The Natural Curiosity Project

Steve Shepard's newest novel, The Nation We Knew, is a hot seller right now, because of its theme: What would the United States look like—what would it represent—if leadership suddenly put country before party, possibility before dogma, and created a vision of a better future and then executed against that vision? In this thought-provoking book, a new president takes the country to task—and reinvents government, healthcare, job creation, foreign relations, transportation infrastructure, and education, and with the help of her unlikely cabinet, shows the nation—and the world—what could be, rather than what is. In this episode, Steve explains why he wrote the story, an idea that came to him eight years ago.

One of the things that makes this Podcast so much fun to produce is the opportunity I have to meet talented people who do interesting things. In this episode we meet Mary Sullivan, whom you have most likely never heard of. She works with Mike Rowe, whom you have most certainly heard of. Mary is the President of mikeroweWORKS, a foundation that donates tens of thousands of scholarship dollars to people who seek a job in the skilled trades. But Mary is much more than a corporate executive: she is a gifted and compassionate leader, an attorney, a biologist, a Hollywood agent, and a force to be reckoned with. She lives one of the ideals of her own foundation: When hard work follows passion, magic happens. In this episode, Mary shares her nonlinear journey from growing up in Maryland to working with Mike Rowe and helping hundreds of people achieve their dreams. There are some serious messages and compelling lessons in this episode—enjoy. And please visit the mikeroweWORKS Foundation to see the remarkable things they do for so many: www.mikeroweWORKS.org.

Amazing what you can hear when you place the right microphone in just the right place--in this case, right in the middle of a major battle between competing ant colonies. Never mind the fact that these ants are less than two millimeters long...

The Gillespie Farm in southern Illinois is more than 800 acres of agricultural fields; it also includes carefully managed prairies, wetlands, and woodlands. Jim and Patty Gillespie run the family farm, but the whole family is involved in caring for the natural world that surrounds them and provides them with their livelihood. Daughter Sarah is a nature-inspired artist; son Bob is a biologist and the site manager of the Prairie Ridge Nature Preserve; and son Will works with mining companies to help them reclaim land so that it can be returned to the wild.

In this third episode with Scott Luria, we catch up to him on his 15,000-mile, one-year journey across the United States.

Want to make your business, product, or service better? Set up a competitor. In this episode we explore the idea of competing with yourself as a way to make yourself or your organization better--with zero risk. Experimentation as self-c competition--what a concept!

In this episode, Steve’s cousin Michael tells the story of a life-threatening challenge that affects four billion people on this planet: that’s half of the human population. But it’s also the story of one very simple thing that, if implemented, will change every one of their lives. And you can be part of it.

In this episode I interview Chris Boyer, Executive Director of the National Association for Search and Rescue, an all-volunteer organization that provides education, training and support services for search-and-rescue organizations all over the world. Chris' stories are extraordinary. Please check out NASAR at www.NASAR.org.

In this first leg of Scott's journey, we catch up to him in upstate New York, and hear about his adventures so far.

In this first of a series, Steve interviews his friend and neighbor Scott Luria, who has just departed Vermont on a one-year, 15,000-mile trip by bicycle. Steve will interview Scott along the way, hearing his stories from the road about the people he's met, the food he's eaten, and what he's learned.

In this episode, frequent guest Pete Mulvihill turns the tables and interviews Steve Shepard about his newest book, "The Nation We Knew."

In 1863, Byron Hot Springs opened its doors as a health spa in eastern Contra Costa County in northern California. In 1941, it was taken over by the US Army, for a very different purpose--to serve as a secret POW interrogation center for Japanese and German soldiers during WWII. Bob Morton, my guest on this episode, grew up at the resort--and tells us what it was like.

Natural Curiosity Project host Steve Shepard, Doug Standley of nioLabs, and Glen Almendinger of Harbor Research have a far-ranging conversation about the interplay among some of the most important technologies of our time, and the societal impacts they will undoubtedly lead to. There's a touch--just a touch--of Sheldon Cooper in this episode, but just enough to make the case about the importance of the topic at-hand. Hope you enjoy the questions we answer--and raise.

My friend Tim Washer is a pretty technical guy who has worked for some of the leading tech firms in the world, including Xerox, IBM and Cisco, helping them develop their stories for the market. But he has another skill—a superpower, if you will. He’s a comedy writer who has written for David Letterman, John Oliver, Conan O’Brian, and Saturday Night Live. These days, when he’s not on stage, he spends most of his time working with corporations and their leadership teams to help them understand the crucial role that comedy plays (and should play) in business today. In this episode, I offer a conversation with Tim. Sit back—you’ll enjoy this!

The Federal Government recently released its National Maritime Cybersecurity Plan, a step in the right direction for securing a crucial but vulnerable element of the global supply chain. In this episode, Cyber expert Gary Kessler talks about what the plan means and how we make the most of its proposed actions.

It's time for a newfound appreciation of the trades, because they are every bit as important as college degrees--and in some cases, even more so. In this episode we explore the relationship between Knowledge, Skill, Wisdom, Insight, and Understanding, and how to make the most of all of them in our lives.

Birders are a funny lot: They will go out of their way to help novice birders learn, without reservation. Wouldn't it be nice if business leaders and managers developed their people as effectively? In this episode, Steve recounts an recent experience where his lack of knowledge was on sharp display--but he was rescued by a fellow birder with far more knowledge.

Sometimes the best language to learn when you're traveling is food. In this episode, I discuss some of the exotic and strange foods I've eaten during my long career as a traveler and storyteller, and the incredible gifts of friendship that people have bestowed on me--through food.

More often the not, we're more alike than we are different, but the labels we glue on each other's foreheads get in the way of seeing that. Here are the results of a little experiment I did.

Think the tech industry is geeky? Maybe. But what has come out of the telecom world may surprise you. Mobile phones are one tiny slice of their creative output. In fact, some of the things that were created at Bell Laboratories will surprise you.

The animals we know today didn't always have the names that we know them by, and some of the older original names are arguably better than the ones they have today. Have a listen.

Ben Link Collins is a sound recordist who’s also an architect—or maybe he’s an architect who also likes to tramp around in the woods and listen to the sounds of nature. But he does a lot more than that. For example, not long after we met, I received a package in the mail from Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives. In it was a bottle of the best habanero hot sauce I’ve ever tasted. Ben grew the peppers and brewed them with a handful of ingredients to create the sauce. In this episode, we hear from a multitalented, very interesting guy. Enjoy!

Just a little fun for the holidays. Wishing you all the best!

What happens when you write a letter to someone you've never met--a great challenge for us all.

Scientists are working feverishly to develop a coronavirus vaccine to help our immune systems ward off disease. Perhaps what we need as well is a vaccination against ignorance and pseudoscience. Oh wait, we have one. Have listen.

As we increasingly rely on digital tools to stay connected with one another, many believe that they are driving us apart. I disagree--I believe that digital tools are actually making us closer, as I discuss in this episode.

Recently, the news has been peppered with stories about cyberattacks on maritime assets. It makes sense: they’re among the most vulnerable of all physical assets. Ports, by their very design, must be open. In this interview with my friend and colleague (and co-author) Gary Kessler, we take a look at one specific attack mechanism: Ransomware.

Shazad Ahmad was one of my students, but quickly became a good friend as out conversations wandered all over the landscape. Equal parts VERY technical resource, author, philosopher, spouse and parent, Shazad has a lot to say—as you’ll hear. This is one of my favorite interviews—enjoy. http://awesomelifebook.com/

In this follow-on episode to the last one, we dive a little bit deeper into the technology behind nio.

Doug Standley is one of the smartest people I know--and one of the most technical. Yet he is passionate about farming, then environment, clean water, and the future of the planet. Join me as I interview him in this episode--this is an episode not soon-forgotten.

Steve interviews his old friend and colleague Bob Dean of Dean Learning (and formerly of EY, Grant Thornton and Heidrick & Struggles), about the state of the online learning world and the importance of rigor in business writing.

My interview with Danny Olusegun Ojedokun, the graphic artist in Nigeria who does my book covers, business, cards, etc. He talks about what it's like to work for Fiverr, a well-known platform, and about the challenges of working in Nigeria with clients who are all over the world.

To celebrate the 100th episode of this Podcast, I bring together a handful of stories and a plea for common sense. Enjoy--and thank you SO MUCH for staying loyal to the program!

I part two of our series on letter-writing, I introduce my friend Kenn Sato and have a chat about the craft of letter-writing. We also talk about some of the weird things that people used to be able to mail--like people, for example.

In this episode, I resurrect the long-lost art of letter-writing, and challenge my listeners to pick someone they care about--and write them a letter. As in, by-hand!

No narration, just a few minutes of rain and gentle thunder. Enjoy.

This track accompanies the book, "Capturing Wildlife Sound: A Useful Guide."

In the same way that bacteria are taken over by viruses and turned into virus factories, books are the host for viral ideas. Today, while we're all in lockdown, is a great time to start reading again. In this episode, I talk about the importance of reading today. And for those of you who are lamenting the fact that we can't travel, relax--let a good book transport you!

Today, while we're all sequestered at home, business operations continue. Without the benefit of face-to-face communications, our ability to influence and indeed create relationships with others is a serious challenge. One truth is that we are all writing more than we ever have before--emails, white papers, blogs, and other forms of communication. Those written communications form part of our personal and professional brand, but we often rush through them, leading to less-than-ideal results. This Podcast covers Steve's top-ten writing rules for business people. As the author of more than 80 books, he knows what he's talking about.

Steve speaks with wildlife sound recordist Roger Boughton about curiosity, wildlife sound recording, and the sound that sap makes as it rises in a tree.

This track accompanies the book, "Capturing Wildlife Sound: A Useful Guide."

This track accompanies the book, "Capturing Wildlife Sound: A Useful Guide."

This track accompanies the book, "Capturing Wildlife Sound: A Useful Guide."

Interesting sense, smell. Ever wonder why turkey vultures hover over pipelines? They do. Find out in this episode.

It is time to raise our collective voices against the specter of racism that has come to dominate and define our country. Please listen, then act. As James Nachtwey says, "An abundance of means, but a confusion of aims, is the tragedy of our time."

I recently met Dumbledore. Actually, his name is Dick Todd, but he could be Albus Dumbledore’s brother. Not only do they look alike, with the white beard and long white hair, the places where they work are very similar. Every surface in his workshop is buried under mountains of car parts, oddly-shaped pieces of metal and plastic and rubber and glass, tools that I couldn’t begin to name, much less tell you their purpose, coffee cans full of odds and ends, and books, magazines, and drawings. But the thing that captivates me most about Dumbledore—I mean, Dick Todd—is his curiosity and energy for whatever catches his attention.

This collection of recordings accompanies the text of "Capturing Wildlife Sound: A Useful Guide."

This collection of recordings accompanies the text of "Capturing Wildlife Sound: A Useful Guide."

This collection of recordings accompanies the text of "Capturing Wildlife Sound: A Useful Guide."

This collection of recordings accompanies the text of "Capturing Wildlife Sound: A Useful Guide."