Manoush Zomorodi

Host, Note to Self

Manoush Zomorodi appears in the following:

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.

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Bacteria talk to each other. Decoding their signals could spot diseases sooner

Friday, May 19, 2023

Bacteria coordinate attacks using their own chemical language. What if we could decode these messages and thwart their plans? Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi invented a tool to spy on bacterial chatter.

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What a living whale is worth in the fight against climate change

Friday, May 19, 2023

Poachers can make a lot of money killing whales. But what if a living whale fetched a bigger price? Ralph Chami uses the language of dollars and cents to conserve nature and fight climate change.

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How imaging technology is recovering damaged texts and rewriting history

Friday, May 19, 2023

Using spectral imaging, Gregory Heyworth can bring new life to old manuscripts. He is able to decipher texts that haven't been read in hundreds of years, and in the process, change history.

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There's a secret to learning many languages — and it has nothing to do with smarts

Friday, May 19, 2023

Learning a new language can be daunting, especially if you don't think you have the skill for it. But polygot Lýdia Machová says the secret is in the process of learning itself.

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How to teach economics — but make it ridiculous, funny and easy to understand

Friday, May 05, 2023

Economics jargon can be intimidating. That's why Jack Corbett decided to make educational TikTok videos that make economic concepts and financial literacy simple... and silly.

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The trades need more gender diversity. One woman is training the next generation

Friday, May 05, 2023

Men dominate trade work. But Emily Pilloton-Lam says it's time to put the power (and power tools) into the hands of young women and gender-expansive youth.

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How one idea helped turn water back on for thousands in Detroit

Friday, May 05, 2023

Water bills in Detroit are twice the national average, and in 2014 thousands faced shutoffs because they couldn't afford to pay them. When programmer Tiffani Ashley Bell learned this, she took action.

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A near-death experience, a tabloid frenzy and one woman's plan to reclaim her story

Friday, May 05, 2023

When Kate Stone was gored by a stag in 2013, tabloids made the story about her transgender identity. So she set a goal: to change how the press writes about transgender people.

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Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat on how exile is a driving force in her work

Friday, April 14, 2023

Iranian artist Shirin Neshat is known for her images of women that pose probing questions about the female body within Islam and Iranian culture. This hour, she reflects on her life and work in exile.

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Surprise! How embracing unpredictable moments can make us feel more alive

Friday, March 31, 2023

What happens when we embrace unpredictability instead of fearing it? Writer Tania Luna explores how engineering surprise in our daily lives can lead to a fuller, more joyful existence.

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How paper and glue rekindled a sense of hope in a supermax prison

Friday, March 31, 2023

The artist JR pastes massive photographs on surfaces ranging from the Louvre to the courtyard floor of a supermax prison. JR explores how his monumental work inspires hope, change and connection.

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How we could live forever... virtually

Friday, March 31, 2023

What if immortality was possible in virtual reality? Artur Sychov discusses how his platform, Somnium Space, enables users to create an avatar version of themselves that will "live" forever online.

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How to turn everyday moves (even typing!) into dance

Friday, March 24, 2023

Our bodies can do amazing things, even with the most mundane tasks. Choreographer Ryan Heffington encourages us to celebrate the ways the body can move and unlock our inner joy through dance.

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How an aerilaist uses trapeze to teach students about consent

Friday, March 24, 2023

How do we learn to trust what our bodies tell us and express it to others? Aerialist Adie Delaney speaks on how communication, trust and safety in trapeze can provide valuable lessons on consent.

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One man's journey with vitiligo and how he found self-acceptance

Friday, March 24, 2023

When news anchor Lee Thomas was diagnosed with the skin disorder vitiligo, he felt like his career was over. He shares his story of finding self-acceptance and embracing his changing body.

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For anyone struggling with daily chores: you're not lazy

Friday, March 24, 2023

Sometimes "simple" everyday tasks can feel impossible to accomplish. Therapist KC Davis shares ideas on a more compassionate, less self-critical approach to daily chores.

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What if a brain was given technology?

Friday, March 17, 2023

What if you could control a device, not with your hand, but with your mind? Physician and entrepreneur Tom Oxley talks about the implantable brain-computer interface that can change the way we think.

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How do different thinkers interpret the world?

Friday, March 17, 2023

Temple Grandin's story changed the way the world understands autism. She speaks about the many ways people interpret the world, the different kinds of thinkers and how to support them all.

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How meditation can teach us to love ourselves and others

Friday, March 17, 2023

Sometimes that nagging inner voice is your own worst enemy. Author and podcast host Dan Harris explains how loving-kindness meditation can quiet your inner critic and improve your relationships.

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