On Tuesday, two VIPs (Very Important Pandas) arrived at Washington’s Dulles International Airport, en route to new quarters at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
The giant pandas, male Bao Li [BOW-lee] and female Qing Bao [ching-BOW], will spend several months out of public view acclimating to their new surroundings before making a public debut in January 2025. The arrival marks a new chapter of “panda diplomacy,” which leverages the public’s affection for the cute, charismatic animals to both strengthen US-China ties and fund conservation initiatives.
Sophie Bushwick, senior news editor at New Scientist, joins SciFri’s John Dankosky to talk about the giant pandas’ arrival and other stories from the week in science, including new research into a weird brown dwarf star, a company reporting progress in efforts to “de-extinct” the thylacine, and seven newly-described Madagascar frogs named after “Star Trek” characters.
Further Reading
- Read and listen to our reporting on how “panda diplomacy” led to conservation success.
- Read about the departure of pandas from the Atlanta Zoo after more than 20 years earlier this week, via Online Athens.
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Segment Guests
Sophie Bushwick
Sophie Bushwick is senior news editor at New Scientist in New York, New York. Previously, she was a senior editor at Popular Science and technology editor at Scientific American.
Segment Transcript
The transcript of this segment is being processed. It will be available within one week after the show airs.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Charles Bergquist
@cbquistAs Science Friday’s director and senior producer, Charles Bergquist channels the chaos of a live production studio into something sounding like a radio program. Favorite topics include planetary sciences, chemistry, materials, and shiny things with blinking lights.
About John Dankosky
John Dankosky 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.