Curious Nashville

In Curious Nashville from Nashville Public radio, we answer your questions about the city and region. Listeners decide which question we should investigate and answer next.

Curious Nashville is a society podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 57 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Curious Nashville, a society show with 57 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Curious Nashville

  In search of the actual Elm Hill

  Aug 29, 202619 min

  Elm Hill Pike may be an industrial artery in Nashville now, but it was once a main thoroughfare with a rich history. But listener Chad Smith wonders: “Elm Hill Pike is very hilly. Where is the actual elm hill?” The investigation pushes WPLN’s Blake Farmer to hop on a bike and ride the length of the road. The journey takes him into some rich city history and to a dead end across the county line — but that doesn’t mean the answer is elusive.

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  Curious Nashville

  What happened to the fallen Mercury bronze atop Union Station?

  Jul 25, 20269 min

  If you know where to look, there's a god frolicking amid Nashville's skyline. It's the mythological messenger Mercury, gleaming at the top of the Union Station clock tower. But he's had his share of ups and downs, and once fell in 1952. WPLN listener Christina called to ask: "We have a very primitive replica up there. But the original, I'm wondering where it could be!?" Curious Nashville chases down what happened next, some interesting ties to local history and landmarks, and even an infamous storm.

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  Curious Nashville

  Why is there a tiny typo on the Tennessee driver's license?

  Jun 20, 202619 min

  Have you ever looked closely at your Tennessee driver’s license? There might be something surprising in the fine print. Curious Nashville listener Sam Barocas used his microscope to find it. And then he asked: Why is there a microscopic typo on the Tennessee driver’s license? In some instances — likely on millions of licenses — a thin ribbon of text reads “The VolunDeer State.” With a ‘d.’ Among the theories: It’s a genuine mistake. It’s an intentional security feature. It’s an easter egg tucked in by a mischievous designer. WPLN’s Justin Barney helps Curious Nashville get to the bottom of this mystery.

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  Curious Nashville

  How did kudzu vines first get introduced to Tennessee?

  Jun 13, 202611 min

  Kudzu is a woody, hairy vine with distinct three-pronged leaves. During the blooming season in late summer, the plant produces grape-smelling purple flowers. And, always, it has a way of crowding out other plants. "Kudzu is like a glamorous villain ... ‘the vine that ate the South,' " says Ben Nanny, the conservation director at Ijams Nature Center. This ubiquitous vine prompted this question: How did that annoying "kudzu" first get introduced to the area? The answer ties back to the late 1800s, reports Jacqui Sieber with WUOT in Knoxville. You can learn more in our "signal species" series .

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  Curious Nashville

  Why is a Nashville middle school named after a racist segregationist?

  May 30, 202613 minS0

  <p>J.T. Moore Middle School in Nashville is named after John Trotwood Moore, an author and prominent landowner. He was also openly racist, a proponent of lynching, and an apologist for the "Old South". This sparked a question to Curious Nashville:</p>Please help us understand why schools in Metro are named after people with such heinous records and what can be done to correct this.<p>The answer, in part, has ties to the state's Tennessee Heritage Protection Act. (You may recall this prior episode: Why is it so hard to alter Confederate monuments in Tennessee?)</p><p>...

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