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.
From Rooftops and Abandoned Lots, an Urban Harvest
How about some rooftop honey or dandelion flower jelly? A look at city harvests.
Cracking the Egg Sprinkler Mystery
When engineer Tadd Truscott was in grad school, one of his classmates at MIT suggested they spin an egg in a puddle of milk and film it with a high-speed camera.
Designing the Pied Piper of Fish
Maurizio Porfiri designed a robotic fish that attract real fish. Now he’s trying to understand why.
Pied Piper of Fish
Maurizio Porfiri wants to build robots that can herd fish like sheepdogs. Sound fishy?
Untangling the Hairy Physics of Rapunzel
The secret to animating hair? Physics. Kelly Ward, senior software engineer for Walt Disney Animation Studios, was responsible for bringing Rapunzel’s locks to life in Disney’s Tangled.
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.