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.
16:46
Remembering Frank Drake, Who Listened To The Cosmos
Remembering the inventive scientist and SETI pioneer who found a way to calculate the probability of discovering extraterrestrial life.
17:02
Why You Should Thank Your Local Wasp
From pest control to pollination, what might be considered pesky insects actually play essential environmental roles.
11:52
California Accelerates Its Push For Electric Cars
The state’s decision to end sales of new gasoline cars by 2025 may have a big impact on the automobile industry.
7:45
Ecological Data From Deep In The Pantry
A trove of decades-old canned salmon gave ecological researchers a chance to study changes in the marine ecosystem.
9:16
Medieval Friars’ Farming May Have Caused Tummy Troubles
A study finds friars in medieval Cambridge may have had more intestinal parasites than common residents.
12:09
Will A Colorado River Drought Dry Up Energy Supplies?
Mandatory cuts to water use along the Colorado River could lead to cuts in power generation.
4:54
When Trapping Invasive Bugs Is Science Homework
STEM educators are helping students tackle a real-world challenge—trapping the invasive spotted lanternfly.
12:12
Earth Faces A Global Heat Wave
Unless you’re in Australia, you’re probably hotter than normal.
17:17
A Busy Time For Space Launches
The breathtaking telescope images aren’t the only exciting thing happening in space. Space reporter and “Are We There Yet?” host explains.
12:05
Stunning JWST Images Show New Details Of The Universe
This week, the world watched as the first science images from the JWST were unveiled. Here’s what it means for astronomy.