The Curiosity Desk

To Toss Or Not to Toss?

First up, Edgar talks with ReFED Executive Director Sara Burnett and John Hopkins researcher Roni Neff about what “sell by” labels on food packages actually mean, in light of California’s ban aimed at reducing food waste.  Then, we meet mentalist Tom Indigo, who reads the minds of our host Edgar and volunteer Eva Doyne.

What is the Election Fraud Doom Loop?

June 25, 2026  First up,  it’s the latest edition of “The Glitch Report," with Joan Donovan from the Critical Internet Studies Institute. She'll discuss what she calls the "Election Fraud Doom Loop", political conspiracy theories, and general distrust of government officials.  Ahead of the event Disability ReFramed: Celebrating Our Childhood on TV, we look back at disability-related programming of GBH past with Senior Accessibility Specialist Claire Houston & media historian Michelle Kelley. Lastly, Edgar catches up with Hakeem Oluseyi, host of the NOVA podcast “Particles of Thought."

Who Wants The Bourne Bridge?

June 24, 2026  First up, how much of the lore around the historic liberty tree is real, and how much is myth carried out over centuries? That’s the focus of new reporting from GBH’s Hannah Loss. She joins alongside Arnold Arboretum director Ned Friedman, who was called to analyze a preserved sample of the tree’s roots. Then, with the Bourne & Sagamore bridges being offered up for “adoption," we learn why & how someone even would go about buying a bridge, with Tufts professor and engineer Brian Brenner. Lastly, We welcome back librarian-by-day, Abigail Adams interpreter by night Sarah Walsh who’s back in town for an America250 event.

Is The World Cup A Religious Experience?

June 23, 2026 It’s a Curiosity Desk faith leader news panel. We’ll talk World Cup, A.I. and trillionaires with B.U. Muslim Chaplain Naureen Mallick, Rev. Jessica Chicka, and Rabbi Charlie Schwartz from Lehrhaus.  Then we've got another round of Four Things to Know, with Gal Tziperman-Lotan from the GBH Daily newsletter and Curiosity Desk Producer Rachel Armany.  Lastly, Edgar meets Kristen Luise, senior animal care specialist with the New England Aquarium, as they prepare to release a new batch of endangered sea turtles off the coast of Cape Cod.

What Makes World Cup-Quality Soccer Turf?

First up, Edgar meets Jennifer Felt from the Conservation Law Foundation + scientist Taylor Heyl at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, for a conversation about what’s to come of the Seamounts Marine National Monument following Trump administration de-regulations.  Then, in celebration of Pride, Joan Ilacqua from Queer History Boston takes us into some under-explored moments of LGBTQ history in Boston. Lastly -- what goes into engineering the perfect World Cup soccer pitch? We’ll hear from Trey Rogers, professor of Turfgrass Management at Michigan State, who played a central role in designing the turf used in this years’ games.