John works with the radio team to create our weekly show, and is helping to build our State of Science Reporting Network. He’s also been a long-time guest host on Science Friday.
He and his wife have three cats, thousands of bees, and a yoga studio in the sleepy Northwest hills of Connecticut.
John likes building radio collaborations. He helped bring together 18 stations across the Northeast to cover environmental issues, which eventually led to the New England News Collaborative, worked with NPR on their Collaborative Coverage Project, and with the national talk program America Amplified.
For 25 years, John oversaw news programming at WNPR, where he started the daily talk show, Where We Live. He’s also produced award-winning long-form documentaries on mental health and care for the elderly, and hundreds of short stories for NPR and public radio stations, including one about virtual reality in dentistry that’s actually pretty embarrassing to listen to now.
You can also see him doing live events for The Connecticut Mirror, The Connecticut Forum, and The International Festival of Arts & Ideas.
John grew up in Pittsburgh, and is as big a Mr. Rogers fan as you’ll find anywhere.
17:13
Difficult Brain Science Brings Difficult Ethical Questions
As our ability to interpret and manipulate the human brain improves, the need for ethical controls grows as well.
17:13
The Brief And Wondrous Lives Of Cicadas
How art that uses thousands of cicadas is drawing in the insect-shy. An artist and an entomologist use art to foster insect appreciation.
11:10
Why Climate Change May Bring More West Nile Virus To The U.S.
Spring rain, summer drought, and heat are predicted to create better conditions for mosquitoes to spread the West Nile virus across the U.S.
17:41
The Climate Crisis Is Driving New Home Improvements
A fifth of American carbon emissions come from our homes. Here’s what you can do about it, and how to balance individual and systemic action.
11:48
Will Russia’s War In Ukraine Finally Spur A Clean Energy Revolution?
Could an international desire to move away from Russian fossil fuels spark innovation in clean energy?
17:16
Searching For Life On The Red Planet Prompts Deeper Questions
How to look for life that we can’t even imagine—and how to imagine life we’ve never seen before.
2:14
The World According to Sound: Antiphonal Duets
Some birdsong is so complex and intricate that it’s hard to tell if there’s one bird singing, or two.
12:05
Paul Farmer, Global Health Leader, Dies At 62
A champion of equitable healthcare, and the co-founder of humanitarian non-profit Partners In Health, Farmer leaves behind a poignant legacy.
17:24
Blind Patients With Eye Implant Left In The Dark As Its Startup Struggles
Second Sight Medical Devices abandoned support for blind patients who received its bionic eye implant. What happens to those patients next?
7:13
Climate Change Ruins The World Championship Sled Dog Derby
At the World Championship Sled Dog Derby, warm weather played an unwanted star role.