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.
17:12
Asheville Was Never A ‘Climate Haven.’ Nowhere Is.
Although the kinds of risks vary by location, there is no place that’s immune to the damaging effects of climate change.
6:04
Lake Michigan Swimmers Enjoy ‘Unsettling’ Warm Water
The lake’s surface temperature has been above average nearly every day this year so far. All five Great Lakes are heating up.
17:25
How The Origin Of Life On Earth Can Help Find Life In Space
In his book “Is Earth Exceptional?,” Mario Livio tackles a question that has captured imaginations for centuries: Are we alone in the universe?
17:20
How Gut Microbes Are Linked To Stress Resilience
A recent study concluded that people who are highly resilient to stress have specific biological signatures in their gut microbiomes.
12:06
Microsoft Makes Deal To Restart Three Mile Island
The company is betting big on nuclear energy to meet increasing power needs of data centers and new technologies like AI.
11:05
What Newly Approved Herbicides Could Mean For Federal Land
This summer, the Bureau of Land Management approved seven herbicides to fight invasive plants in the West.
12:15
Earth May Once Have Had A Ring Like Saturn
The ring would have gradually fallen to Earth as meteorites, correlating to a spike of impacts seen in the geological record.
11:33
SpaceX Crew Completes First Citizen Spacewalk
Two citizen astronauts on SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission left their capsule and returned safely.
16:56
What Research Shows About Smartphone Bans In Schools
Researchers, educators, and parents discuss smartphones in school. Plus, why research on how social media affects teens defies easy answers.
12:05
The First Successful Whole-Eye Transplant, Over A Year Later
While Aaron James can’t see out of his new eye, it remains viable after more than a year. His surgeons say it’s a massive success.