John works with the radio team to create our weekly show, and is helping to build our State of Science Reporting Network. He’s also been a long-time guest host on Science Friday.
He and his wife have three cats, thousands of bees, and a yoga studio in the sleepy Northwest hills of Connecticut.
John likes building radio collaborations. He helped bring together 18 stations across the Northeast to cover environmental issues, which eventually led to the New England News Collaborative, worked with NPR on their Collaborative Coverage Project, and with the national talk program America Amplified.
For 25 years, John oversaw news programming at WNPR, where he started the daily talk show, Where We Live. He’s also produced award-winning long-form documentaries on mental health and care for the elderly, and hundreds of short stories for NPR and public radio stations, including one about virtual reality in dentistry that’s actually pretty embarrassing to listen to now.
You can also see him doing live events for The Connecticut Mirror, The Connecticut Forum, and The International Festival of Arts & Ideas.
John grew up in Pittsburgh, and is as big a Mr. Rogers fan as you’ll find anywhere.
17:05
The Legacy Of Primatologist Frans de Waal
Dr. Frans de Waal, who died this month, helped humans understand the emotional lives of our closest living animal relatives.
7:20
Should The Aliens In ’65’ Have Known About Earth’s Dinos?
In the movie “65,” an alien crashes on Earth during the Jurassic era, shocked to discover dinosaurs. An astrobiologist has questions.
12:16
Faraway Planets Could Have Oceans Of Magma
Hycean planets were thought to be covered by oceans of water, but a new study suggests it could be magma instead.
17:07
The World According To Sound: A Sonic History Of Astronomy
A new podcast series examines sonified space data to explore pivotal moments throughout the history of astronomy.
17:09
One Crisis After Another: Designing Cities For Resiliency
The leaders of a global architecture and design firm discuss how design can help communities adapt to global crises.
7:07
The Art And Science Of Trash Talk
Author Rafi Kohan explains the psychological and physiological responses to trash talk, ahead of Super Bowl Sunday.
17:16
Speaking Multiple Languages Changes The Way You Think
Speaking more than one language has the power to shape memory and cognition–and perhaps even delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.
7:08
The Mysteries Of Freshwater Jellyfish
Researchers think the species hitched a ride on aquatic plants shipped from China, then spread across the Midwest.
9:18
Devastating Fires Might Become More Common In Hawai’i
Why were the fires in Maui so destructive and how could climate change make fires there more frequent? Plus, more stories from this week in science news.
24:25
From Splenda to Aspartame: Are the Artificial Sweeteners We Use Hurting Us?
The science behind the WHO’s declaration of aspartame as a “possible carcinogen,” and the effects of artificial sweeteners on human health.