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.
Tiny Dancers Show Rhythm’s Roots
In perhaps the cutest study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, psychologist Marcel Zentner and Tuomas Eerola found that babies will spontaneously boogie.
The Mystery Of The Celibate Rotifer
Bdelloid rotifers haven’t had sex for at least thirty million years and that’s puzzling.
High Schoolers Give Hot Dog A DNA Test
Brenda Tan and Matthew Cost, high school seniors from Trinity School in New York City, used a technique called DNA barcoding to find out what species were present in over 200 animal products.
Snowflake Safari
Next snowstorm, grab a magnifying glass and try snowflake hunting.
The Cheese Chronicles
Author and cheese expert Liz Thorpe explains the science of cheesemaking.
Moths Can Escape Bats By Jamming Sonar
For over 50 million years, bats and moths have been engaged in an evolutionary arms race: bats evolving new tricks to catch moths, and moths developing counter-measures to escape bats.
Ocean Priorities
Ira talks with Peter Seligmann, chairman of Conservation International, and with Philippe Cousteau Jr. about the connections between ocean policy, the environment, and the economy.
Another Reason To Spike That Eggnog
It is a question on the minds of many people this season: will adding alcohol to the homemade eggnog safeguard against salmonella?
Water Balloons in Space
About ten years ago, two scientists had a little extra time on board NASA’s low gravity aircraft and came up with the idea of popping water balloons.