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.
12:10
A Dying Planet Offers A Peek Into The Future
Astronomers spot a planet being swallowed by its star—a fate that may come to Earth in billions of years.
7:49
A Bee’s Eye View Of Cities’ Microbiomes
Researchers found that samples from beehives could reveal important environmental differences between cities, and even neighborhoods.
9:33
This Is Your Brain On Words
A recent study explores what parts of the brain get activated while reading.
9:53
An Explosive End For A Massive Rocket
The uncrewed test flight of SpaceX’s Super Heavy rocket and Starship space vehicle ended suddenly minutes after liftoff.
27:58
Is Anybody Out There? The Quest For Life In Space
Science journalist Jaime Green takes on the long history and challenges of searching for signs of alien life in her new book.
12:11
An Open Letter Asks AI Researchers To Reconsider Responsibilities
Some big names in tech are calling for a pause to developments on a powerful large language model until safety protocols can be implemented.
6:35
Will Rising Temperatures Help Batters Swing for the Bleachers?
Warmer temperatures allows a hit ball to fly slightly further—accounting for about 500 additional home runs in the Major Leagues since 2010.
12:08
A Supermassive Black Hole The Mass Of 30 Billion Suns
How researchers detected the space giant using gravitational lensing, plus the approval of over-the-counter Narcan, EV charging, and a mammoth meatball you can eat.
12:08
Sewage Is A Biological Necessity, And A Methane Minefield
Wastewater treatment facilities may release a surprising amount greenhouse gas.
12:01
The Latest IPCC Report Is Full Of Warnings—And Hope
The report details where we stand on mitigating climate change and where to go from here.