The Story Collider
Episodes
Stories of Urban Climate Change
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This April, The Story Collider presents a special series on urban climate change.Through eight true, personal stories about science, we explore h...
Chorea: Stories about science and dance
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both storytellers explore the surprising connections between dance and science.Part 1: Learning a modern version of her chil...
Where Does It Hurt: Stories about the importance of compassion in healthcare
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both storytellers share stories that illustrate why empathy, kindness, and humanity are essential to healthcare.Part 1: Afte...
Tresses: Stories about the power of hair
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hair might seem trivial, but for many of us it carries history, identity, and meaning far beyond keratin. In this week’s episode, both of our storyt...
Best of Story Collider: Navigating Whiteness
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we present two stories from Black people who were dealing with the ramifications of our racist systems.Part 1: As a science teacher, Mamoudo...
Like Me: Stories about finding representation in STEM
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Science can feel isolating when you don’t see yourself reflected around you. This episode brings together two stories about the search for represent...
Anti-Love: Stories about heartbreak and break ups
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Valentine’s Day may be all about couples, but this week’s episode celebrates heartbreak, breakups, and proudly being single as a Pringle.Part 1: G...
Pay It Forward: Stories from CZI's Rare As One Project
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Both of this week’s stories come from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Rare As One Project grantees, who share their deeply personal experiences with...
Best of Story Collider: Dating by the Numbers
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we present two classic stories from people who found an intersection between numbers and their sex life.Part 1: When online dating isn't ...
Misinformation: Stories about the impact of false information
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers confront the real-world consequences of misinformation—and how it can spread faster than the trut...
Choice: Stories about struggling to make the right call
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers find themselves reckoning with the choices they’ve made—discovering how a single decision, whet...
AI: Stories about artificial intelligence
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both our storytellers come face to face with the growing power—and pitfalls—of artificial intelligence.Part 1: When AI t...
Hubris: Stories about over-confidence
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, like Icarus, both our storytellers fly a little too close to the sun—and learn the hard way that confidence doesn’t alwa...
Best of Story Collider: A Whole New World
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s “Best Of” episode, we present two stories of people having to navigate a new world.Part 1: Sean Bearden has never been interested...
Don't Be Dramatic: Stories about downplaying it
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers look back on moments that might have deserved a little more drama than they got at the time.Part 1:...
Coasting: Stories about having it easy
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers reckon with what happens when success doesn’t come so easily anymore.Part 1: After years of acade...
Attitude: Stories about inner strength
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Attitude is everything—and this week’s storytellers prove it. Even when life throws challenges their way, they show how perspective and perseveran...
Best of Story Collider: Animal Rescue
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we present two classic stories from people who got called into action to save an animal they didn’t know they’d be called to save.Part 1...
Bad News: Stories about tough conversations
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both storytellers must navigate heartbreaking dilemmas as they try to figure out how to convey crushing news.Part 1: While d...
In Deep: Stories about being in over your head
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers bite off a bit more than they can chew. Part 1: Fresh out of college and in what seems like her dr...
Silenced Science: Stories about the suppression of science
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re teaming up with Silenced Science Stories, a volunteer project that shines a light on scientists whose work has been derailed by fed...
Best of Story Collider: Fear
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, in honor of Halloween, we're presenting two classic stories about facing fears for science.Part 1: As a newly minted PhD student in ge...
Bad Trip: Stories about a negative drug-taking experience
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers learn the hard way that getting high doesn’t always mean having a good time.Part 1: At his friend...
OCD: Stories about obsessive compulsive disorder
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of OCD Awareness Week, this episode features two deeply personal stories about living with obsessive compulsive disorder.Part 1: For Hannah H...
Blood & Guts: Stories about hemoglobin and intestines
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, we wade into the bloody (and sometimes gory) side of science. Part 1: Shawn Musgrave wants to donate blood, but runs headfir...
Close Calls: Stories about near misses
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, our storytellers face life-or-death moments they’ll never forget.Part 1: On a trip to Colombia for a research conference, ...
Best of Story Collider: Hypothesis
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we present two classic stories from people who had hypotheses. Part 1: Teaching sixth grade science becomes much more difficult when Xo...
Knowledge: Stories from our workshops
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, we’re featuring two powerful stories born from our education program.Part 1: As an undergraduate with no “real” scienc...
Reframe: Stories about art helping mental health
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, we explore how creativity, humor, and connection can be powerful tools for mental health and healing.Part 1: When anxiety st...
Evictions: Stories of things that had to go
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both storytellers face the challenge of evicting some very unwelcome guests.Part 1: While housesitting for her uncle, JiJi L...
Best of Story Collider: Identity Crisis
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we present two classic stories about people struggling with their identity.Part 1: When science journalist Katherine Wu interviews a scienti...
Becoming Your Hero: Stories about embodying a role model
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers transform into someone they admire—one quite literally, the other more figuratively.Part 1: While...
Someone Else's Shoes: Stories about understanding others perspectives
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers are pushed out of their comfort zones—and challenged to see the world through someone else’s ey...
Sticky Fingers: Stories about theft
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, we explore what pushes someone to steal, and how it feels to be the one robbed.Part 1: With a potential cancer diagnosis loo...
Then Comes A Baby?: Stories about the choice to have children
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode dives into one of the most personal decisions many women face: whether or not to have children.Part 1: When a piece of her IUD ...
Best of Story Collider: Acceptance
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re presenting stories about the struggle to find acceptance — whether it’s at Space Camp or in the United States of America.Part 1...
Green Thumb: Stories about gardening
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, we’re getting into the weeds—literally—with two stories about how gardens and green spaces can take root in our lives ...
Wired Lives: Stories about brain-computer interfaces
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s special episode—produced in partnership with Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society at Georgia Tech – features two...
Mishaps: Stories about unintended mistakes
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share tales of well-intentioned choices gone wrong.Part 1: In fourth grade, Ro Moran is thrilled to...
Best of Story Collider: Pride
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To close out Pride Month this week, we're sharing a special best of episode featuring stories about coming out in science! Part 1: Science educator ...
Red Flag: Stories about toxic relationships
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers use a scientific lens to examine their worst relationships. Part 1: Carlos Maza uses the plague to ...
Coming Out: Stories about sharing one's identity
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of Pride Month, we’re sharing two stories about coming out with the help of science. Part 1: After years of struggling with their ge...
Pseudoscience: Stories about scientific misinformation
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s special episode—produced in partnership with Challenging Pseudoscience, at the Royal Institution, with support from the Open Society F...
Best of Story Collider: Celebrating 15 Years
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off our big 15 year anniversary celebration, we’re re-sharing two stories from the storytellers you, the fans, voted as your favorite storie...
Moving On: Stories about letting go of a relationship
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some relationships stand the test of time—others unravel. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers explore what it means to heal, let go, ...
Hyperfixation: Stories about intense focus
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers become extremely fixated on something very specific. Part 1: After being diagnosed with breast can...
A Mother's Love: Stories honoring mothers
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Mother’s Day, both of our storytellers share stories about their unique relationships with their moms. Part 1: Rita Rigano always had ...
Missing Pieces: Stories about an unremembered friendship
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, Thomas Dixon and Rachel Robinson manage to build a friendship, despite not remembering the exact moments they shared. Thomas...
Best of Story Collider: Justice
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we present two stories from people who stood up against a system eager to tear them down.Part 1: After a car crash alters Emily Winn's life ...
Freak Accident: Stories about highly unusual incidents
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both our storytellers’ lives are altered by an unexpected mishap. Part 1: When teenage Ron Hart accidentally walks throug...
Breaking Barriers: Stories about succeeding despite the odds
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share tales of persistence and beating the odds in order to pursue their scientific dreams. Part 1:...
Not The One: Stories about ill-fated partners
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some people are meant to be together—but in this week’s episode, our storytellers discover they’re definitely not a match made in heaven.Part 1:...
Best of Story Collider: Fight or Flight
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we present two stories about confronting threats -- whether it’s actual physical danger or a threat to your career.Part 1: Climate scient...
Loss for Words: Stories about troubles communicating
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers struggle to get the right words out. Part 1: After living with a stutter all her life, Sara Street ...
Spiritual Crossroads: Stories about conflicting beliefs
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers explore what happens when belief systems collide—and how science and empathy can help bridge the ...
Family Ties: Stories about our roots
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is who we are shaped more by nature or nurture? It's a question science has grappled with for years. In this week’s episode, both of our storyteller...
Best of Story Collider: Representation
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both our storytellers examine the importance of diversity and representation in science – and not just in their research s...
Self-Image: Stories about how we see ourselves
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers experience a shift in how they see themselves.Part 1: Fangfang Ruose fears that her prosthetic legs...
Will You Be My Valentine?: Stories about using science to find love
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While love and science don’t often go hand-in-hand, this week, in celebration of Valentine’s Day, both of our stories are about finding love using...
Top Secret: Stories about things we hide
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share stories about times their deepest secrets were discovered.Part 1: Growing up in Ghana, Paulin...
Best of Story Collider: Chemistry
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we present two stories about science intersecting with love -- in both fortunate and unfortunate ways.Part 1: Nothing can come between Lin...
Excluded: Stories about being left out
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Few things sting more than being on the outside looking in. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share deeply personal accounts of feeli...
Adapt: Stories about adjusting to new conditions
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Being able to change to meet one’s circumstances is essential to survival. As HG Wells famously wrote: “adapt or perish.” In this week’s episo...
Tough Gigs: Stories about unsuitable jobs
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From bizarre job requirements to downright horrible bosses, sometimes our jobs just don’t fit. In this week’s episode, both our storytellers share...
Unlikely Heroes: Stories about coming to the rescue
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When life throws challenges our way, sometimes the most surprising people—or even baked goods—step up to save the day. In this week’s episode, b...
Best of Story Collider: Good and Evil
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we bring you two stories about the science of morality. Or morality in science. Either way you want to look at it.Part 1: Political scienti...
Gambling: Stories about risk versus reward
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're playing a game of poker or a taking a leap of faith with your future, everything has its risks and possible rewards. In this week’s e...
Birds: Stories about avifauna
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share tales about birds that had a big impact in their lives.Part 1: Paula Croxson uses her neurosc...
Cures: Stories about getting better
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to mental health problems, there aren't really "cures," but in this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share how they figured ou...
Best of Story Collider: Bad Days in the Field
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we bring you two stories about frustrations in the field, whether it's a failure to find dinosaur fossils or a struggle with a painful medi...
You Belong Here: Stories from the Allen Institute
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Science can sometimes feel like an exclusive club that only certain people are allowed into. In this week’s episode, produced in partnership with th...
Digital Bonds: Stories about technology
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this digital age, technology can connect us in ways we never imagined. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share stories of the weir...
The System is Broken: Stories about problems with health care
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Healthcare is often a tangled web of bureaucracy and inefficiencies. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share their experiences naviga...
Boundaries: Stories about self-care
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share stories about moments in life where they chose to put themselves and their wellbeing first.Pa...
Best of Story Collider: Origin Stories
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we present two stories about the inspiration behind scientists' careers.Part 1: Kate Marvel's dream of being a genius takes her to Cambridge...
Haters: Stories about internet trolls
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share their experiences with online hate and the surprising lessons they learnt along the way.Part ...
Pile It On: Stories about being overwhelmed
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of the storytellers share stories about moments when life just wouldn’t let up.Part 1: After giving birth to her seco...
Quest for Friendship: Stories about finding pals
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not always easy to make friends, but in this week’s episode, both of our storytellers take us on heartwarming and sometimes unexpected journe...
Best of Story Collider: Trials by Fire
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're presenting stories from scientists who faced unusually difficult paths to science. We all know it's hard work to become a scientist. ...
For The Love of Science: Stories about passion
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers have a passion for science that can’t be suppressed.Part 1: As a zoo volunteer, Lisa Yeager adore...
Parenting Parents: Stories about looking after parents
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes life throws a curveball and children end up being the ones looking after their parents. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers s...
Hive Mind: Stories about beekeeping
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy National Honey Month! In honor of Honey Month, we wanted to celebrate beekeepers and the humble honey bees. In this week’s episode, both of ou...
Best Of Story Collider: Science Saved My Life
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're diving back into our archives to bring you some of our most memorable and impactful stories and episodes we've ever shared on The Story Collider...
Goodbyes: Stories about saying goodbye to a loved one
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share their experiences with grief and how they chose to say farewell to their dearly departed.Part...
Vaginas: Stories about the female anatomy
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fanny, vajayjay, kitty, muff, coochie, hoo ha, lady garden – whatever you call it, in this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share weird an...
Identity Crisis: Stories about defining yourself
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defining yourself as a person or as a scientist is no easy feat. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers grapple with who they are and how ...
With A Little Help: Stories about the power of really good friends
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As The Beatles famously sang: “I get by with a little help from my friends.” And the saying is just as true in life as it is in science. In fact, ...
Genetic Mysteries: Stories about unravelling DNA secrets
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers discover shocking truths through genetic analysis.Part 1: When Mackenzie Brown’s adoptive father ...
Food Fights: Stories about trouble eating
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers grapple with what they can and can’t eat.Part 1: Danielle Meinert struggles to eat anything other...
Into Shape: Stories about losing weight
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share their less than straightforward paths to healthier lifestyles.Part 1: Asthma had always held ...
Disability Pride: Stories in honor of Disability Pride Month
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Disability Pride Month, this week’s episode examines personal triumphs and societal challenges of being a person with disabilities in ST...
Prom King and Queen: Stories from our fourth Proton Prom
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, we highlight two stories from this year's Proton Prom, Story Collider's annual fundraiser and celebration of science storyte...
Outsiders: Stories about feeling foreign
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share moments where they felt out of place and were very much foreigners in a strange land.Part 1: ...
At First You Don't Succeed: Stories about trying again
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes things don’t go well the first time… or the second… or even the hundredth time. But as the saying goes: if at first you don’t succee...
LGTBQIA2S+: Stories in celebration of Pride Month
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Pride Month! Science might be a bit behind when it comes to exploring sexuality and gender identity but our storytellers managed to figure it ou...
Clueless: Stories about not knowing
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has moments when they’re totally clueless about something; that’s just part of being human! In this week’s episode, both of our storyte...
Mispronunciation: Stories about how we say things
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
English, with its complex phonetic rules, presents challenges for pronunciation. Seriously, can anyone say Worcester right? In this week's episode, ou...
Incompetence: Stories about lacking skills
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s important to remember that incompetence is not a permanent state but often a stepping stone on the path to mastery. In this week’s episode, b...
Mothering: Stories about being a mom
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Mother’s Day this week, both of our storytellers are sharing stories about the good, the bad, and the unexpected parts about being a mom...
Birds & The Bees: Stories about sex
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You and me, baby, ain't nothin' but mammals, and in this week on the podcast, both of our storytellers share some Discovery Channel worthy tales about...