John Dankosky
Editorial Director
John leads the audio team that creates our weekly radio show and daily podcast.
John loves working on journalism collaborations. He helped build our State of Science Reporting Network; brought together 18 stations across the Northeast to cover environmental issues; a project which eventually led to the New England News Collaborative; worked with NPR on their Collaborative Coverage Project; and hosted the national collaborative 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 elder care, and reported hundreds of short stories for NPR and public radio stations. These covered everything from politics to PFAS to basketball shoes, including one story about virtual reality in dentistry that’s actually pretty embarrassing to listen to now.
You might know his voice as a long-time guest host on Science Friday, and you can still see him periodically hosting live events for The Connecticut Mirror.
He and his wife and their three cats live in the sleepy Northwest hills of Connecticut, where they run LAM Yoga, a small studio that leads international yoga retreats. But John grew up in Pittsburgh, and is as big a Mr. Rogers fan as you’ll find anywhere.
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6:12
Fighting Climate Change With Genetically Modified Trees
Can trees be genetically engineered to store more carbon? A new strategy to do just that is being put to the test in a Georgia forest.
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10:21
How The Cherokee Nation Is Saving Culturally Significant Seeds
The Cherokee Nation seed bank distributed nearly 10,000 heirloom seed packets to its citizens last year.
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17:09
All You Need To Know About Anesthesia
Anesthesiologists tell tales from the operating room—from the basic science of anesthesia to the specific drug combinations made for each patient.
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17:02
NASA’s New Science Head Sees A Bright Future
Dr. Nicola Fox, previously the director of NASA’s heliophysics division, will shape the agency’s priorities.
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7:22
How These Russian Wasps Could Help Save Ash Trees
Scientists recruited the help of the emerald ash borers’ natural predator to keep their population in check.
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12:18
A Medication Abortion Drug Faces Potential Nationwide Restriction
An upcoming ruling in Texas could restrict access to the medication abortion drug mifepristone nationwide.
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9:08
A Long History Shadows Fight Over California’s Shasta Dam
The Shasta Dam helped turn the state into an agricultural cornucopia—but it destroyed the home of the Winnemem Wintu.
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11:43
‘All That Breathes:’ A Story Of Two Brothers Saving New Delhi’s Raptors
The Oscar-nominated documentary follows two brothers on their mission to save black kites.
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12:13
Why Won’t Museums Return Native American Human Remains?
A groundbreaking policy passed three decades ago ordered institutions to return Native American remains. Many have failed to do so.
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12:11
How Past Extinctions At The La Brea Tar Pit Can Teach Us About Our Climate Future
The director of the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History discusses how Ice Age megafauna can teach practical lessons on climate, extinction, and survival.