Kathleen Davis
Producer
Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She heads the show’s State of Science project, bringing local science stories to a national audience.
Before joining the Science Friday team in 2020, Kathleen reported on tech and breaking news at WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR station. One time, her coworkers made her a dinosaur themed birthday cake, complete with a Rice Krispy meteor.
Kathleen is originally from the great state of Michigan, and is always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners. She can often be found taking long walks to run errands that would be done much faster by other modes of transportation.
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‘A Many-Headed Beast’: Telling The Story Of Cancer
Science writer and oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses what we get wrong about cancer, and why he leans into nuance as an author.
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Study Finds COVID mRNA Vaccines Boost Cancer Treatment
New research found that mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 could enhance cancer treatments and help patients live longer.
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Can A Billion-Dollar Barricade Keep Carp Out Of The Great Lakes?
A giant infrastructure project aims to block invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan, but Chicago’s polluted water already keeps them out.
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What Happens To Your Digital Presence After You Die?
Our digital presences will outlive us all. How can we best manage files, social media accounts, and recordings of ourselves after we die?
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A Lab-Grown Salmon Taste Test And More Foodie Innovations
Cell-cultured salmon is showing up on menus. How does it compare to the real thing? Plus, food innovations from cultivated meat to mung beans.
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It’s Not Just You—Bad Food Habits Are Hard To Shake
The authors of “Food Intelligence” answer listener questions and discuss how our food systems make staying healthy an uphill battle.
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How Archaeologists Try To Smell, Hear, And Taste The Past
In “Dinner With King Tut,” Sam Kean shows how experimental archaeology can recreate the stinky, slimy, and tasty parts of ancient history.
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Can Better Equipment Eliminate Concussions In Sports?
Head injuries are considered a normal risk of high-impact sports like football. Better helmets and guidelines aim to make athletes safer.
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How Illinois Volunteers Brought Back The Kankakee Mallow
To save the rare flower from disappearing, a group of volunteers simulated rolling wildfires on a tiny island near Chicago.
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The High-Tech Lab Unlocking Secrets Of Coral Reproduction
At a lab in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, scientists are breeding corals to be more resilient to rising ocean temperatures.