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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12:07
How Underwater Telecom Cables Could Help Detect Tsunamis
Scientists are adding sensors to an underwater cable network to monitor changes in the ocean and quickly detect earthquakes and tsunamis.
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16:33
The 4,000-Year History Of Humans And Silk
For her new book, Aarathi Prasad spent years researching the past and future of silk—and even grew her own silkworms.
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12:12
Why Is Solving The Plastic Problem So Hard?
Plastics are everywhere, in packaging, clothing, and even our bodies. Could they be made less integral to manufacturing and more recyclable?
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6:11
Fighting Banana Blight In A North Carolina Greenhouse
America’s most-consumed fruit is at risk from a fungal disease. Researchers in North Carolina are on a mission to save Cavendish bananas.
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12:18
EPA Sets Limits On ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Drinking Water
A long-awaited rule from the EPA limits the amounts of six PFAS chemicals allowed in public drinking water supplies.
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10:42
Where Snowpack Meets Soil: An Important Winter Home For Bugs
Some spiders, beetles, and centipedes spend winter under snow in a layer called the subnivium. Climate change could threaten this habitat.
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1:32
Drumroll Please! A Performance For The Solar Eclipse
A local percussion section in Akron, Ohio, performed a drumroll for the solar eclipse.
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9:55
Why There Won’t Be A Superbloom This Year
What’s the difference between wildflowers blooming in the desert each spring, and the rare phenomenon of a “superbloom”?
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17:21
Inside The Race To Save Honeybees From Parasitic Mites
Varroa destructor mites are killing honeybees and their babies at alarming rates.
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12:06
How Trees Keep D.C. And Baltimore Cool
Satellite technology—and community outreach—can help harness trees’ cooling power for city residents.