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.
33:56
A Celebration Of The 2023 Christmas Bird Count
Birders across the world band together to record the number of birds in their communities from Dec 14 to Jan 5.
11:43
An Exoplanet Where It Rains Sand
Astronomers are calling the exoplanet “fluffy.” Plus, an update on a possible volcanic eruption in Iceland.
7:53
The Science Behind Your Unraveling Sweaters
A textile professor and knit expert explains why many sweaters today are of poorer quality than sweaters in the past.
11:42
Moon Rocks Collected In 1972 Reveal New Secrets
Research on crystals brought back by the Apollo 17 mission shows that the moon is 40 million years older than we thought.
17:29
How AI Chatbots Can Reinforce Racial Bias In Medicine
Researchers examined four popular chatbots and found they perpetuated debunked, harmful ideas from race-based medicine.
10:30
The Captivating Story Of The West’s Wild Horses
You can buy a wild horse from the federal government for $125. Reporter Ashley Ahearn did just that.
6:22
An Artist Explores The History Of Humans Genetically Modifying Pigs
With opera and visual art, an exhibit looks at modern genetic engineering—and thousands of years of breeding—of pigs.
25:48
2023’s Best Science Books For Kids
An editor and a children’s author weigh in on this year’s best STEM books for kids. Plus, listeners share their own favorites.
RSV Drug For Infants In Short Supply
The illness has reached seasonal epidemic levels in the southern US.
How Poisons Have Shaped Life On Earth
Poisons fill our pantries and gardens. The new book ‘Most Delicious Poison’ explores how common toxins have shaped life on Earth.