The Story Collider podcast is a storytelling show with an angle-all the stories are about science. The premise of the podcast is simple. Throughout the US, regular people gather to record their ten-minute story in front of a live audience. Every story needs to have some relation to science. The stories are then grouped into themes and aired on the podcast. Every episode of The Story Collider contains two stories.
The result is captivating. Listeners get to enjoy funny, relatable accounts. A student must overcome her dislike of blood and guts to achieve her career goals. A rookie researcher finds the courage to ask that his name appear on a research paper. A long-COVID-19 sufferer finds respite in birding. A college professor moonlights as a rapper. The podcast stories are tiny slivers in a person's life that could happen to anyone.
Producers for the show are careful to select themes that capture the zeitgeist. One episode is about burnout. Another spotlights the voices of people with disabilities. The Story Collider also addresses race in the workplace. Some of the stories are about being uncomfortable, failing, and choosing a path. Storytellers fall in love, become mothers, and prove themselves.
People who take part in The Story Collider are not professional storytellers. They are neuroscientists, journalists, and documentary filmmakers. Others are reluctant pre-med students, camp counselors, and teachers. Through careful coaching by the show producers, these regular people turn their experience into an engaging tale. The result is a story told in a person's own voice. The narratives never feel stilted or inauthentic.
People who love The Moth may appreciate The Story Collider. Science aficionados will also find common ground with the storytellers. The podcast is great for moments when one's hands are busy but the brain is idle. New episodes arrive weekly.
Episodes