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.
16:04
Where Have All The Butterflies Gone?
A new study of butterfly populations in the US shows a 22% decline among over 500 species in just 20 years.
13:13
Touchdown For The Blue Ghost Lunar Lander
The lander, part of NASA’s CLPS initiative, completed the first fully successful commercial moon landing.
3:52
How To See The ‘Blood Moon’ Lunar Eclipse Next Week
A total lunar eclipse will be visible across most of North and South America in the early morning hours of March 14.
17:18
How Plants Powered Prehistoric Giants Millions Of Years Ago
A new book explores how prehistoric plants and dinosaurs co-evolved, and puts the spotlight on often overlooked flora.
11:51
Cuts And Conflicting Directives Sow Confusion For NIH Workers
The acting head of the NIH reportedly pushed back against legal guidance to resume grant funding, leaving federal workers in the lurch.
17:26
How Trump’s DEI Ban Will Affect Medical Research
Changes limiting programs, grants, and even the nature of studies are already underway at the NIH, NSF, FDA, CDC, and more.
10:00
What Does An Animal’s Size Have To Do With Its Cancer Risk?
A study finds that Peto’s Paradox, which states that larger animals are no more likely to get cancer than smaller ones, may not hold up.
6:33
Meet Bastetodon, A 30 Million-Year-Old Apex Predator
A nearly complete skull of the creature was found in the Egyptian desert. Its lineage indicates that it was a top carnivore of the age.
12:10
You’ve Heard Of The Microbiome—Welcome To The Mycobiome
Though fungi make up a tiny part of the human microbiome, they play an important role in both the prevention and development of many diseases.
6:02
The Effort To Save Thousands Of Donor Kidneys From Being Wasted
Last year, 9,000 deceased donor kidneys were discarded due to storage and time limitations. A kidney “life support” machine could change that.