The Story Collider

Latest Episodes:

Red Flag: Stories about toxic relationships Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers use a scientific lens to examine their worst relationships.

Part 1: Carlos Maza uses the plague to analyze his brutal breakup.

Part 2: Panagiota Vogdou refuses to see her boyfriend as toxic until a stranger on the bus tells her to go to therapy.

Carlos Maza is a video journalist focusing on misinformation, media bias, and propaganda. He is the Director of Video at Media Matters for America. He has spent too much of his adult life writing about fascism and hate speech. He would much rather you tell him about you Dungeons & Dragons character.

Panagiota was born in Kozani, Greece, and moved to Toronto, Canada, in 2015. She’s a Greek teacher and a flight attendant, but her true passion lies in acting—and, of course, storytelling. Though she’s based in Toronto, she’s always ready to fly anywhere to share her stories. Panagiota has performed in community theatre both in Greece and in Toronto. In 2020, she discovered her love for storytelling, and since then, she’s been sharing her stories onstage at shows like Replay Storytelling, The Story Collider, Tales Told Live, and But That’s Another Story in Toronto—as well as Confabulation in Montreal.

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Coming Out: Stories about sharing one's identity Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

In celebration of Pride Month, we’re sharing two stories about coming out with the help of science.

Part 1: After years of struggling with their gender identity, Parker Sublette finds inspiration in marine life.

Part 2: Bullied as a kid for the sound of his voice, Garret Glinka begins to reclaim his confidence thanks to biology class.

Parker Sublette is a comedian and speculative fiction writer living in Brooklyn, New York. She can usually be found scrambling around the city looking for any stage that will have her, or at home with her roommates and their two cats. Parker also sometimes hosts an open-mic in Bushwick, you can find her @parks_jokez on instagram.

Garret Glinka: I wear two hats: one as a businessman with half a Master’s in Business, and the other as a scientist, with another half in Biotechnology and Genomics, complemented by a Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences. My background allows me to bridge the administrative and scientific worlds. Over the past six years, I’ve honed my expertise as a laboratory professional in both corporate and academic settings, helping operate and set up five laboratories domestically/internationally. I’ve been a technician, team leader, supervisor, and lab manager. As a member of the queer community, I bring kindness, authenticity, vulnerability, and positive influence to my leadership style. Now at Columbia University’s Neuroscience Institute, I manage two labs, lead the Gender and Inclusion Mentoring Program, and coordinate the Lab Liaison Group, ensuring communication across the institute’s departments and other lab managers. When I’m not dissecting Drosophila in New York City, or out to eat with Jersey City friends, I retreat to my family’s farm in central New Jersey. There you’ll find me tending to our goats and chickens, inspecting the crops, or racing dirt bikes with my three-year-old nephew, Jay. My life is a dynamic blend of science, leadership, community, and family, each enriching the other in unexpected ways.

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Pseudoscience: Stories about scientific misinformation Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

This week’s special episode—produced in partnership with Challenging Pseudoscience, at the Royal Institution, with support from the Open Society Foundation—features two storytellers who share just how easy it is to fall for scientific misinformation, and how difficult it can be to find your way back.

Part 1: When Lydia Greene’s infant daughter has a troubling reaction to a routine vaccine and her concerns are dismissed by a healthcare professional, she turns to an online parenting forum for answers.

Part 2: After moving to a new town and feeling isolated, Sarah Ott looks for connection through talk radio and a local church—only to find herself pulled into a world of climate denial and conspiracy thinking.

Lydia Greene, nurse, wife, mother, geek, and vaccine advocate. Co-founder of Back to the Vax.

Sarah Ott is a science educator and climate activist. Her work is focused on building resilience locally and nationally as we adapt to a changing climate. As the granddaughter of a Pennsylvania coal miner and former doubter of the science of climate change, she uses her personal story to shine a light on the path away from science denial and toward a life based in evidence.

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Best of Story Collider: Celebrating 15 Years May 30, 2025

Show notes

To kick off our big 15 year anniversary celebration, we’re re-sharing two stories from the storytellers you, the fans, voted as your favorite stories. And the best part? You can see these storytellers, along with the other fan favorites, take the stage live on June 3, 2025, at Caveat in New York City during our special anniversary show and fundraiser. Learn more and grab your tickets here.

Part 1: Maryam Zaringhalam's scheme to cheat her way into the smart class makes clear a huge flaw in the education system.

Part 2: On the first day of grad school for her PhD, a fellow student tells Bianca Jones Marlin that she doesn't really belong there.

Maryam is a molecular biologist by training who traded in her pipettes for the world of science policy and advocacy. She’s on a mission to make science more open and inclusive through her work both as a science communicator and policymaker. She’s a Senior Producer for the Story Collider in DC and previously served as the Assistant Director for Public Access and Research Policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2023 to 2024. She has a cat named Tesla, named after the scientist and not the car. You can learn more about her at https://webmz.nyc.

Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin is a neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Richard Axel, where she investigates transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, or how traumatic experiences in parents affect the brain structure of their offspring. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from New York University, and dual bachelor degrees from St. John’s University, in biology and adolescent education. As a graduate student, her research focused on the vital bond between parent and child, and studied the use of neurochemicals, such as the “love drug” oxytocin, as a treatment to strengthen fragile and broken parent-child relationships. Dr. Marlin’s research has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Scientific American, and Discover Magazine’s “100 Top Stories of 2015.” Dr. Marlin aims to utilize neurobiology and the science of learning to better inform both the scientific and educational community on how positive experiences dictate brain health, academic performance, and social well being.

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Moving On: Stories about letting go of a relationship May 23, 2025

Show notes

Some relationships stand the test of time—others unravel. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers explore what it means to heal, let go, and move forward.

Part 1: Stuck in a monsoon on Kauai, Belinda Fu unintentionally ruins a friendship with a classmate.

Part 2: Matt Storrs blames a dinosaur scientist’s theory for the end of his marriage.

Belinda Fu, MD, (“theImprovDoc”) is a physician, educator, and performing artist based in Seattle. She travels the country teaching about medical improv, using the principles of improvisational theater to improve wellbeing, health, communication, and patient care. (medicalimprov.org) She is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. Belinda performs and directs improv theatre, studies jazz voice, makes really good popcorn, takes naps in the sun, and would like to say hi to your dog. belindafu.com

Matt Storrs is a comedian and storyteller based out of NYC and originally from Phoenix, AZ. Matt created a solo show based upon the story in the episode entitled "Jurassic Heartbreak." It will next be performed at the Harrisburg Fringe Festival in July (https://www.hbgfringe.com/). He has also been featured on NPR and PBS. Matt is known for sharp stories and his esoteric comedy. Matt Storrs is a humor person. He can be found online at @mtstorrs

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Hyperfixation: Stories about intense focus May 16, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers become extremely fixated on something very specific.

Part 1: After being diagnosed with breast cancer and opting for bilateral mastectomies, Jenna Dioguardi becomes beholden to her cancer to-do list.

Part 2: As an 11-year-old kid, Luke Strathmann makes it his life mission to get rich off of Beanie Babies.

Jenna Dioguardi is an Obie & Drama Desk-award winning performer. She made her Off-Broadway debut originating the role of #13 in Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves, and can now be seen storytelling in dimly lit venues throughout New York. Her solo show, Nipples for Christmas, is currently in development and had its debut in March. By day, Jenna works as a video producer and editor, creating the ads that target you on Instagram. She co-produced, starred in, and edited Smooch the Tucc, a web series chronicling Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, and she was the co-creator and co-host of two live shows: The Best Storytelling Show (we promise) and The Mister Rogers Variety Hour. Follow her work on IG @jennadio3 & at ⁠jennadioguardi.com⁠.

Luke Strathmann is an NYC-based writer and comedian, and currently leads the communications team at Yale’s Department of Economics. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker and McSweeney’s, and he is the proud host of ‘EconLOL,' the world’s first, best, and only economics-themed comedy variety show (at Caveat Theatre in NYC).

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A Mother's Love: Stories honoring mothers May 09, 2025

Show notes

In honor of Mother’s Day, both of our storytellers share stories about their unique relationships with their moms.

Part 1: Rita Rigano always had a complicated relationship with her mother, and it becomes even more fraught when her mother’s dementia worsens.

Part 2: In the midst of writing her PhD dissertation, Jordyn Rice embarks on one last road trip with her mother, who is dying of lung cancer.

Rita Rigano is a NYC-based storyteller who appears locally and online. Some favorite shows include Generation Woman, New Tricks, (mostly) True Things, The Moth, The Once Upon a Time Show, and Better Said Than Done. She started storytelling with her children, presenting fairy tales with a twist at libraries and schools. She loves live theatre, live music, and swing dancing with her husband.

Jordyn Rice is a postdoctoral fellow based in Vancouver, BC. She is a physical therapist and researcher dedicated to finding strategies to promote healthy aging. While she is passionate about clinical research her love of neuroscience was sparked while studying sea slugs. Outside of the lab you can find her tucked into the mountains, rock climbing, or riding her bike.

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Missing Pieces: Stories about an unremembered friendship May 02, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode, Thomas Dixon and Rachel Robinson manage to build a friendship, despite not remembering the exact moments they shared.

Thomas Dixon is the author of "I'm Sorry... That's Awesome!: Inventing a Solution for Memory Loss", and the inventor of ME.mory (a digital memory mobile application/service). Thomas was running when struck by a car and injured so badly that he nearly died. His episodic memory (specific details like places visited, people met, what has happened recently) has been severely compromised by his TBI. Since inventing ME.mory Thomas speaks and writes on the role of technology's benefits for episodic memory. As a world traveler he has been in twenty countries and looks forward to setting foot in many more.

Rachel Robinson has lived with epilepsy for more than 20 years. To help overcome the challenges from this life-changing condition, she helps to educate those in the epilepsy community, working as a Patient Educator for a medical device company. In her spare time she enjoys bowling with her husband.

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Best of Story Collider: Justice Apr 25, 2025

Show notes

This week we present two stories from people who stood up against a system eager to tear them down.

Part 1: After a car crash alters Emily Winn's life forever, she must relive the trauma when she testifies in a deposition.

Part 2: Geneticist C. Brandon Ogbunu contemplates the role race has played in his academic career after he is confronted by the police.

Dr. Emily Winn-Nuñez is a data scientist based in Brooklyn, NY where she lives with her husband and adorable pug. She received her AB in mathematics from the College of the Holy Cross, spent a year in the Visiting Students Programme at St. Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford, and earned a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Brown University. She’s still a Sox fan, still ergs at the gym, and still enjoys comedy - but she’ll also happily discuss the New York Liberty or the Love Island multiverse.

C. Brandon Ogbunu is a Professor at the Santa Fe Institute, and an Assistant Professor at Yale University. His research focuses on evolutionary genetics and the ecology of disease. A New York City native, Brandon enjoys film, hip-hop, jazz and science fiction. He's an ex-very mediocre light heavy weight boxer, and slightly less mediocre experimental virologist. He has higher hopes for humanity than he does the New York Knicks.

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Freak Accident: Stories about highly unusual incidents Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode, both our storytellers’ lives are altered by an unexpected mishap.

Part 1: When teenage Ron Hart accidentally walks through a glass door, he lands in the ER on the worst possible day: a tornado drill.

Part 2: After a car accident leaves all of her teeth bent inward, Di Cai begins to rethink her life as a scientist.

Ron Hart is a television writer, a Moth GrandSlam Champion, and a recovering mascot.

Di Cai is an investment professional by day, a stand up comedian at night, and a sailboat skipper (aka “captain”) if there's good wind on the Hudson River. A former Chinese TV hostess turned PhD scientist; an investor moonlights as a comedian, going by a stage name Dr Dee in the underground New York comedy clubs. Whether it's stand up or storytelling, Di has her unique perspectives as an immigrant, a woman, and a badass.

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