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What happens when the skies are no longer dark at night? Writer Craig Childs biked from the brightest night sky, to the darkest, to find out what we lose when the lights don’t go out. He joins Host Ira Flatow to talk about his book “The Wild Dark,” our SciFri Book Club pick for July and August.
Plus, astronomer John Barentine fills us in on DarkSky International’s 2026 report “Artificial Light at Night: State of the Science 2026.”
Read an excerpt from “The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light”
If you enjoyed this episode, join the Book Club for a livestream Q&A with Craig Childs on July 31!
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Segment Guests
Craig Childs
Craig Childs is the author of :Wild Dark. Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light.”
John Barentine
Dr. John Barentine is an astronomer and principal consultant at Dark Sky Consulting, LLC.
Segment Transcript
The transcript is being processed. It will be available 2-3 days after this story’s publication date.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Ira Flatow
Ira Flatow is the founder and host of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.
About Annette Heist
Annette Heist is an audio producer and editor based near Philadelphia, PA.