SoundQs

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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 different experiences with the temperance movement and the law.

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?

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.Have questions for us? Send them in at KUOW.org/soundqs

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.

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.

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

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

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

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 of their newest season, about Alexa and kids.

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

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 to change that - and it's got a lot to do with the mega-hit Old Town Road.

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

What makes Seattle an especially challenging place to date?

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?

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

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, and we check in with the security expert who helped unravel the mystery.

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

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.

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

...planes, trains and highways.

...and she got hacked.

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

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.

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?

Yes, it's illegal. But that doesn't stop residents of other cities from doing it. SoundQs host Deborah Wang teamed up with Record producer Adwoa Gymiah-Brempong and sidewalk artist Peregrine Church to answer this listener question about jaywalking.

Unlike kids, dogs are taken nearly everywhere: restaurant patios, taprooms, even the grocery store.

Here at SoundQs, we get a lot of questions about animals. We’re talking rats, bats, squirrels, crows, opossums, you name it. On this episode, we answer a dozen of your urban wildlife questions.

International students face lots of pressures. They have to learn to navigate a new culture and education system, far from family and friends. That led one listener to wonder, what's the mental health status of international students?

Seattle has the third largest Sephardic Jewish community in the United States, according to some estimates.

We know that homelessness is a problem. It's hard to go anywhere around Seattle without seeing people living outside. And SoundQs listeners have been asking what the region can do better.

SoundQs listeners have asked us lots of questions about homelessness. In this episode, we try to answer them.

You can blame Doc Maynard, Arthur Denny and glaciers.

Issaquah High School is like hundreds of other suburban schools around the country. But unlike most of those schools, the campus rings with the sound of gunshots.

Seattleites have been living in floating homes for more than 100 years. We visit a floating home community and hear about the excitement of life on the water in this week's episode of SoundQs.

A SoundQ's listener asked why Seattle has so many potholes. So reporter David Hyde set out to learn why. And he discovered potholes are more than a nuisance - they're also a political talking point and a source of controversial art.

Seattle’s foodie reputation wasn’t exactly built on hot dogs. And yet, we still have our own spin – the Seattle dog. It’s a hot dog with grilled onions and cream cheese. The SoundQ's team finds out how this local take on street food was born.

We've gotten dozens of SoundQ's questions about one topic - recycling. So we're re-running this archive episode with loads of answers, on everything from how to recycle to the global waste market.

This week, SoundQ's shares KUOW's newest podcast, The Wild. Host Chris Morgan tracks down a cougar den and tries to work out how we continue to coexist with cougars.

Years ago, sea lions treated the Ballard Locks like an all-you-can-eat salmon buffet. But most of those sea lions are gone now. What happened to those sea lions? The SoundQ's team investigates.

A KUOW listener asked why there's so much public art in Seattle. Reporter Marcie Sillman travels back in time nearly 50 years to tell the sometimes-fraught story.

Does Seattle give bicyclists a free ride on following the rules of the road? SoundQs takes a look at what happens when the paths of pedestrians and cyclists cross.

Is it safe to eat at restaurants that don't have a perfect rating?

We look at how the recent measles outbreak is changing the way people think about vaccinations.

On this episode of SoundQs, we answer this question posed to us by Seattle listener Suzanne Morrison.

If you grew up in the in the upper left part of the U.S., you probably don’t hear it. But it’s there: a Northwest accent.

To give or not to give? We tackle that dilemma with advice from a priest, a rabbi and an advocate for the homeless.

They’re everywhere in Seattle. Whether you drive a car, bike or motorcycle you’ve probably encountered them.

We'll look at why boats take priority over cars when it comes to opening drawbridges.

We explore the history of houseboats and what makes this community so unique.

We take our recycling pretty seriously here in the Pacific Northwest. But are we doing it right? This episode of SoundQs will make you a better recycler.