Is The World Cup A Religious Experience?

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.

What Does A 174 Year-Old Speech Mean In 2026?

First up, it’s ICYMI, our Friday menagerie of misfit news. Joining this week, we’ve got GBH’s Renuka Balakrishnan and Boston Globe higher-ed business reporter Diti Kohli. We’ll get their reactions to some lighter World Cup headlines (think: Merlin the duck [https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-duck-mexico-mascot-merlin-4fbe0000dbf7c7b793e4ef664205b373] & Scotts’ love for Irn-Bru.) We’ll also talk about the D.C. reflecting pool algae bloom, and if it’s indeed time for Waffle House to expand north to New England. Then, Soul Fire Farm is an afro-indigenous community based in Grafton, New York, that teaches farming and sustainability while also addressing issues of racism and food inequity. Edgar talks with GBH News Rooted host Paris Alston about her recent trip to the farm & the proper way to enjoy a tomato.  Lastly, this Mass Humanities has organized 76 public readings of Frederick Douglass’ 1852 address “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. Edgar meets Mass Humanities’ Latoya Bosworth for a conversation about the speech’s continued relevance around America’s 250th + Juneteenth.

Do You Like, Hate When People Say Like?

It’s another edition of “The Glitch Report” with Joan Donovan from the Critical Internet Studies Institute. She’ll talk about some implications of A.I. deepfake videos becoming indiscernible from the real thing, and the fun-house reality of right-wing podcaster Candace Owens – who’s been promoting a bizarre conspiracy theory about the death of Charlie Kirk.  Then, Neuroscientists Bob Datta and David Brann explain their groundbreaking research [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/science/nose-brain-smell-olfaction.html] mapping out how our brains register smell.  Lastly, Edgar checks in with Martha Barnette & Grant Barrett from the public radio show A Way With Words to answer some listener-submitted etymological curiosity questions. We’ll get into the origin of “dust bunnies,” and why New Englanders call drinking fountains “bubblers."

Why Are Bananas So Cheap?

First up, Edgar talks with Abagael Giles from Vermont Public about her recent piece on scientists working to save the American Elm. Then, As the cost of groceries rises, why do bananas remain so cheap? We get a primer in food supply chains, grocery store business models and fruit engineering from Sean Cash, economist at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition & Policy.  Lastly, it’s the June edition of “Ask The Remodeler,” with Mark Philben from Charlie Allen Renovations.