Bay Curious
Bay Curious
KQED
Bay Curious is a show about your questions – and the adventures you find when you go looking for the answers. Join host Olivia Allen-Price to explore all aspects of the San Francisco Bay Area – from the debate over "Frisco", to the dinosaurs that once roamed California, to the causes of homelessness. Whether you lived here your whole life, or just arrived, Bay Curious will deepen your understanding of this place you call home.
Got Existential Questions About AI? Try “Life, Automated”
Olivia shares the trailer for a new show. "Life, Automated" explores how to live, work, and make decisions in a world increasingly shaped by machines. What does the economy look like if AI can do much of what humans can? Will AI tools isolate us further, or steer us back toward community and common ground? Can the average person expect to be better off a decade from now? And what the heck should we tell a sixteen-year-old who wants to know whether learning German (or design, or coding, or the piano) is still worth it? Life, Automated is grounded and non-ideological, going deep without getting too technical. Because you shouldn’t need to be an “AI person” to understand the future we’re collectively building. Find it wherever you listen or at https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/lifeautomated Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 27
5 min
Bruce Lee's Bay Area Legacy
Bruce Lee was one of the first Asian stars in Hollywood. His path to fame wasn’t easy but it paved the way for other Asian Americans to do the same today. Bruce was a disruptor in the kung fu world -- a young upstart who wanted to do things differently. Though he would eventually become this legendary figure in American culture, it took him years to hone his own style and philosophy. And many of the early moments that shaped him, the ones that made him the Bruce Lee we see on the silver screen, they took place in Oakland and San Francisco. Bay Curious listener Sam Hopkins wondered about his legacy here and why it isn't more celebrated. Additional Resources: The Bruce Lee Fight in Oakland That Became Martial Arts Legend Read the transcript for this episode Bruce Lee Chinese Historical Society exhibit Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Elize Manoukian. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 23
30 min
The Life of Ishi, Last of His Tribe
When Ishi walked into Oroville, Calif. in 1911, newspapers around the country trumpeted the news with headlines like "Last Wild Indian." He was the last of the Yahi, a tribe of indigenous Californians, who had been decimated by genocide, disease and loss of food sources. Ishi was taken to San Francisco, where he was studied by anthropologists, given housing and a job. Today his story raises questions about how he was treated, ethics in the field of anthropology, and how he’s portrayed. But Native people want to be sure we keep talking about the man himself — not just a victim of his circumstances — but for the remarkable human being he was. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katherine Monahan. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 19
19 min
The Mariners Who Guide Massive Ships Into the Bay
If you ask mariners, they’ll tell you, navigating a boat from the open ocean into the San Francisco Bay is notoriously treacherous. There’s the dense fog that can make it hard to see. Strong currents constantly rearrange the sea floor and can quickly throw a vessel off course. And finally – our bridges! If a boat were to strike a pillar it could be catastrophic. That’s why captains of big ships aren’t allowed to navigate into port on their own. A specially trained mariner called a bar pilot – hops aboard every ship that comes into San Francisco Bay, and takes over command. Bay Curious listener Erik Udd wants to know everything about how it all works. Additional Resources: Why Specialized Mariners Are Required on Every Ship Sailing Into San Francisco Bay Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Christopher Beale, Olivia Allen-Price and Katrina Schwartz. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 9
20 min
The Yemeni Cafe Boom
The first Yemeni cafe opened in the Bay Area in 2022, and since then nearly 20 have opened their doors around the region. Inside you'll find coffee drinks built around flavors like cardamom and cinnamon, and a warm, friendly atmosphere. Many have become late-night hangouts, and for singles, a place to see and be seen. KQED's Maha Sanad walks us through the history of Yemeni migration to the U.S., and how it's lead to the boom in Yemeni coffee shops we're seeing today. Additional Resources: The Yemeni Coffee Boom: How a Niche Trend Became a Bay Area Cultural Phenomenon Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/bay-curious Got a question you want answered? Ask it here: https://modules.wearehearken.com/bay-curious/embed/656/share Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Maha Sanad. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 25
15 min
The Bay Area Sex-Loving Commune That's Still Going Strong
In the 1960s and 70s the San Francisco Bay Area was home to many intentional communities and co-ops. A lot of people were interested in living situations that went counter to how they'd grown up, often in separated, single family homes. As time passed, many of those communities have broken up or morphed. But Lafayette Morehouse, in Contra Costa County, is still going strong. Bay Curious listener Sabrina McQueen remembers seeing members of the community around Lafayette when she was growing up. They drove purple cars and lived in a purple house, so the locals called them the "Purple People." She's curious to know what they're all about. Additional Resources: This Bay Area Sex-Loving Commune Is Still Going Strong Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Jon Brooks. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 18
19 min
What Happens When the Bay Area’s Beloved Ferries Break Down?
The San Francisco Bay Area has two major public ferry agencies serving the north and east bay. Together, they carried 4 million people last year. Bay Curious listener Kristen Breck often sees the ferries as they crisscross the bay waters and she wondered, what happens if one breaks down? Where do they go to be repaired? And who does that work? Today, we take you behind the scenes and show what it takes to keep the ferry system running smoothly. Additional Resources: Include a link to the web post for this very episode Read the transcript for this episode Become a KQED member! Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 11
14 min
Campsites Are Hard to Get in California. Try Dispersed Camping Instead
If you aren't the type of person to wake up at 6:30am six months before you want to go camping to reserve a spot, you might be interested in dispersed camping. It's a free way to get outside and into nature that takes a little more preparation, but can yield big rewards. We break it down for you with KQED's Sarah Wright. Additional Resources: Dispersed Camping 101: How to Find Free Campsites Near the Bay Area How to Find Free Camping in California's National Forests Tips and Tricks to Snag A California Campsite Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Sarah Wright. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 4
18 min
The Wetsuit: Born of San Francisco's Frigid Waters
Jack O'Neill is often credited with inventing the first wetsuit and selling it out of one of the nation's first surf shops near San Francisco's Ocean Beach. But many people don't know that a UC Berkeley physicist had a big role in the wetsuit's early invention too. It's an invention that changed the sport of surfing forever. Now, people surf all kinds of cold locations due to the availability of flexible neoprene suits that keep them warm. Additional Resources: The Wetsuit Changed Surfing -- We've Got a Berkeley Physicist to Thank for It Read the transcript for this episode A Bay Curious Adventure: History in Bloom at the Conservatory of Flowers Event Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Gabriela Glueck. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 21
22 min
The Brutalist Embarcadero Fountain Some Love, Many Hate
Since it was first unveiled in 1971, the 710-ton brutalist-style Vaillancourt Fountain has been a divisive piece of public art. The tangle of concrete square tubes once fit in seamlessly with the Embarcadero Freeway, a double-decker road which once ran right next to it. But nowadays it stands out against the charming waterfront. On today's episode, we explore the life of this piece of public art, which is currently being taken down by the city. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katie DeBenedetti. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 14
20 min
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