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.
Where does federal science funding stand now?
Sudip Parikh of AAAS joins us for an update on how federal funding for research has changed, and the impact of those changes.
How rapid genome sequencing can help stop outbreaks
Researchers are working to track, and stop, outbreaks like Ebola more quickly by sequencing the genomes of pathogens as new cases appear.
Help! This new dwarf planet needs a name
Scientists using the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory have located a possible new dwarf planet beyond Neptune. What would you name it?
How, and why, to connect with wildlife in your own backyard
The author of ‘The Comfort of Crows’ talks about finding meaning in her own yard, and how the native plant movement inspired her.
Meet the tiny, see-through fish that can regenerate its brain
It swims, it buzzes, it regenerates its brain: A tiny glassfish is becoming a model species for scientists. What could it teach us?
Why is everyone so obsessed with protein?
A food historian and nutrition researcher dig into the protein-maxxing trend—and explain why you might want to up your fiber intake instead.
What a trapped antimatter particle could tell us about reality
Researchers have trapped a positron and held it at extremely cold temperatures for months, allowing them to measure its quantum properties.
Why are armadillos moving up north?
Armadillos are turning up in states like Kentucky and Illinois, far from their warm southern habitats. Why are they moving north?
When, and where, did bats first take to the sky?
An analysis of bat genomes and fossil records has shown that the flying mammals first took wing in Europe some 60-65 million years ago.
People are microdosing GLP-1s for weight loss. Is it safe?
Some online clinics are prescribing GLP-1 microdoses formulated by compounding pharmacies. Are these drugs safe and effective?