Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She heads the show’s State of Science project, bringing local science stories to a national audience.
Before joining the Science Friday team in 2020, Kathleen reported on tech and breaking news at WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR station. One time, her coworkers made her a dinosaur themed birthday cake, complete with a Rice Krispy meteor.
Kathleen is originally from the great state of Michigan, and is always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners. She can often be found taking long walks to run errands that would be done much faster by other modes of transportation.
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10:16
Scientists Identify The ‘ManhattAnt’ Spreading Across NYC
An unknown ant was spotted in Manhattan in 2011, and it quickly spread through New York City. We now know what it is.
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12:12
Training Dogs To Stop The Spread Of Spotted Lanternflies
The invasive insects often lay eggs on vehicles and shipped goods. Now researchers are training dogs to sniff them out before they hatch.
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12:13
Study Finds A Staggering Amount Of Plastic In Human Brains
A new study measuring microplastics in organs of the recently deceased found that about two dozen brain samples were 0.5% plastic by weight.
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7:59
Protecting Sequoias From Wildfire Raises Tricky Questions
Sequoia National Park is largely designated as wilderness. That complicates efforts to protect its iconic trees from worsening wildfires.
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8:51
Releasing Campsite Reservations In Waves Makes Booking Fairer
Some national and state parks are changing the way they open up campsite reservations online to make them more accessible to everyone.
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17:04
An Expert Vegetable Breeder On Innovating Crops For The Future
As the climate changes, we need vegetables resilient to drought, pests, and heat. An expert explains how to breed plants for harsh conditions.
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12:09
Could We Get Weather Forecasts Years—Or A Decade—In Advance?
Move over, Farmer’s Almanac. A more accurate long-term weather forecast could be on the horizon.
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16:42
The Promise Of Perovskite Solar Panels
This specific type of solar cell is more efficient than what’s currently on the market. But what is it, and can it be scaled up?
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17:22
What The Private Sale Of Fossils Means For Paleontology
After a stegosaurus skeleton sold for $44.6 million, paleontologists are concerned about how selling dinosaur fossils affects research.
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12:05
Hawaiʻi Wildfire Survivors To Join Long-Term Health Study
The University of Hawaiʻi study will be the largest of its kind to investigate the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires.