Curious State

I come to you one last time to say goodbye. And to thank you for joining me on this journey of being curious for its own sake, of saddling a hunch and seeing where its long stride takes us. I think curiosity takes different forms throughout our lives. Wherever you are in your journey, it’s been an honor to be a part of it.You can follow my next adventures on my website: www.dougfraserdigital.comHere's my TwitterAnd here's the ol' LinkedInUntil next time, stay curious.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.

In 2021, the top three classical musicians on Spotify—Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart—were streamed 19.2 million times a month in 2021, which together would have earned them over $852,000. How is it that songs hundreds of years old are still being listened to? What is it about classical music that makes it so timeless?Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, shares his passion for the love that classical music generates.To learn more about Ben and access his incredible library of free classical music resources, visit BenjaminZander.org.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Matt McGinley entered the music industry over 15 years ago as the drummer for the band Gym Class Heroes. Nowadays, Matt’s a contributing music producer for hit radio shows and podcasts, like This American Life, Serial, Nice White Parents, and S Town. Suffice it to say, he produces a lot of music. And it's all part of an ever-growing global library. By Google’s count, between 97 and 230 million songs exist worldwide. It makes you wonder…haven’t all the possible songs been written by now?CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Easy money is hard to come by. Unless you’re in the ransomware business. Then tens of millions of dollars can be yours in a single, unsuspecting click. Quick cash grabs fuel a worldwide economy, funneling extorted funds into secret bank accounts, hackers’ salaries, and even government pockets. In a world where your data is the gateway to a thief’s payday, all is not lost.Cybercrime vigilantes like The Ransomware Hunting Team volunteer their time to make the digital world a safer place. Chances are, one day you’re going to need help from them. And when you do, this band of cyber wizards will be ready.Get a copy of Renee Dudly and Daniel Golden's book, The Ransomware Hunting Team, on Amazon, Bookshop, or Audible today.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

On Chris’s investigations (To Catch a Predator), the predators are real—so is the danger. And one night in Florida, that danger came with a car full of guns.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Back in the day, Princeton eating clubs were all the rage. It’s where you tapped into the pulse of the Princeton experience. Allegiances were sworn. Bread was broken. Bonds were forged with fellow members, some of whom would become crucial connections in the post-college world.The bicker of 1958 is a tale of a time gone by, but also a reminder of the continued struggle with anti-semitism and exclusion.Listen to Gatecrashers, a hidden history of Jews in the Ivy League, wherever you get your podcasts.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

It’s a tough world out there, eh? To live. To die. To hear the call of nature and answer it by eating your children. Just ask Bill Schutt, the author of Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History.He discovered something shocking: Cannibalism in nature is incredibly widespread. In fact, it covers the entire spectrum of the animal kingdom.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

The music of Stranger Things haunts living rooms across the globe, and at times steals the show. It takes a professional touch to properly integrate music to serve the goal of a scene, and of a moment. Be it for signaling tension, to call back to a previous season, to ratchet up the thrills, or to bring comic relief.Creating the right music offers the opportunity to elevate a scene. But getting the timing just right is what makes it so. Because it’s not just what music plays—it’s when.To learn more about the films and TV series David Klotz has worked on, check out his IMDB page.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Howard Berger started working in the movie industry at the young age of 13. Today, he has over 100 films to his credit as a professional makeup artist. He's worked on movies like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, From Dusk Till Dawn, and the blood-filled Kill Bill movies. But things on set don't always go as planned.Click here to learn more about Howard and purchase his new book, Masters of Make-Up Effects.A Quick RequestIf you enjoy Curious State, would you mind sharing your favorite episode with a friend? It’s a great way to help the show grow and start fun conversations along the way.There are so many incredible podcasts out there, and you’ve chosen to be here. That means the world to me. Thank you.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Growing up in rural Ohio, Michelle Belanger had to hide her unique abilities from classmates. Her grandmother worried that if she showed off too much, government men would take her away for testing. Luckily, that never happened. Instead, Michelle went on a journey of self-discovery and created the de facto code of ethics for the international vampire community.A Quick RequestIf you enjoy Curious State, would you mind sharing your favorite episode with a friend? It’s a great way to help the show grow and start fun conversations along the way.There are so many incredible podcasts out there, and you’ve chosen to be here. That means the world to me. Thank you.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Leonard Pickel's Hauntrepreneurs has designed over 300 original haunted attractions, including ones for Madison Square Garden, Universal Studios Florida, several Six Flags Amusement Parks, and the Kandy Halloween Party at the Playboy Mansion.But what goes into designing a haunted house?Leonard takes us through the spooky business of manipulating architecture, impossible floor plans, why you should always "scare forward," and the kind of haunted houses that chill him to the bone.A Quick RequestIf you enjoy Curious State, would you mind sharing your favorite episode with a friend? It’s a great way to help the show grow and start fun conversations along the way.There are so many incredible podcasts out there, and you’ve chosen to be here. That means the world to me. Thank you.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Imagine the Ultimate Fighting Championship…but with pillows. That’s the basic recipe for the Pillow Fighting Championships. And it just might be the next big sport. Steve Williams, CEO of PFC, joins me to share pillow fighting’s journey into worldwide popularity (and possibly into the list of Olympic sports).A few curiosities you’ll uncover in this episode:The story of the one and only TKO so far in the PFCHow do you win a pillow fight?How the PFC pillows get their trademark thwhop! soundA Quick RequestIf you enjoy Curious State, would you mind sharing your favorite episode with a friend? It’s a great way to help the show grow and start fun conversations along the way.There are so many incredible podcasts out there, and you’ve chosen to be here. That means the world to me. Thank you.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Movie trailers are a game of chess. Except in this game, millions of dollars are at stake with every move.Dallas Taylor, owner of Defacto Sound and host of Twenty Thousand Hertz, gives us a peek behind the curtains where creativity and business live in a pressure cooker.A few curiosities you’ll uncover in this episode:How many trillions of minutes of TV are watched in the US every year (yes, trillions)The evolution of movie trailersHave movie and TV trailers become too epic?A Quick RequestIf you enjoy Curious State, would you mind sharing your favorite episode with a friend? It’s a great way to help the show grow and start fun conversations along the way.There are so many incredible podcasts out there, and you’ve chosen to be here. That means the world to me. Thank you.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Kamryn LacyThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Ashrita Furman broke the world record for underwater hoola-hooping in Florida, where a pod of dolphins watched from afar—in what I presume was utter confusion.I've been in the presence of some pretty fascinating people. The voice of Porky Pig, a haunted house architect, a scientist who's close to bringing back a T-Rex (albeit in a less menacing, chicken-sized form). But Ashrita Furman is in a league of his own. He has world records out the ying yang, including:The most matches put out on your tongue in a minuteThe most beers opened with a chainsaw in 60 secondsThe most watermelons sliced open on your stomach in one minuteHe holds so many records that he snagged another one in the process: the world record for the most world records. He's broken over 800 in total, with more than 200 still standing. His secret?Meditation.(And a child-like sense of curiosity. Because when you can be anything, why just be one thing?)CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

A photo album made with rabbit fur. A secret breeding project.A lost alligator.The story of Project Angora is truly stranger than fiction.Holocaust researcher and founder of the Knitting Hope project, Tanya Singer, shares a little-known story from inside 31 concentration camps. A few curiosities you’ll uncover in this episode:Why Heinrich Himmler was so obsessed with angora rabbitsThe dark message of Nazi fashionWhy animal exhibits existed at some concentration campsClick here to read the article on which this episode is based.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

The line between friendship and a romantic relationship blurs when sex comes strutting into the room. How do you navigate the complications of going from buddy to booty call?Thankfully, we’ve got an expert with the answers: Dr. Justin Lehmiller. He’s a social psychologist, Kinsey Institute Research Fellow, and the creator of Sex and Psychology. Justin was part of a team that conducted a year-long study of 200 friends-with-benefits relationships. And what he found can help us all unweave this type of messy, sexy, and downright “oh my god what have I done??” relationship.A few curiosities you’ll uncover in this episode:How FWB relationships can help close the orgasm gapWhy it’s so difficult to transition an FWB relationship into a romantic oneWhat’s so special about the one-year mark for FWB?Did You Know?According to the study Justin worked on, 25% of subjects hoped their friend-with-benefits relationship would turn into a romantic relationship. However, friends-with-benefits relationships play out how people want them to only 17% of the time.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Cyanide has made quite the name for itself. Take the Jonestown murder-suicide, for example—where cult leader Jim Jones called for over 900 of his followers to drink cyanide-laced punch. Cyanide also sits centerstage with a popular spy movie trope: the cyanide tooth. In case of capture, pop out the fake tooth that’s actually made of cyanide. Swallow it. And boom, a quick death is on its way.But how exactly does cyanide kill you?Let’s light up our gumshoe detective pipes and crack this case wide open with Neil Bradbury, author of A Taste for Poison: Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them.A few curiosities you’ll uncover in this episode:Why cyanide causes your blood to turn bright redThe fascinating way cyanide shuts your body downWhy B12 can save you from cyanide poisoningDid You Know?From a murderer’s perspective, cyanide is typically given as either sodium or potassium cyanide crystals—which are often sprinkled in water.Buy A Taste for PoisonAmazon | Audible | Bookshop.orgCreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinThe Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Jackson Galaxy is America’s Cat Daddy. He’s the host of Animal Planet’s hit show, My Cat From Hell, he’s amassed over 100 million views on his YouTube channel, and he has his own toy line—when it comes to cats, Jackson knows best.So, Jackson…is it true? Are cats assholes? Or is there more to those furry enigmas than meets the eye?A few curiosities you’ll uncover in this episode:The problems with seeing cats through dog-colored glassesWhy cats are Zen mastersThe dating impact for men with catsDid You Know?There are an estimated 373 million pet cats around the globe.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Brendan Picha The Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

The shows we refer to as guilty pleasures may be more insightful than we think. Danielle J. Lindemann, author of True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us, takes us on a journey into ourselves.A few curiosities you’ll uncover in this episode:The character archetypes that make for compelling reality TVDo people care that reality TV isn’t real?The very first reality TV show (it’s almost 50 years old)How reality TV builds communityDid You Know?For the season one finale of Survivor in 2000—guess how many people tuned in. Upwards of 51 million. That’s the combined population of Georgia, Ohio, Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North and South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Maine, Michigan, and Illinois.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Brendan Picha The Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.

Only 80 known cases of highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM) exist. What's it like to remember almost everything that’s ever happened to you? Rebecca Sharrock shares her experience—and how her dreams revealed an incredible feature of HSAM. A few curiosities you’ll uncover in this episode:How she uses scent to relive positive memoriesRebecca’s first memory…at just 12 days oldWhat her dreams helped reveal about her memoryDid You Know?To help her quiet the memories in her mind, Rebecca goes to Harry Potter for help. At night, she quietly recites passages to herself, distracting her brain long enough to fall asleep.CreditsCurious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.Find Curious State on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.Podcast Manager - Adam Cecil Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist - Morgan ChristiansonDigital Operations Specialist - Holly HutchingsMarketing and Publicity Assistant - Davina TomlinIntern - Brendan Picha The Quick and Dirty Tips network is a division of Macmillan Publishers in partnership with Mignon Fogarty, Inc.Have a question? Or a topic you’d like covered on the show? Maybe you just love sending emails? Whichever shoe fits, tie it on and send me a message at curious@quickanddirtytips.com.