
Bay Curious
KQED

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Top 10 Bay Curious Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Bay Curious episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Bay Curious for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Bay Curious episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Proposition 22: App-Based Drivers
Bay Curious
10/13/20 • 14 min
Proposition 22 asks Californians if they want to define app-based transportation and delivery drivers as independent contractors, instead of as employees, as state law currently requires. This episode is part of our Bay Curious Prop Fest series, which explores the 12 propositions on California's ballot. The series runs from Oct. 1-16, with new episodes dropping every weekday.
Additional Reading:
- Episode transcript: https://www.kqed.org/news/11842012
- Prop Fest Homepage: https://www.kqed.org/propfest
- KQED Election Coverage: https://www.kqed.org/elections
Reported by Sam Harnett. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Michelle Wiley.

1 Listener

Proposition 25: Cash Bail
Bay Curious
10/16/20 • 17 min
Proposition 25 would eliminate the use of cash bail in California, replacing it with a threat assessment system using algorithms and judicial discretion. This episode is part of our Bay Curious Prop Fest series, which explores the 12 propositions on California's ballot. The series runs from Oct. 1-16, with new episodes dropping every weekday.
Additional Reading:
- Episode transcript: https://www.kqed.org/news/11842445
- Prop Fest Homepage: https://www.kqed.org/propfest
- KQED Election Coverage: https://www.kqed.org/elections
Reported by Marisa Lagos. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Michelle Wiley.
1 Listener

03/14/24 • 19 min
On Interstate 280, just south of the Sand Hill Road exit, near Stanford, there is this overpass that crosses over a long, skinny building. Bay Curious listener Eric Nelson has wondered what that building is for years. Turns out, scientists are unraveling the mysteries of the universe inside SLAC. We take you on a tour.
Additional Reading:
- Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe Inside SLAC
- Sign up for our newsletter
- Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest
Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts
This story was reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

09/11/24 • 14 min
Listener Mark Isaak heard that from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro you can see the most land in every direction of any spot on Earth. But that the summit of Mount Diablo comes in second as the peak with the biggest view. Turns out, this is a widely-circulated factoid that goes back centuries. But is it true? In this episode from 2020, reporter Asal Ehsanipour scales the summit of this question to bring us the answer.
Additional Reading:
- Does Mount Diablo Have the Biggest View in the World?
- Read a transcript of this episode
- Sign up for our newsletter
- Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest
Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts
This story was reported by Asal Ehsanipour. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

10/29/24 • 35 min
We're presenting an episode of Close All Tabs, a new miniseries from KQED that explores the intersection of internet culture and politics. In this episode, host Morgan Sung examines the rise of “stan culture” in politics, where passionate supporters rally around political figures with the same fervor typically reserved for pop stars.
Read the transcript here.
Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

An Eerie Night on the USS Hornet
Bay Curious
10/31/24 • 16 min
There are plenty of 'haunted' places in the Bay Area. But some locations are said to attract ghosts, even if they don't have a connection to the place. Ghost hunters say the USS Hornet, a retired WWII aircraft carrier docked in Alameda, is one such place. Reporter Katherine Monahan recently took a late night tour of the ship with a group of paranormal enthusiasts, and took along her recorder to see if she could pick up any ghostly communications.
Additional Reading:
- The USS Hornet in Alameda Is a Destination for Paranormal Enthusiasts — and You Can Spend the Night There
- Read a transcript of this episode
- Sign up for our newsletter
- Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing company monthly trivia contest
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 Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

01/09/20 • 14 min
The crosswalks in San Francisco, and many other Bay Area towns, play a 'machine gun' sound when the 'walk' sign is illuminated for pedestrians. A Bay Curious listener recalls hearing chirping sounds in other areas. Why do ours sound the way they do? Plus, we get to know an architect who listens to buildings.
Additional Reading:
An Architect Who Listens To Buildings
Reported by Olivia Allen-Price, Annika Cline and Sam Harnett. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey and Patricia Yollin.

What's The Real History of El Camino Real?
Bay Curious
01/16/20 • 12 min
Reporter Rachael Myrow and listener Debbie Torrey discover that what we've been told about this famous road is mostly bunk. This story first ran on the podcast in Nov. 2017.
Additional Reading:
- Video: The true story of the 'royal' road
- El Camino Not-So-Real: The True Story of the 'Ancient Road'
Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey and Patricia Yollin.

12/12/19 • 13 min
Listener Gary Pilgrim was taking a drive across the Bay Bridge with his new wife when they decided to stop at Treasure Island. After taking in the sweeping views, he wondered how this manmade island came to be in the first place, and what it's future holds. We're answering Gary's questions in a two-part series exploring the island's past and future. This week: How was Treasure Island made, and why?
Additional Reading:
How Treasure Island Got Made — and Why
Reported by Kevin Stark. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey and Patricia Yollin.

06/20/24 • 20 min
In the early 1960s, cities around the San Francisco Bay Area proposed plans to fill in the bay waters and expand. At the time, there was no regional agency looking at what all those projects together would do to the bay as whole. That's where three Berkeley women stepped in to save the bay.
Additional Reading
- Read episode transcript
- EXHIBIT: Voices For the Environment: A Century of Bay Area Activism
- Sign up for our newsletter
- Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest
Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts
This story was adapted from the Voices for the Environment podcast. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Sasha Khokha, Dan Brekke, Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Bay Curious have?
Bay Curious currently has 457 episodes available.
What topics does Bay Curious cover?
The podcast is about Places & Travel, Society & Culture, History and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Bay Curious?
The episode title 'Proposition 22: App-Based Drivers' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Bay Curious?
The average episode length on Bay Curious is 17 minutes.
How often are episodes of Bay Curious released?
Episodes of Bay Curious are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Bay Curious?
The first episode of Bay Curious was released on Nov 2, 2016.
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