Flora has produced science media for 20 years across many formats. She got her start right here at Science Friday, working her way up from intern to fill-in host, and resident videographer. From there, she worked as a video producer for The New York Times, co-creating an Emmy-nominated film series that dramatized scientific discoveries using… paper puppets. She also was nominated for an Emmy for her writing on Bill Nye’s Netflix show “Bill Nye Saves the World.” She has created and launched a number of podcasts in various roles, including hosting Gimlet’s beloved “Every Little Thing,” which connected listeners to experts who could answer their burning questions. The show ran for five years and published over 200 episodes. In her previous role as Hypothesis Fund Managing Editor, she told the stories of world-class scientists pursuing bold new ideas in a new storytelling initiative, The Leap.
Making science accessible, relatable, and human has been a focus of Flora’s career. Some of her inspiration comes from her own experience in science: Long, long ago, she worked at a NATO oceanographic lab in Italy. For the lab’s research expeditions, she lived on a ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.
You can find her @flichtman on social media platforms.
Dragonflies fly like fighter jets + Lake flies that dive like subs
What do a fighter jet and a dragonfly have in common? Plus, how lake fly larvae in Lake Malawi dive 600 feet deep without imploding.
Why is brain cancer so hard to treat?
A pioneer of cancer neuroscience explains how brain cancer develops, the role of the nervous system, and what might lead to new treatments.
How can astronaut food be better?
As NASA plans for longer spaceflights to the moon and Mars, a better menu is important both nutritionally and psychologically.
The reality of living with extreme heat in India
Extreme heat is hitting India hard. One physician is trying to understand the health impacts, and help Indians prepare for future heat waves.
Tracking shark populations, one shark at a time
A Florida research team catches and releases about 600 sharks a year to monitor their populations and study the health of marine ecosystems.
The Black women codebreakers of the Cold War
A new book tells the story of Black women cryptologists who deciphered Soviet telegrams intercepted during the early days of the Cold War.
What do we know about SSRI antidepressant withdrawal?
We revisit a 2025 conversation with two psychiatrists about what we know, and what we don’t, about SSRI antidepressant withdrawal.
Why worry about my data If I have nothing to hide?
In a story from February, how companies collect your personal data and compile it into a profile for advertisers, ICE, and other agencies.
Peering through dust clouds to the center of the galaxy
Andrea Ghez developed a way to peer through dust clouds and observe stars orbiting the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
How do you piece together what life was like in Pompeii?
Archeologists are piecing together the lives of ordinary Pompeii residents, from a fish sauce entrepreneur to an enterprising businesswoman.