Manoush Zomorodi is the host and managing editor of the podcast Note to Self from WNYC Studios.
Every week on her podcast, Manoush searches for answers to life’s digital quandaries, through experiments and conversations with listeners and experts. Topics include information overload, digital clutter, sexting “scandals," and the eavesdropping capabilities of our gadgets.
Her book, Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self, is based on an experiment she did with tens of thousands of her listeners in 2015.
Prior to New York Public Radio, Manoush reported and produced around the world for BBC News and Thomson Reuters. Manoush grew up in Princeton, New Jersey and went to Georgetown University. She lives with her family in Brooklyn.
Shows:
Manoush Zomorodi appears in the following:
Ermias Kebreab: What do seaweed and cow burps have to do with climate change?
Friday, May 20, 2022
Each year, one cow can belch 220 pounds of the greenhouse gas methane. Animal scientist Ermias Kebreab experimented with alternative cow diets and found a surprising solution: seaweed.
Jamie Beard: How can we tap into the vast power of geothermal energy?
Friday, May 20, 2022
Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable, nearly limitless energy source. Technologist Jamie Beard wants us to use more of it — and to do that, she's recruiting experts from the fossil fuel industry.
Andrew Dent: How everyday materials can make innovative new products
Friday, May 20, 2022
Materials scientist Andrew Dent takes us on a tour of the "materials library" where companies can find existing materials to reuse in their products—from chewing gum, to fish scales, to cow manure.
Gay Gordon-Byrne: Why do big manufacturers prevent you from repairing your own stuff?
Friday, May 20, 2022
Manufacturers intentionally make their products hard to fix. Right-to-repair advocate Gay Gordon-Byrne fights for laws to stop companies from monopolizing repairs and let people fix their own stuff.
Anna Malaika Tubbs: The forgotten mothers of civil rights history
Friday, May 06, 2022
MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American history.
Nicola Sturgeon: How can small countries have a global impact?
Friday, April 29, 2022
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon shares ideas on leading Scotland, from her approach to climate change and wellness, to the challenges she's faced as a female leader.
Patrice Gordon and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic: How can we become more competent leaders?
Friday, April 29, 2022
Organizational psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic says we often associate leadership with the wrong traits. That's why Patrice Gordon was so surprised by an unusual opportunity: to mentor her CEO.
Shabana Basij-Rasikh: The ongoing fight to educate Afghan girls
Friday, April 29, 2022
In 2016, Shabana Basij-Rasikh created Afghanistan's School of Leadership for girls. When the Taliban took control in 2021, she helped her students flee and continued their education abroad.
Bill Bernat: How to build a connection with your friends living with depression
Friday, April 08, 2022
Sometimes, we tiptoe around people experiencing depression because we don't know what to say. Bill Bernat suggests that instead of waiting for them to feel better, we can meet them where they are.
Sara Jones: What stories are missing from the the transracial adoption narrative?
Friday, April 08, 2022
What information is missing from our family narratives? For transracial adoptee Sara Jones, her Korean cultural roots were hidden until she sought answers on her own.
Diana Adams: How can we provide better care for non-traditional families?
Friday, April 08, 2022
For LGBTQIA and non-nuclear families, navigating the legal system and family benefits is difficult. Attorney Diana Adams says we need more inclusive laws that cater to all chosen families.
Yvonne van Amerongen: How can we reimagine elder care around human connection?
Friday, April 08, 2022
In a small village, residents enjoy time at the pub, the theater, and the park—all while living with dementia. Yvonne van Amerongen shares how we can reimagine dementia care with a social approach.
Steven Johnson: The Past, Present, and Future of the Human Life Span
Friday, March 25, 2022
In the last century, human life expectancy has doubled. This hour, we talk with writer Steven Johnson on the many breakthroughs that made this possible — and where we go from here.
Asmeret Asefaw Berhe: How can soil's superpowers help us fight climate change?
Friday, March 11, 2022
Earth's soil can store vast amounts of carbon. Biogeochemist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe says soil could be a powerful tool for fighting climate change - if only we stopped treating it like dirt.
Nizar Ibrahim: How did we unearth the largest predator in history?
Friday, March 11, 2022
The largest predator in history was bigger than a T. Rex and longer than a school bus. And it swam. Paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim shares his quest to uncover the Spinosaurus.
Katrina Spade: Could our bodies help new life grow after we die?
Friday, March 11, 2022
We compost plants and livestock, so why not humans? Katrina Spade says that if you want to help the planet one last time, consider composting your body.
Jill Heinerth: What can we learn from our planet's hidden waterways?
Friday, March 11, 2022
Underneath the surface, there lies a vast network of natural and manmade waterways. Cave diver Jill Heinerth shares her adventures through our planet's plumbing and the ways it secretly connects us.
Celeste Headlee: How can we fight burnout with purposeful rest?
Friday, February 18, 2022
Hard work has been baked into our culture for so long, but at what cost? Journalist Celeste Headlee explains why we must give our bodies the rest they need, so that we can live fuller lives.
Matteo Cerri: Will humans one day hibernate?
Friday, February 18, 2022
Bears and squirrels hibernate to survive harsh conditions; why not humans? If we want to travel deep into space or combat deadly diseases, physiologist Matteo Cerri says hibernation might be the key.
Dylan Selterman: What are our dreams — and nightmares — trying to tell us?
Friday, February 18, 2022
We might forget our dreams mere minutes after waking. But psychologist Dylan Selterman says that if we pay attention to them, we could gain new information about our emotions, relationships and more.
