On a recent SoundQs segment we learned about historic bootlegger Roy Olmstead. Today we do a deep dive on another larger-than-life figure from that time, black business owner Doc Hamilton. Both men dealt in illegal alcohol, but had wholly diffe

How safe are the bridges in the Puget Sound region?

Dec 12th, 2019 15m 30s

There are more than 8000 bridges in Washington state. How safe are they? And how will they fare in the event of a major earthquake?

Why is Seattle so geeky?

Dec 5th, 2019 24m 36s

Seattle is a geeky place -- from its many board game cafes to the bi-annual parades of cosplayers outside the Washington State Convention Center. But what about the Emerald City makes geek culture thrive here? We went on a quest to find out.Hav

Seattle's bootleg king

Nov 28th, 2019 33m 34s

This episode sounds a little different than usual. We're taking over KUOW's daily show, The Record. Which means we get to answer a bunch of your pressing questions in this single episode.

What’s with Seattle bumper stickers these days?

Nov 21st, 2019 15m 28s

On this episode a listener asks us to explore the patterns and messages of bumper stickers in the Pacific Northwest. But there’s a personal reason she wants to better understand Seattle’s bumper sticker culture.

How do those holiday lights get on construction cranes?

Nov 13th, 2019 13m

The holidays are coming. Which means even our construction cranes start looking festive. One listener wants to know - who decorates construction cranes

Part 2: Is Seattle a target for nuclear attack?

Nov 7th, 2019 14m 24s

Our region is home to global companies like Amazon and Microsoft - and it's home to large cache of nuclear weapons and military assets.

Part 1: What should you do in the event of a nuclear attack?

Oct 31st, 2019 19m 18s

If you don't know, you're not alone.

How is Amazon changing our lives?

Oct 24th, 2019 26m 47s

Over the last year or so, the SoundQs team has gotten a lot of questions about one Seattle-based company. Amazon. Happily, KUOW's podcast Primed is finding answers to questions about how Amazon is changing our lives. Here's the first episode o

Has any city figured out public toilets?

Oct 17th, 2019 19m 5s

On this episode we try and figure out if any city has figured out public toilets, and what Seattle can learn

Where has Seattle's music scene gone?

Oct 10th, 2019 18m 28s

Twenty-five years ago, Seattle was the epicenter of the popular music world. Bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana had legions of fans around the globe. But now, musicians are leaving Seattle because of rising costs. The city has a plan

Why are those food safety posters smiling at me?

Oct 3rd, 2019 11m 46s

Those posters with smiley faces outside area restaurants are surprisingly complicated. Please consider donating to KUOW at https://kuow.org/donate/soundqs.

Finding love is hard. In Seattle it's even harder

Sep 26th, 2019 20m 25s

What makes Seattle an especially challenging place to date?

What can we do about climate change in the Puget Sound region?

Sep 19th, 2019 16m 14s

SoundQs and RadioActive teamed up to answer two listener questions: How will climate change impact the Puget Sound Region, and what’s the most effective way to take action against it?

Why do Seattleites complain so much?

Sep 12th, 2019 16m 50s

Over the summer, the SoundQs team has gotten some questions that double as complaints about the Seattle region. It got us thinki

More SIM swapping stories, and news from the cybersecurity underground

Sep 4th, 2019 17m 16s

The hacking of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey last week put SIM swapping in the headlines. But it's not just high-profile people who are being SIM swapped. We continue our conversation with one woman who recently had her social media account hacked, a

How did Seattle become home to a large Sephardic Jewish community?

Aug 29th, 2019 16m 33s

The answer takes us all the way back to 1492. And it features a couple of excellent mustaches.

A boat and a car arrive at a Seattle drawbridge. Who goes first?

Aug 22nd, 2019 17m 15s

So you’re in the car, rushing to an appointment, and suddenly traffic stops.In front of you – a drawbridge opens - and a single boat goes through. Frustrating right?Now imagine if you’re on a barge, heading towards that same bridge.

How safe is urban foraging?

Aug 15th, 2019 10m 54s

On this week's episode of SoundQs we look at the safety and etiquette of foraging in the city.

You won't believe what's at the bottom of Lake Washington

Aug 8th, 2019 10m 26s

...planes, trains and highways.

Ruby was a typical Instagram user. Then something strange started happening…

Aug 1st, 2019 23m 7s

...and she got hacked.

Is another smoky summer inevitable?

Jul 25th, 2019 15m 21s

On this episode of SoundQs, we try and figure out whether smokey summers are the new normal and what this year might bring

Wild coyotes live among us — is your cat on their menu?

Jul 18th, 2019 13m 49s

Wild carnivores live among us. We may not know the exact number of coyotes here in Seattle but we should get used to them being here because they probably won't be leaving anytime soon.

What's in that giant government warehouse near Sand Point?

Jul 11th, 2019 16m 34s

It's a giant, block-long building surrounded by a chain-link fence. To the neighbors in this leafy Seattle neighborhood, the place is an enigma. So what's inside this giant US government warehouse? Is this where documents just go to die?