As Science Friday’s director and senior producer, Charles Bergquist channels the chaos of a live production studio into something sounding like a radio program. He coordinates in-studio activities each week from 1-4. And then collapses. He also produces pieces for the radio show. His favorite topics involve planetary sciences, chemistry, materials, and shiny things with blinking lights.
Charles has been at Science Friday longer than anyone on staff except Ira, and so serves as a repository of sometimes useful, sometimes useless knowledge about the program. He remembers the time an audience member decided to recite a love poem during a live remote broadcast, the time the whole staff went for ice cream at midnight in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the name of that guy Ira is trying to remember from a few years back who did something with space.
He hails from southeastern Pennsylvania and worked for a while as a demonstrator at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia’s science museum (favorite devices: Maillardet’s Automaton, the stream table, the Chladni plates). He has a degree in chemistry from the University of Delaware, home of the Fighting Blue Hens, and a master’s in journalism from New York University’s Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program. However, he attended the program prior to the addition of ‘Health’ to its name, which may explain his slight unease when covering medical topics.
Outside the walls of Science Friday, he enjoys backpacking, camping, cooking not-entirely-healthy things, reading escapist fiction, and trying to unravel his children’s complicated stories.
23:55
A Nobel Prize For Chemistry Work ‘Totally Separate From Biology’
Nobel laureate Carolyn Bertozzi talks about her groundbreaking research and how it might be applied to advanced drug delivery.
16:39
Prizes For Science That Makes You Laugh, Then Think
From the engineering of doorknobs to an algorithm that tells you when to lie, an annual salute to unusual science.
19:46
NASA’s Massive Rocket Finally Launches To The Moon
This week’s uncrewed Artemis mission took a decade to develop. It’s the first step toward a new potential lunar space station.
12:11
How Past Extinctions At The La Brea Tar Pit Can Teach Us About Our Climate Future
The director of the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History discusses how Ice Age megafauna can teach practical lessons on climate, extinction, and survival.
24:47
As Anthony Fauci Steps Down, A Look Back At His Storied Career
Science Friday has been interviewing Dr. Fauci since 1994, on topics ranging from COVID, to HIV/AIDS, to allergy research.
7:11
The ‘Grandfather’ Of The Voyager Mission Retires
Ed Stone, who retired last week after 50 years as the Voyager project scientist, reflects on the mission.
17:28
The Quest For New COVID-19 Solutions
A biotech expert shares insights on what’s needed to combat the pandemic, from new antiviral cocktails to pioneering vaccine techniques.
5:14
Toxic Death Cap Mushrooms Take Root In The Mountain West
A highly poisonous, hard-to-eradicate species of mushroom has found its way from Europe to California and Idaho.
17:08
When Studying Ecology Means Celebrating Its Gifts
Bestselling author Robin Wall Kimmerer discusses the role of ceremony in our lives, and how to celebrate reciprocal relationships with the natural world.
12:00
A Boost For U.S. Electric Vehicle Battery Production
The government promises billions to boost production of electric vehicle batteries.