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.
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.
How Humans and Insects Conquered the Earth
E.O. Wilson discusses evolution and natural selection in The Social Conquest of Earth.
Desktop Diaries: E. O. Wilson
In the latest installment of Science Friday’s Desktop Diaries series, ecologist Edward O. Wilson takes us on a tour of his office, located in Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Coyotes Come to the Big Apple
Wildlife biologist Mark Weckel is documenting coyote immigration through camera traps in city parks.
No Joke: Science Is A Laughing Matter
Ira Flatow and guests share science funnies and discover an element of humor (pun intended).
Why Don’t Spiders Get Stuck In Their Webs?
A sticky question that has plagued arachnologists for decades is finally untangled.
Why Spiders Don’t Stick To The Web
The secret to not getting stuck? Oily, hairy legs and delicate movements.
Picture An Embryo
Why does looking a picture of a human embryo elicit strong feelings?
Teenager Launches LEGO Shuttle Into Space
Raul Oaida sent the payload to space by way of a large helium balloon.
How A LEGO Shuttle Got To Space
Raul Oaida, 18-years-old, attached a LEGO shuttle, a video camera and a GPS tracker, to a huge helium balloon and sent them into space.
Studying Locomotion With Rat Treadmills, Wind Tunnels
For some scientists, a regular day at the office is training a guinea fowl to run on a treadmill.