Enough with the polite, front parlor pablum of the past -- and onward toward rich discussion, mindful discourse, self-disclosure, and – dare I say it? – curiosity! 

Wanting to do something about the epidemic of loneliness among her peers, Ashley Kirsner set out to find a way to help people build their conversational and self-revelatory muscles. 

Enter Skip the Small Talk.

Skip the Small Talk: https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com

Theme music by Sean Balick; “Are We Loose Yet” by Bodytonic, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Ep. #306: Skip the Small Talk, with Ashley Kirsner

"Slow down to the speed of wonder." ~ John Muir Laws

This is an episode about nature journaling, but Jack would be the first to say: it isn't about the journal, it's about the journey.

He's developed interdisciplinary programs that combine art with science and train us to observe the world with rigor and joy -- strengthening our capacity to be intentionally curious.

John Muir Laws: https://johnmuirlaws.com

Theme music by Sean Balick; other music by Sketchbook, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Visit the episode webpage here: https://lynnborton.com/2025/11/27/curiosity-nature-journaling-with-john-muir-laws/

Ep. #307: Curiosity & Nature Journaling, with John Muir Laws

I couldn't fit everything in this week, so here is what Jack Laws and I drew from the Big Jar of Wannabe Analogies. #analogy

Episode webpage: https://lynnborton.com/2025/11/27/curiosity-nature-journaling-with-john-muir-laws/

C2BC-307 Bonus: Analogies (6 min)

In When the World Learned to Listen, gravity has rhythm and curiosity becomes sound. Set against dark trap beats, heavy bass, and ghostly synths, the track transforms Sir Isaac Newton’s discoveries—motion, light, gravity—into a sonic meditation on chaos and comprehension. Two voices intertwine and diverge, navigating tension and collapse, echoing the invisible laws that govern planets and perception alike.

The beat pulses like a cosmic heart, fractured yet precise, mirroring the unseen order in the universe. The duo doesn’t plead but listens—tracing paths of comets, arcs of planets, and the subtle prisms of light—exploring whether order exists before consciousness or emerges through observation. By the final resonance, darkness and rhythm fuse into reflection and awe.

A tribute to Newton, a dialogue with the cosmos, and a dance with the unseen.

When the World Learned to Listen

In this video, I talk about why curiosity is the biggest driver in my own language learning — and what the research says about it.

The thing that helped me learn 20 languages (it’s not discipline)


Faith in Fiction is an inspirational and introspective ballad that explores the transformative power of imagination, belief, and creative courage. The song captures the journey of creation, portraying how ideas begin as fragile sparks that require nurturing, patience, and trust to grow into meaningful and impactful forms. It reflects on the vulnerability inherent in expressing new ideas and the emotional labor involved in turning imagination into reality, emphasizing that even the smallest notion can become extraordinary when tended with care.

The narrative traces a progression from doubt and hesitation to confidence and empowerment, highlighting the role of curiosity and learning in creative growth. It illustrates that questioning, exploring, and testing boundaries are essential to refining one’s vision and that moments of uncertainty are opportunities for development rather than obstacles. Musically and structurally, the song mirrors this journey, balancing reflective, gentle passages with rising crescendos that evoke a sense of expansion, discovery, and creative triumph. Its layered progression engages listeners, allowing them to experience both the internal emotional evolution and the external manifestation of imaginative work.

Ultimately, Faith in Fiction is a celebration of empowerment, courage, and the act of creation. It positions imagination as an active, living force and belief as the catalyst that transforms ideas into reality. With rich, cinematic imagery and a structure that emphasizes growth and progression, the song inspires listeners to embrace possibility, nurture their visions, and trust in their own creative potential. Its themes of persistence, curiosity, and courageous action make it both a personal reflection and a universal meditation on how imagination and belief shape the worlds we create, offering inspiration for anyone seeking to bring their ideas to life.

FAITH IN FICTION

Someone walks

"All I Know - Shades of Fools (It's the Why)" EPx5 is Volume 2 of one of my fav old (circa late 2024) KNOWsutra song, and flows Jazz ❯ Burlesque ❯ Indie ❯ Blues

• • • 
All I really know is I don’t know shit about fck, like Socrates said (ha), and all I see is fools who care to know and show more than grow, flow, and glow, and rarely bow... Some play fair, some go low, and the shady ones, oh, they blow (as I say in “Shady Fool”, the sister song of “Shades of Fools”, released as a folk single you should totally check out:).

... I’ve lived, I’ve learned, I’ve seen fools of many shades—the ones who hide, the ones who boast, the ones who lie for a piece of a foolish fame buffet, and on and on. But when the circus lights go dim, and the moon casts its shadow, the why is the only truth this fool really cares to know (because that is how I grow and flow).

And you, what do you know? Is why your favorite question too?  Are we all just dancing in silly circles, or is there a way to grow beyond the dummy reality show?

#WhoAreTheFools #MasqueradeOfIntentions #PhilosophyMeetsMusic #PlatoWouldVibe #SocratesKnows #lyricsmatter (and are available upon request)

[01] All I Know - Shades of Fools • KNOWsutra All I know Upright Bass Folk JAZZ

[02] All I Know - Shades of Fools • KNOWsutra Accordion Chanson Jazz BURLESQUE

[05] All I Know - Shades of Fools • KNOWsutra Destiny BLUES

[03] All I know - Shades of Fools • KNOWsutra Piano Jazz BURLESQUE

[04] All I know - Shades of Fools • KNOWsutra Cello Burlesque INDIE

11 20 2025  Pastor Paul Interview - Michael - Portals - Global Updates

Author John Stilgoe exhorts us to go outside, take a walk or a bike ride, and tune in to the world before us that we miss when we whiz by in a car. I implore you to do the same thing--but instead of paying attention to what you see, pay attention to what you hear.

Episode 298-What Do You Hear?

Acronyms are "words" that are abbreviations. But they differ from abbreviations because they can be pronounced like a word. Many of these acronyms, like the 'ZIP' in 'Zip Code,' aren't even known as acronyms anymore. In this episode, my friend Pete Mulvihill helps me decode some of the most common acronyms in modern lexicon.

Episode 299-When Acronyms Become Words

IT's hard to believe that I have created 300 episodes of the Natural Curiosity Project. Thank you so much--SO much--for staying with me on the adventure. In this episode, Pete Mulvihill recalls some of his favorite episodes--and asks me for mine.

The episodes mentioned in the program are 84 (Bud and the tumbleweeds); 77 (How to Read Movie Credits with Bob Verlaque); 181 (Rob Prince and Dark Winter Nights); 206 (Dewitt Jones); 15 (How Trees Work); 16 (Forest Bathing); and 97, 99 and 109 (Letter-writing). Enjoy!

Episode 300-300 Episodes

In this episode we travel from central Turkey, the region known as Anatolia, to northern Norway, on the island of Svalbard, to visit two extraordinary subterranean places.

Episode 301-Two Underground Stories

Weird, isn't it, that wind is completely silent--silent, that is, until it hits something. Then, it bursts out in myriad voices.

Episode 302-The Wind's Many Voices

Discover this Little Big World we have! But be careful, you might want to go back.

Little Big World

… because life on earth is a Psychedelic Cabaret, and “music is the only religion that delivers the goods” (like Frank said). 

To be clear, all I really know is I dunno shit about fck (like Socrates said:)—music and songwriting included. But(t) I feel it, the music, so damn deeep in my soul! I’m just a humble existential fool, a silly banana who likes to play and share, to question and learn. Words are my oldest best friends, hearing myself sing is a freaking miracle (trust me on that lol), and I believe curiosity and #gratitude are the keys to happiness… So voilà, there’s that.

Also, (if you’re curious) BananaSutra is not just a made up BS brand kinda word, it’s actually the name of my DIY Bible—a collection of songs telling true stories of faith, to help me (and perhaps you) make sense of a world gone wild, like bananas gone foul in shallow ignorance and deadly malevolence… Think of it as an agnostic testament of sorts, an audio book of songs with quirky lyrics about things that matter, like the definition of right and wrong, and the meaning of truth, joy, justice, peace, grace, and awe 🕊️

Some call it Artificial Intelligence, but(t) I call Authentic Imagination, Alternative Ideas, Augmented Innuendos, Abstract Illogisms… hopefully, you get the gist? The point being, life is the story we tell ourselves and LYRICS matter—each @bananasutra song has a wondering root and a loving purpose, guided by one of (my) 7 (bananas) sutras: 
- KNOWsutra : is it fair?
- BLOWsutra : is it foul?
- SHOWsutra : is it fun?
- GROWsutra : is it fear?
- FLOWsutra : is it free?
- GLOWsutra : is it fab?
- BOWsutra : is it awe?

Composer / Audio Engineer, all self taught from pure passion.

Choose to be Curious is a show all about curiosity. We talk about research and theory, but mostly it's conversations about how curiosity shows up in work and life.  

Now syndicated and available via Pacifica RadioNetwork.

I photograph, record, and write about the natural world. I see, I listen, I write. I fundamentally believe that curiosity can save the world—so I publish stories to make people curious. Ultimately, curiosity leads to discovery, discovery leads to knowledge, knowledge leads to insight, and insight leads to understanding. Please enjoy!

Anbid Zaman is a queer activist and artist whose work rises from a life marked by displacement, resistance, and the insistence on living fully even when the world tries to deny that possibility. Born in Bangladesh and shaped by grassroots queer organizing from a young age, they grew into their voice through community struggle — learning early that courage isn’t an act, but a daily discipline.

Their journey from danger to refuge transformed them without erasing their origins. Living in Germany, Anbid continues to work at the intersections of identity, migration, and liberation, supporting queer people who face violence and navigating the complexities of chosen family, safety, and belonging. Their activism is guided by deep commitments: justice without compromise, solidarity across borders, and an unshakeable belief that marginalised voices should be heard not with pity, but with respect.

These values spill directly into their music. Anbid’s sound blends testimonial storytelling, emotional minimalism, and atmospheric layers shaped by memory — the quiet of hiding, the noise of protest, the ache of leaving, the thrill of surviving. Each track carries the weight of lived experience and the brightness of hope that refuses to die. Their art is not just expression; it is continuation, resistance, and a reminder that stories carry power long before the world acknowledges them.

I speak 20 languages. I've been learning languages for over 50 years and I've tried all kinds of approaches. I talk about my experiences, my approach to language learning, what I enjoy about learning languages and all manner of other topics related to language. 

If you love languages, or think you would if you hadn't been discouraged by past experiences, this is the podcast for you. Anyone can learn a language. You just need the right attitude and the right approach!

New tracks tagged #Curiosity