The Story Collider

Scientist Jeanne Garbarino unexpectedly finds out she’s pregnant.

Logan Smalley and his friends took a trip across the country that was everything the classic American road trip should be — except one of them was dying.

Grade-schooler (and future America’s Next Top Model contestant) Ebony Haith uncovers a shocking secret behind her new special school.

In the wake of a death in his family, Brian Wecht finds out how physicists really relate to people, and encounters the most awkward hug of his life.

Matt Mercier was failing high school physics, until he started dating a girl whose father was a physics teacher.

Allison Downey and her husband engage in the classic nature vs. nurture debate — with their own son.

Lou Serico’s childhood dream of being a scientist is tested by working in a herpes lab for his PhD.

Comedian Ophira Eisenberg is used to unexpected twists while traveling for gigs. Mostly.

A 40-year old artist struggles with fertility treatments.

A musician and performer is given a behind-the-scenes tour of the British Natural History Museum.

A political blogger learns about science the fun way: by tearing apart bad evolutionary psychology studies.

A neuroscientist looks to her own research to understand her father.

After a terrible loss, science writer Carl Zimmer goes to report from the South Sudan, surrounded by the world’s deadliest parasites.

Magician Nelson Lugo is faced with his own grandmother’s powers.

Single mother and aspiring scientist Nancy Parmalee takes the long route to her PhD.

In need of a job, Chuck Na finds himself teaching evolution at an Orthodox Jewish high school.

Neuroscientist Doug Fields shares the moment, and the danger, of his first memory of scientific discovery.

A college course forces John Rennie to confront a furious rat, and himself.

Actress Rachel Bitney Wecht describes the challenges of wooing a physicist: The Story Collider’s own co-founder, Brian Wecht.

Jonathan Schwartz follows his family’s legacy into science, in hopes of curing his hypochondria.

Technology writer Nicole Ferraro finds the one person who can’t be contacted on the world wide web: its inventor.

Ibrahima Bah discovers the hardest part of studying physics: the immigration office.

Writer David Dickerson’s grad school hopes for romance leads to a dark ocean at 3am.

Kevin Allison looks to psychology for insight into some very strange choices.

Instead of confronting her own disorder, novelist Diana Spechler tells everyone she’s teaching at a fat camp to research a novel.

Tracy Rowland searches for company in a town full of parties.

A virtual art project in Second Life turns real in a way Jeff Crouse never expected.

For his parents, the fact that the plants are carnivorous is the least troubling part of Erik Hofer’s obsession.

David Morgan reaches out to his childhood hero, and connects with an unexpected medium.

John Bohannon writes the CV of, and for, his life.

Aaron Wolfe escapes the harsh realities of science through the thrilling (and sexy) world of science fiction.

When his brother is diagnosed with cancer, Hanuman Welch finds his own health in question. 

In a retelling of the classic love-tale, Morgan Mihok recounts her own epic relationship. With Chemistry.

In the middle of his biggest production ever, game designer Nick Fortugno is confronted with the full reality of what it means to embrace chaos.

In an effort to counter the effects of aging, Badria Jazairi is forced to rely on an old nemesis: Science.

Eric Jankowski was given extraordinary opportunities by his science teacher, but found a danger in taking them.

Dave Ritz finds volunteering for a study on jury selection easy, but the part after the study is another matter.

A middle schooler’s report on a color-changing fabric turns into a remarkable change in herself.

A neuroscientist tests the limits of wonder when his own father suffers a stroke.

Seth Lind comes to terms with the consequences of having a pacemaker installed at age 16.

An 8th grade science experiment inspires Joe Evans, but perhaps not in the way the teacher intended.

After years of not recognizing people’s she’s met, an encounter forces Naomi Azar to ask if there’s something really wrong with her, or is she just hopelessly narcissistic?

As a young teacher, Luke Davin struggles with the disparity between theory and reality as he helms his first science class.

Robin Wachsberger discovers what the Chester County Science Fair is really for.

A stray word in a video about Moran Cerf‘s research leads to a media fiasco, and the opportunity of a lifetime. (A cautionary tale for scientists and science reporters alike.)

An apparent conspiracy by The Universe to hurt Steven Berkowitz turns into an unexpected math lesson.

Adam Bloom was an actor and juggler, until he discovered his real passion: saving the galaxy of money. 

Becky Ferreira’s six year old fear of being killed by sharks suddenly becomes very real.

Jen Fitzgerald finds that the underdog athlete movie can play out in any kind of arena, even math competitions.

For Ben Lillie, the terrors of grad school found expression in a form that no one had warned him about.

Misinformation in Regan-era sex-ed classes leads Margot Leitman to a difficult choice.

A scary diagnosis leads Cyndi Freeman to a surprising career change.

Sarah Jewell’s parents met while they were in graduate school for chemistry. That couldn’t possibly be nerdy, could it?

Maxwell Shron tried to put his love of art and science together. His art teacher didn’t see it the same way.

Kelli Dunham took her nursing knowledge to help out after the earthquake in Haiti, as her friends followed on Facebook.

Carter Edwards just wanted a camp where he could hang out with his fellow nerdy kids. Instead he found out something important about himself.

For Cat Bohannon's psychologist father, science found an extension even into the games they played.

We just heard the terrible news that Michelle Dobrawsky passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. Michelle was one of our first storytellers and a great friend of the show and we’re devastated by the loss.