Science Friday: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Science Friday?
Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide from 2-4pm Eastern time as part of NPR's 'Talk of the Nation' programming. Each week, we focus on science topics that are in the news and try to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join Science Friday's host, Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science - and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.

Who is Ira Flatow?
Ira Flatow is the host and executive producer of Science Friday. A veteran science correspondent in a variety of media, he is a founder of ScienCentral, a science news media company. More information about Ira Flatow is available here.

Can I download Science Friday programs for later listening?
Yes! We now offer a 'podcast' of Science Friday programming. Visit our podcasting page for more information, or subscribe to this feed:http://www.sciencefriday.com/audio/scifriaudio.xml

In addition, Audible.com, an online vendor of electronic audio books, offers downloadable versions of Science Friday for purchase. You can get individual programs, or 'subscribe' and get all of the programs for a period of time.

I heard something about free educational curricula or teaching materials...
In October 2002, we introduced the Kids Connection as a teacher-friendly educational component. It offers discussion ideas, activities, selected resources, and related science standards. These link programming to the classroom curriculum and are designed to help teachers freshen and energize the required curricula in middle schools. Check out the Kids' Connection here.

How can I call in during the show?
To call in during the show, phone 1-800-989-TALK (1-800-989-8255). We have a limited number of phone lines, and they tend to fill up quickly - so if you don't get through on your first call, please keep trying! We want to hear from you! Because of the limited length of the broadcast and the large number of phone calls we receive, some callers may not be able to ask their question or give their comment on-air. We apologize for this, and want you to know that your point of view is definitely important to us.

Can I e-mail in questions during the show?
Not yet. We are not currently able to take questions over e-mail during the show for technical reasons. We hope to be able to offer this service soon.

Where can I hear Science Friday on the radio?
The radio program is broadcast on over 200 stations nationwide, and in some locations in Europe. Check out our list of stations to find one near you. If you're not in range of any of those stations, call your local public radio station and request that they carry Science Friday. And until they do, listen to our program archives. Some public radio stations are now streaming Science Friday live over the internet. A list of all the streaming stations we know about is here. We also offer a podcast of Science Friday programming.

How can I find out in advance about Science Friday's topics?
Sign up for our mailing list! We'll send you a note each week when we know what our topics are going to be. Then, check out our web site! We try to post extensive information about Friday's program, including pictures, related links, and guest information by Thursday evening.

Can I find out what you'll be talking about next month?
Science Friday tries to respond to topics in the news to bring you the most up-to-date, timely science information possible. Because we're news-driven, our topics are often changing right up until we broadcast, so advance listings of our show topics are not very useful.

Who are all those people in the credits, anyway?
We have a lot of wonderful people who help us out each week, from the engineers in New York, Washington DC, and remote studios, the amazing NPR librarians, computer staff, and others.

Why don't you do a show about....
We love to get show suggestions. You just might hear your idea on the air! For example, the idea for our recent show on the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the electron came, in part, from a listener suggestion. While obviously we can't produce a show about every possible topic, we do take all ideas into consideration when we're planning future shows. Good suggestions should be timely - there needs to be a reason that the show should be done NOW. Issues should affect a large number of people, or be something that people nationwide would be interested in talking about. And they should be as specific as possible - but not so specific that we'd have trouble talking about the issue for an hour without running out of things to say. Send ideas to us at the above address, or e-mail scifri@sciencefriday.com

I'd like more information about this week's show. Where can I get it?
Have you tried our web site? Each radio broadcast on Science Friday has a companion web page containing background reading, information about our guests, and on-line resources that you can explore relating to the program's topic. Use these resources as a jumping-off point for explorations at the library or at school.

That music at the end of the show was great! Who picked it out?
The music heard during the program is typically chosen by the show's director. If you have a question or comment about the music played, send us a note at scifri@npr.org with the word 'music' in the subject and we'll do our best to answer your question.

Do you offer live streaming audio anywhere? I can't find it...
Some public radio stations are now streaming Science Friday live on their web sites. For the list of all the ones we know about, see here. (there may be more!) Archived copies are typically available on the Monday following a Friday broadcast in both RealAudio and Windows Media formats. PublicRadioFan maintains a list of stations offering live streaming of this, and other public radio programs.

Where's Ray? Where's Juan? Where's Neal?
There's no Ray or Juan here. Neal Conan is the host of Talk of the Nation, broadcast by many stations on Monday-Thursday at the same time as Science Friday. Juan Williams, former host of Talk of the Nation, is now a Senior Correspondent for NPR News. Ray Suarez, another former host of Talk of the Nation, is now working at PBS' "News Hour with Jim Leher." Contact totn@npr.org to reach Talk of the Nation's staff.

You didn't answer my question.
Sorry! Send your other questions to scifri@sciencefriday.com and we'll see what we can do!