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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11:05
Why It Took Decades For This Octopus To Be Recognized
The larger Pacific striped octopus is unusually social. But it wasn’t recognized by scientists until 2015, despite one man’s efforts.
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17:04
‘The Singularity Is Nearer,’ Says Futurist Ray Kurzweil
Two decades after his book “The Singularity is Near,” Kurzweil is back with more predictions about the future of AI.
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5:44
In Wisconsin, Mannequins Help Teach People How To Spot Ticks
Two mannequins walk into a science lab, and one’s got a big tick problem. She can teach humans how to check for ticks.
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8:14
Mexico Has Elected A Scientist President. What Will That Mean?
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo brings scientific expertise to the presidency. How will her leadership shape science policy?
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8:21
Painting Wind Turbine Blades To Prevent Bird Collisions
A wind utility company in Wyoming is trying to make wind turbines more visible to birds by painting just one blade black.
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8:10
Celebrating the Maya Calendar In Guatemala’s Highlands
For thousands of years, Indigenous communities in Guatemala have used observations and mathematics to track astronomical events.
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17:25
Your ‘Biological Age’ Could Be Different Than How Old You Are
Metabolic markers could eventually result in a test for “biological age,” which considers how things other than time age the body.
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12:07
Trees And Shrubs Are Burying Prairies Of The Great Plains
A “green glacier” of trees and shrubs is sliding across the region, burying some of the most threatened habitat on the planet.
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10:39
How Louisiana Is Coping With Flooding In Cemeteries
As climate change intensifies storms, Louisiana is dealing with catastrophic flooding of cemeteries. Now other states face similar problems.
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12:04
Planning To Go See Cicadas? Here’s What To Know
The co-emergence of two periodical cicada broods is underway. Scientists have tips for how to experience the event.