Cultivating Curiosity Through Story Telling and Inquiry with Joe Hanson

ScIC "Science is Cool" Unplugged

How student's personal experiences shape learning and scientific exploration. Join PBS and YouTube creator Dr. Joe Hanson to learn about the importance of storytelling and curiosity in education. Joe and Dave discuss the value of being the narrator of your own story and the dangers of algorithms and passive content consumption. They touch on the unreliability of memory and the power of personal experiences. The conversation ends with a personal story about a spooky experience that turned out to have a logical explanation. The conversation explores the universal experience of curiosity and the importance of nurturing it. It discusses how curiosity is innate in children and how adults can learn from their natural curiosity. The conversation also touches on the value of noticing and being present in the world, as well as the power of books and magazines to inspire wonder and expand our understanding of the world. It concludes with a discussion on the impact of curiosity on learning and the potential of technology to enhance our ability to explore and understand the natural world. In this final part of the conversation, Joe and Dave discuss the potential for using AI tools to understand whale communication and the importance of listening to nature. They explore the idea of translating whale songs into human language and the challenges of understanding different species' perspectives. They also touch on the limitations of human senses and the need for humility in scientific exploration. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the value of boredom and the importance of being in control of one's own mind. Joe's PBS YouTube Channel

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ABOUT JOE

Joe Hanson, Ph.D., is a science writer, biologist, educator, and YouTube creator. He is the creator and host of Be Smart, an award-winning science education show from PBS that celebrates curiosity and the pleasure of finding things out. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, and his science writing has been published by WIRED, Nautilus, Scientific American and Texas Monthly. He lives in Austin, TX.