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:
Reusing chairs, bricks, even lab equipment by building a circular economy
Friday, September 08, 2023
Waste is built into our economy. Garry Cooper created a large-scale resource-sharing system to keep furniture, medical equipment and more out of landfills and into the hands of people who need them.
As ice melts, polar bears have to abandon their homes and move closer to us
Friday, September 08, 2023
As Arctic ice melts, polar bears must leave their homes. Biologist and conservationist Alysa McCall shares lessons on how to plan for a future where climate change forces us all a little closer.
From vacant lots to vibrant green space, how Detroit is remaking itself
Friday, September 08, 2023
Anika Goss is a third generation Detroiter. She says her city's future depends on exchanging concrete for green space—and that transformation will lead to both economic gains and climate resilience.
As humans drastically change the planet, animals are rapidly evolving to survive
Friday, September 08, 2023
We think of evolution as a slow process playing out over millennia. But evolutionary biologist Shane Campbell-Staton says nature is rapidly changing to keep up with the world humanity has built.
Helicopter or hands-off parenting? The choice won't impact a kid as much as you think
Friday, August 11, 2023
Kids are their own people. And the data suggests parents' decisions don't have as much sway as we think. Psychologist Yuko Munakata says it's a good thing that there's no right way to parent.
Starting a company, dealing with bipolar disorder and struggling to manage both
Friday, August 11, 2023
Creating a company is hard. For CEO Andy Dunn, having bipolar made it an even more extreme experience. He says a psychotic break forced him to focus on mental hygiene and challenge startup culture.
The not-so-intelligent side of artificial intelligence
Friday, August 11, 2023
If AI is smart enough to pass the bar exam, why does it struggle with simple common sense questions? Computer scientist Yejin Choi studies how to teach AI human reasoning, social norms, and values.
Not everyone who commits fraud is greedy: the motivations of white-collar offenders.
Friday, July 28, 2023
It's easier than ever to commit white-collar crime, says forensic accountant Kelly Richmond Pope. One way to curb it, she says, is to support and encourage whistleblowers.
How one man survived a deadly king cobra bite and debunked 185 years of science
Friday, July 14, 2023
For 185 years, science has assumed there was only one species of king cobra. Herpetologist Gowri Shankar shares his near-death experience that led to a groundbreaking discovery for the snake world.
The cutest mammal you haven't heard about and how to save it
Friday, July 14, 2023
The tapir, South America's largest land mammal, plays a key role in maintaining the biodiversity of forests and wetlands. Conservation biologist Patrícia Medici works to protect this elusive species.
How do insects pee? A seemingly silly question that led to a physics discovery
Friday, July 14, 2023
Professor Saad Bhamla believes all science puzzles are important, even silly ones. His research into the glass-winged sharpshooter's "butt flicker" led to a discovery about the physics of insect pee.
Unearthing a 180-million-year-old sea creature
Friday, July 14, 2023
Known now as the mother of paleontology, Mary Anning's work was largely overlooked. But her research helped paleontologist Dean R. Lomax make groundbreaking discoveries about the ichthyosaur.
A bounced check, a police arrest, and the fight to give millions a second chance
Friday, June 30, 2023
After Sheena Meade bounced a check, she was arrested, and her record followed her for years. Now she's fighting to help millions get their arrest and conviction records cleared.
How placing kids with family can radically change the way foster care works in the US
Friday, June 30, 2023
Sixto Cancel experienced the failings of foster care firsthand. Now he advocates for its reform and the expansion of "kinship care" so that young people can have a say in who raises them.
How a smart map could reel in the outlaws of the ocean
Friday, June 30, 2023
To stop pirate fishing, oil spills, and more, we need to monitor the ocean. Tony Long aims to do just that by creating a live map of all human activity on the seas.
Your future self might not want the life you're planning for them
Friday, June 16, 2023
When we look to the future, we assume we'll be the same person we are today. But journalist Shankar Vedantam says that's not always true—our goals and beliefs will likely change throughout our lives.
Future generations can't speak up for themselves — how we can advocate for them today
Friday, June 16, 2023
With today's insatiable wants, it's easy to forget that we borrow the earth from future generations. Philosopher Roman Krznaric warns against short-term thinking and shows us how to be good ancestors.
How do our brains perceive our future selves? One psychologist wanted to know
Friday, June 16, 2023
Why is it so hard to plan for the future? Psychologist Hal Hershfield found that our brains perceive our future self as a separate person — with less urgent wants and needs than our present self.
Why some societies successfully prepare for the future — and others fail
Friday, June 16, 2023
Journalist Bina Venkataraman says some disasters are due to a short-sighted view of the future and a shallow memory of the past. She urges us to be smarter citizens and better ancestors.
Gene Luen Yang's path from teaching high school to writing 'American Born Chinese'
Friday, June 02, 2023
Twenty years ago, Gene Luen Yang taught high school and wrote comics on the side. Now, he's the author of American Born Chinese and other bestsellers. He says comic books belong in every classroom.
