Alexa Lim was a senior producer for the Science Friday radio production team, which means you could find her on the phone researching stories throughout the week and at a heightened level of anxiety every Friday between 2-4 p.m. E.T. A few of her favorite interviews have involved orchestrating a live physics game show, sound-checking with the International Space Station, and learning how to ask where the bathroom is in Dothraki.
After brief stints in an oncology lab and in the exotic world of science textbook publishing, she found her way into public radio through an internship at StoryCorps. Before joining Science Friday, she produced Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio and for the JazzStories podcast, where she discovered that the jazz harp is an underrated instrument.
Alexa grew up in San Antonio, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in biology. She can confirm that there is no basement in the Alamo.
16:28
Was The Flu Near You?
‘Flu Near You’ created a map of this season’s influenza-like illness across the U.S. How did the SciFri community stack up?
29:24
Can AI Make Medicine More Personal?
How artificial intelligence could be used for reading scans, making diagnoses, and refocusing doctors’ attention towards patients.
15:55
Student Scientists Investigate The Big Science Questions
In the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search, high school students looked at everything from exoplanet to HIV antiretroviral therapies.
16:24
How Jumping Spiders Avoid Becoming A Tasty Snack
From bright colors to disguising as ants, jumping spiders have evolved different ways to evade predators.
25:58
Rewriting The Genomic Alphabet
Scientists are creating unnatural base pairs and synthesizing genomes to better understand DNA—and create new medicines and fuels.
7:45
Why Do Grapes Spark In The Microwave?
The answer involves hotspots, ions, electrons, and plasma. Yes, plasma.
8:58
Clearing Up The ‘Art Acne’ On Georgia O’Keeffe’s Paintings
Scientists are working to clean up small dimples on Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings caused by the aging of pigments.
7:17
Israel Launches The First Privately-Funded Lunar Mission
The Beresheet lunar lander’s $90 million budget came mostly from private funders.
11:19
What Does That Parking Lot Puddle Have To Do With Climate Change?
The amount of water in the streets and other low-level flooding in coastal communities has increased—and it is linked to changes in climate.
4:41
How Will Arizona Battle Drought In The Next Decade?
Arizona, and seven other states that use the Colorado River for water, is putting together a plan to address future drought and water needs.