When it comes to sleep, most of us know what to do, we just don’t do it. We know we should put our phones down, create a bedtime routine, and skip the late-day caffeine. Yet one in eight Americans has chronic insomnia, and over half report frequent sleep difficulties. So what’s the disconnect?

In this episode, I sit down with Morgan Adams, a certified sleep coach who spent years battling insomnia herself. After two breast cancer diagnoses forced her to take her health seriously, Morgan cracked the science of sleep and created her SleepEasy Method™, an approach that’s helped countless people escape the insomnia trap.

Together, we explore what’s really getting in the way of good sleep, the misconceptions that keep us stuck, and the practical, sustainable solutions that actually work, beyond the advice we’ve all heard a thousand times.

Learn more about Morgan Adams at https://www.morganadamswellness.com.

What can the dying teach us about living well? In this episode, I sit down with Micaelah Morrill, a death doula who helps people and families navigate the final chapter of life with grace and meaning. We met at a Death Café, an open forum where strangers talk honestly about mortality, loss, and what it means to make peace with death.

Our conversation explores what it’s like to sit beside the dying, the lessons we can learn from their most common regrets, and how confronting mortality can bring clarity to the way we live. If you’ve ever wondered how to live more intentionally—or how to find peace after loss—this one’s for you.

☕ Find a Death Café near you at https://deathcafe.com.

In this episode, we step inside Boston’s Aeronaut Brewing Co. with head brewer Mark Bowers for a behind-the-scenes look at how great craft beer comes to life.

Mark shares his journey from PhD chemist to brewmaster, and together we explore the artistry and science of brewing — from the evolution of IPAs and experimental recipes to the equipment, techniques, and philosophy (“brewed with curiosity and backed by science”) that fuel Aeronaut’s unique beers. As we sample our way through lagers, IPAs, seltzers, and sours, we uncover why beer has remained a cornerstone of human connection since colonial times.

Visit Aeronaut Brewing’s website to explore their beers and taproom, and read more about Mark’s story from PhD chemist to brewmaster.

I’ve always believed that the questions we ask reveal as much about us as the answers we give. So when I had the chance to set up a booth at the MIT Museum’s 2025 Cambridge Science Carnival, I brought one question with me: “If science could solve one problem for humanity in the next 50 years, what would you choose—and why?”

The carnival buzzed with over a hundred booths celebrating curiosity. Families roamed the grounds, kids wide-eyed at hands-on experiments. I was there representing my own small corner of the world: science fiction with heart. I’d brought copies of my books, The Empathy Academy and The Healing Book, and by the end of the day, every single one had found a new home. But more than selling books, I wanted to listen.

Fourteen people, ranging from an 11-year-old boy to adults in their sixties, stepped up to my podcast microphone. Their answers were as varied as they were revealing. Some wanted to eliminate waste, others dreamed of world peace or clean water for everyone. One kid just wanted dinosaurs back. There was talk of a human satisfaction index, of solutions that felt urgent and others that felt aspirational. Listening back, I kept thinking: some of these can’t wait 50 years.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Fourteen voices answering one big question about science and humanity’s future

• Why clean water, waste elimination, and world peace topped the list

• An 11-year-old’s passionate case for bringing back dinosaurs

• The idea of a human satisfaction index and what it would measure

• Perspectives across generations, from kids to adults in their sixties

• My own answer to the question I asked everyone else

• What these responses reveal about our hopes, fears, and priorities

• Why some scientific breakthroughs feel too urgent to wait 50 years

• The spirit of curiosity alive at the MIT Museum’s Cambridge Science Carnival

• How asking the right question can open up unexpected conversations

There’s something both terrifying and oddly comforting about knowing we have four billion years left. The sun will expand, swallow Earth, and explode. We need to leave. The question isn't whether we should go, but how we'll survive once we do.

I’ve always been drawn to stories about humanity’s future in space. Not the sanitized Hollywood versions, but the messy, complicated reality of what it would actually take. When I discovered Dr. Christopher Mason’s book, The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds, I knew I had to talk to him. Here’s a geneticist and computational biologist who’s been a Principal Investigator on 11 NASA missions, laying out an actual roadmap for reengineering ourselves to survive in space.

What followed was a conversation that moved from CRISPR gene editing to exowombs, from the ethics of human enhancement to what life might look like on Mars in 2151. We talked about splitting atoms and landing on moons, about the kind of imagination it takes to see beyond what seems impossible today. This conversation felt like a reminder that the bold ideas that seem like science fiction today become tomorrow’s reality.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The 500-year roadmap for humanity’s survival beyond Earth

• How CRISPR and genetic engineering could adapt us for life in space

• What exowombs are and why they might be necessary on distant worlds

• The ethics of reengineering ourselves and selecting for desirable traits

• Why we have a moral obligation to safeguard life by expanding into space

• What life could look like in 2151: Moon colonies, Mars stations, and beyond

• Dr. Mason’s work on 11 NASA missions and what he’s learned about space biology

• Whether humans are psychologically ready for the isolation of deep space

• How imagination and bold thinking drive scientific progress

• Why we can’t afford to be small-minded about humanity’s future

💡 Learn more about Dr. Christopher E. Mason: https://www.masonlab.net/

💡 Read Dr. Mason’s book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543842/the-next-500-years/

💡 About Curiously: https://www.curiouslypod.com/

Since 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 work

Ayurveda with Katie: https://www.ayurvedawithkatie.com/

Frost and Float Spa: https://www.frostandfloatspa.com/

💡 About Curiously: https://www.podpage.com/curiously/

Ever 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/

You’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 Thomas

Instagram: 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/