Why kindness matters in science, collaboration, and how we approach the unknown• Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot perspective and what it teaches us about ourselves• Whether any meaning exists in the cosmos, or if we create it ourselves💡 Learn more about Dr. Dan Coe: https://www.stsci.edu/stsci-research/research-directory/dan-coe 💡 Learn more about Cosmic Spring: https://cosmic-spring.github.io/ 💡 About Curiously: https://www.podpage.com/curiously/about/
Transcribe →Why Some People Are Magnetic on Camera (and How to Learn It Without Being an Actor)
Apr 3, 202502:04:08Tap to summarizeYou’ve seen it while scrolling social media, sitting in a virtual meeting, or watching a political debate. Some people command attention right away, drawing viewers in and holding them there. Others, despite having meaningful ideas, fail to engage. Not for lack of substance, but for lack of visual presence. In an age of constant on-camera interaction, this skill is no longer optional; it’s essential. In this episode, I talk with my friend Anthony Thomas—actor, model, video podcast host, and YouTuber—about what it takes to show up powerfully on camera. I first met Anthony when I was working as a copywriter at Bose. We’d cast him as an actor for a product launch video, and I watched him from behind the monitors as he performed in multiple settings, from inside a music venue to the subway. In every scene, he nailed it. A confident grin to signal he’d turned his music on, a made-up phone conversation that felt real, Anthony delivered what the moment required. But it wasn’t just technical skill. There was something about his presence that made you want to watch.Years later, when I created my first video for my Sci-Fi with Heart series, a review of the film Arrival, I sent the edit to Anthony for a “vibe check.” What I got back was a detailed breakdown of where I could improve, complete with specific techniques and tips. He was supportive but didn’t sugarcoat anything. He wanted me to thrive, and fast. His feedback was so valuable that we started exchanging clips—analyzing what worked, what didn’t, and why. Eventually, I realized: this conversation needed to be a podcast episode. The truth is, most of us were never taught how to show up on camera, yet we’re expected to do it all the time. Zoom calls at work. Video podcasts. Social media content. Even running for office. Politicians who can’t capture attention on camera fade into obscurity. Those who are magnetic stick around. The same applies to everyone else. If you can’t engage visually, your message won’t get through, no matter how smart or important it is.Anthony’s insights aren’t just for actors or public figures. They’re for anyone who wants to communicate more effectively in a visual world. And they go beyond “look at the camera” or “smile more.” They’re about understanding presence, energy, authenticity, and how small adjustments can transform the way people perceive you.In this episode, we discuss:• What makes certain people magnetic on camera• The techniques actors use to command attention and create presence• How to feel more comfortable and authentic before the camera rolls• Specific tips for improving your on-camera performance right away• Why engaging visually matters more than ever in work, content, and communication• The difference between performing and simply being natural on screen• How Anthony prepares for a shoot and what he’s thinking about in the moment• Common mistakes people make on camera and how to fix them• Why politicians who can’t engage on camera lose, no matter their policies• Practical exercises and mindset shifts for anyone creating video content💡 Learn more about Anthony ThomasInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonythomas33/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU0vIzQAzQqpQpMKRLy3efQ Website: https://www.anthonyjthomas.com/ 💡 About Curiously: https://www.podpage.com/curiously/about/
Transcribe →The Empathy Academy & Engineering Morality: Can We Genetically Edit Evil Out of Humans?
Mar 18, 202501:30:38Tap to summarizeIn 2022, I joined The Anthony Thomas Podcast to discuss my sci-fi thriller, The Empathy Academy, a novel that explores this exact question. The story follows Montgomery Hughes, a teenager who infiltrates a controversial academy designed to genetically “correct” unethical behavior in young people. What he discovers inside reveals the dark side of using science to engineer morality.The conversation with Anthony was supposed to be a typical author interview—talk about the book, share some behind-the-scenes insights, answer questions. But halfway through, something unexpected happened: I flipped the script and started interviewing him. At the time, I hadn’t seriously considered launching my own podcast, but that moment planted the seed. Turns out, I couldn’t help myself. Curiosity took over.In this episode, Anthony and I discuss what inspired The Empathy Academy, how I develop fictional characters and worlds, and the ethical questions at the heart of the novel: Can empathy be taught, or does it have to be innate? If we could genetically remove traits like cruelty or selfishness, would we be creating better humans or just more compliant ones? And who gets to decide what “ethical” even means? In this episode, we discuss:• The premise of The Empathy Academy and what inspired the novel• Whether empathy can be genetically engineered, and whether it should be• The ethical dangers of using science to “correct” human behavior• How I develop fictional characters and build speculative worlds• What happens when schools become tools for behavioral control• The dark side of ethics interventions and who decides what’s “right” • Anthony’s insights into his craft as an actor, model, and coach• How curiosity fuels both writing and podcasting💡 Read The Empathy Academy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639882200 💡 Learn more about Anthony ThomasInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonythomas33/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU0vIzQAzQqpQpMKRLy3efQ Website: https://www.anthonyjthomas.com/ 💡 About Curiously: https://www.podpage.com/curiously/about/
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