Curiosity in Focus
Curiosity in Focus
Daniel H. Kwan
Curious about the world? Looking to find some order in the intellectual chaos that surrounds you? Look no further! This is Curiosity in Focus, a bi-weekly series hosted by Daniel Kwan — archaeologist, gamer, vlogger, and teacher. Curiosity in Focus is a record of conversations that he find really f**king cool! From computer hackers to witchcraft, anything and everything is possible!
CiF #060 - Talia Lowi-Merri
Talia Lowi-Merri is a PhD student at the University of Toronto, based in the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Splitting her time between both palaeontology (the study of fossils) and ornithology (the study of birds), her current work surrounds the origin and evolution of flight in birds and their raptor dinosaur ancestors. Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwan & curiousinfocusInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Follow Talia on Twitter @TaliaMLM.
Mar 4, 2019
1 hr 10 min
CiF #059 - Haya Aldoori & Matthew Kinasz
Daniel was joined by environmental scientist, birdwatcher, and visual storyteller Haya Aldoori and nature interpreter Matthew Kinasz to discuss the importance of urban natural spaces in Toronto and the current state of traditional education. Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwan & curiousinfocusInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Follow Haya on Instagram @hayaaldoori and learn more about the High Park Nature Centre at highparknaturecentre.com.
Feb 18, 2019
1 hr 34 min
CiF #058 - Thomas S. Mullaney
Dr. Thomas S. Mullaney is a Professor of Chinese History at Stanford University, and Curator of the international exhibition, Radical Machines: Chinese in the Information Age. His latest book, The Chinese Typewriter, "examines China’s development of a modern, nonalphabetic information infrastructure encompassing telegraphy, typewriting, word processing, and computing”. Radical Machines is currently on exhibit at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwan & curiousinfocusInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Learn more about Tom at his Stanford profile and follow him on Twitter @tsmullaney. Buy your copy of Chinese Typewriter: A History at mitpress.mit.edu/books/chinese-typewriter
Jan 28, 2019
54 min
CiF #057 - Gil Wizen
Gil Wizen is an entomologist, macro photographer, and keeper of arthropods! For the past 8 months, Gil and Daniel have been collaborating on educational videos about arachnids and venomous insects. Watch some of their videos at curiosityinfocus.com/videography! Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwan & curiousinfocusInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Learn more about Gil at gilwizen.com, follow him on Twitter @wizentrop, and on Instagram @gilwizen.
Dec 17, 2018
1 hr 23 min
CiF #056 - Jason Pitre
Jason Pitre is a biologist for the Canadian government by day, and an independent game designer by night. Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwan & curiousinfocusInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Jason’s work of speculative zoology, After the War, is now on Kickstarter! Fund the project at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/Jagash/after-the-war Links from this episode: The Curious Case of Radiotrophic Fungi Canis soupus: The Eastern Coy-Wolf Polar-Grizzly Hybrids Coastal Erosion Hazard Mapping in Prince Edward Island Corn Domesticated From Mexican Wild Grass 8,700 Years Ago What is Synthetic Biology? What are Hox Genes? The Last Dragon
Nov 19, 2018
1 hr 17 min
CiF Special #6 - Asian Representation ft. Simu Liu
Simu Liu is a Canadian Screen Award nominee best known for his role as Jung on the CBC TV sitcom Kim's Convenience. This re-uploaded episode is about whitewashing, problematic castings in mainstream media, the broader trend of Asian erasure in pop culture, and the world of online dating. This was an episode about creating change, finding purpose, and transforming pop culture.   Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwan & curiousinfocusInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus
Nov 12, 2018
54 min
CiF #055 - Conor McDonnell
Conor McDonnell is a poet, doctor, and martial arts practitioner. In 2016, he published The Book of Retaliations with Anstruther Press. His second book, Safe Spaces, is now available for purchase at Frog Hollow Press.  Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwan & curiousinfocusInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Learn more about Conor at conomcdonnell.ca.
Oct 29, 2018
2 hr 16 min
CiF #054 - Kevin Rawlings
Kevin Rawlings is an environmental technician for Environment and Climate Change Canada and a photographer currently working in Alert, Nunavut, Canada. He is also the world's northern most permanent resident. Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Leave a review, it really helps us out!  Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at patreon.com/curiosityinfocus. Twitter @danielhkwanInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Follow Kevin on social media @kevrawl and follow Dispatches From the Polar Sea at facebook.com/dispatchesfromthepolarsea.
Oct 8, 2018
1 hr 9 min
CiF #053 - Osama Dorias
Osama Dorias is a Senior Game Designer at Warner Brothers Montreal and the co-founder of the Indie Video Game studio Magic Pants and the Montreal Independent Games Festival. Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Leave a review, it really helps us out!  Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at patreon.com/curiosityinfocus and by purchasing the Stay Curious merch line at designbyhumans.com/shop/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwanInstagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocusYouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocusFacebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Follow Osama on social media @osamadorias and learn more about his work at osamadorias.com. Games recommended during this episode include: Overwatch, The Last of Us: Part II, Rainbow Six Siege, Spec Ops: The Line, Tacoma, Good Pizza, Great Pizza, Sleeping Dogs, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Red Dead Redemption 2!
Sep 24, 2018
2 hr 14 min
CiF #052 - Jayd Matyas
Jayd Matyas is an industrial designer at Secret City Games and a performer with the Raging Asian Women Taiko Drummers (RAW). Don't forget to subscribe to the Curiosity in Focus podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music! Leave a review, it really helps us out!  Support the Curiosity in Focus podcast on Patreon at patreon.com/curiosityinfocus and by purchasing the Stay Curious merch line at designbyhumans.com/shop/curiosityinfocus Twitter @danielhkwan Instagram @danielhkwan & @curiosityinfocus YouTube: youtube.com/curiosityinfocus Facebook: facebook.com/curiosityinfocus Follow Jayd on social media @jaydmaty, learn more about the King of the Bootleggers, and check out the next RAW taiko drumming performance!
Sep 10, 2018
1 hr 22 min
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