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.
Can ‘Suggestion-Box Science’ Make Public Health More Useful?
An epidemiologist’s visit to her hometown helped her understand how to put positive community impact at the center of public health research.
Fixing Society’s Toughest Problems? ‘It’s On You’
How did we come to think of society’s toughest problems as something for individuals to manage rather than governments to regulate?
3D Images Of Galaxies Will Rock You (Ft. Queen)
Astronomer and Queen guitarist Brian May teams up with astrophysicist Derek Ward-Thompson to bring the cosmos to 3D.
The Evolution Of An Enzyme Engineer Who Changed Chemistry
Frances Arnold’s game-changing technique of “directed evolution” creates enzymes with unusual capabilities. Her own evolution made it possible.
Earth’s Ancient Hydrogen, And Fossilized Vomit
A new simulation shows large amounts of hydrogen in our planet’s core. And, what scientists found in 290-million-year-old vomit.
EPA Rescinds The Legal Basis For Regulating Greenhouse Gases
The endangerment finding forced the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Now, the agency says it doesn’t have the authority to do that.
Are My THC Gummies Going Away?
A federal law aims to close the legal loophole that lets stores sell THC products from hemp. Why are laws around cannabis so confusing?
What’s Accumulating In The Dirty Snowbanks Of NYC?
One intrepid reporter dug into some of NYC’s dirty sidewalk snow and found a combination of poo, heavy metals, and other unsavory items.
Why Aren’t There Biomarkers For Mental Illness?
Despite major advances in neuroscience, there are no blood tests or scans to confirm the diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder. Why not?
Autism Rates Appear To Be Even Across Sexes. Diagnosis Is Not
Autism has long been thought of as a condition that mostly affects boys—but data suggest that’s not true.