The Story Collider
Episodes
Arran Frood: A therapeutic trip
25 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Arran Frood is a science writer who specializes in writing about studies of psychedelic drugs, but a routine story turns personal when he finds himsel...
Adam Wade: Volcanic chemistry
18 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
In high school, Adam Wade falls for his lab partner, but is led astray by dreams of golf team greatness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...
Heather Swain: The last hours of a rabid woman
11 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
When Heather Swain is told she has rabies, that turns out to be the least strange part of her experience. "Who wants to grow up saying their mother di...
Steve Mirsky: Why would you have a masters in chemistry?
05 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Questions arise when Steve Mirsky is introduced to his friend's new girlfriend, and he relies on his past experience to help -- specifically his degre...
Ari Daniel Shapiro: Narwhal tagging in the arctic
28 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
As a grad student, Ari Daniel Shapiro has to tag some narwhals to collect data. The problem: it's in the arctic, the devices have never been tested, a...
Brooke Borel: My dog's heart
21 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A science writer is challenged when her dog comes down with a case of heartworm -- and then the medication goes wrong. "As I'm leaving, the vet says, ...
Rory Scholl: What I want is to smile again
14 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Rory Scholl has to show up on day one to a new job -- with a severe case of Bell's Palsy. "When I said this to one of my co-workers I slurred my words...
Christine Gentry: Four lessons from my dad
07 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Christine Gentry's rural, Vietnam vet father rarely talked about important issues, but a series of remarkable moments with animals and nature teach he...
Diane Kelly: Confronting death on the road
30 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
After turning to a unique field of study -- erections -- Diane Kelly turns to an even more unique source for her research material -- roadkill. "When ...
Caroline Howe: A life in trash
23 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A trip to India to work for an environmental program leads Caroline Howe to a new passion: trash. "I was the first to arrive, so obviously I was the o...
Greg Walloch: A walk in the park
16 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A late-night excursion to a party turns absurd and then terrifying as Greg Walloch, who has cerebral palsy, can't jump the fence around Tompkins Squar...
Sara Peters: Waiting for a seizure
09 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
With her epilepsy medication failing, Sara Peters checks into a hospital with one goal: make the scariest thing in her life happen again. Learn more a...
Tim Manley: A superhero goes to the hospital
02 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
As a six-year old, Tim Manley has to go to the hospital with a mysterious illness. Fortunately, he has his superpowers and his trusty sidekick -- his ...
Love in a biophysics lab -- in memory of Michelle Dobrawsky
30 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We just heard the terrible news that Michelle Dobrawsky passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. Michelle was one of our first storytel...
Margot Leitman: The last thing I heard
13 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Margot Leitman faces down doctors, friends and uncertainty when she suddenly loses hearing in one ear. "If I’ve gone deaf, for real, that means the ...
George Lombardi: Don't go in the water
29 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
In the Indian Ocean, doctor George Lombardi makes use of the most important lesson his mother ever taught him: floating. "Let me give you one of the m...
Madeline Huberth: The turtle and the fish
22 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Madeline Huberth confronts the imminent death of a classroom goldfish while navigating the dangerous social waters of junior high. "Why could someone,...
Christopher Roussi: Sufficiently advanced magic
15 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
After becoming ill during a trip to Ecuador, DARPA researcher Chris Roussi seeks medical advice from a local expert: a shaman. "Here I am, an engineer...