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.
RFK Jr. Reshuffles CDC Vaccine Panel With Vaccine Skeptics
The health secretary fired the entire panel that recommends vaccines. Plus, the EPA moves to expedite cleanup of Superfund sites.
17:30
A Dino’s Last Dinner And Eavesdropping Birds
Scientists look inside the fossilized stomach contents of a massive dinosaur. And, why some birds listen for prairie dogs’ alarm calls.
A Scientist’s Quest To See Every Organism On Earth
Manu Prakash wants to map the whole tree of life, with the help of everyone on this planet.
Are We Prepared To Fight ‘The New Polio’?
A mysterious polio-like disease could challenge our healthcare infrastructure. And, zooming in on non-cancerous cells in and around tumors.
17:14
What Does It Mean To Have A Chatbot Companion?
People are turning to AI chatbots for emotional and social support. While chatbot friends can ease loneliness, they can also cause real harm.
12:14
Bedbugs Have Been Bugging Us Since Before Beds
New research follows a distinct lineage of bedbugs that lived alongside humans for thousands of years, suggesting they might be the first human pest.
17:13
Ancient Bone Proteins May Offer Insight On Megafauna Extinction
Collagen from a fossilized bone fragment can identify the animal it came from. And, some new info about our galaxy’s eventual extinction.
How Science Communication Can Step Up Amid Federal Cuts
As funding for US science is slashed, a science photographer and researcher takes a hard look at how scientists communicate their work.
Be Bold Or Just Don’t Do It
Plant biologist Joanne Chory spent her career trying to grow plants that could sequester CO2 in their roots. Her wild ideas took hold.
17:15
Turning The Binoculars On Birders
Lace up those comfortable sneakers, and get out your bug spray and field guides, because we’re about to go birder-watching.