Ira Flatow

Host and executive producer of Science Friday

Ira Flatow is the host and executive producer of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.

Award winning science correspondent and TV journalist Ira Flatow is the host of Science Friday, heard weekly on PRI, Public Radio International, and online. He anchors the show each Friday, bringing radio and Internet listeners worldwide a lively, informative discussion on science, technology, health, space, and the environment. Ira is also founder and president of the Science Friday Initiative, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit company dedicated to creating radio, TV, and Internet projects that make science “user-friendly.”

Flatow’s interest in things scientific began in boyhood—he almost burned down his mother’s bathroom trying to recreate a biology class experiment. “I was the proverbial kid who spent hours in the basement experimenting with electronic gizmos, and then entering them in high school science fairs,” Flatow says. Mixing his passion for science with a tendency toward being a bit of a ham, Flatow describes his work as the challenge “to make science and technology a topic for discussion around the dinner table.”

He has shared that enthusiasm with public radio listeners for more than 35 years. As a reporter and then news director at WBFO-FM/Buffalo, New York, Flatow began reporting at the station while studying for his engineering degree at State University of New York in Buffalo. As NPR’s science correspondent from 1971 to 1986, Flatow found himself reporting from the Kennedy Space Center, Three Mile Island, Antarctica, and the South Pole. In one memorable NPR report, Flatow took former All Things Considered host Susan Stamberg into a closet to crunch Wint-O-Green Lifesavers, proving they spark in the dark.

His most recent book is entitled Present At The Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations On Science and Nature (HarperCollins).

On television, Flatow has discussed the latest cutting edge science stories on a variety of programs. He also hosted the four-part PBS series Big Ideas, produced by WNET in New York. His numerous TV credits include six years as host and writer for the Emmy award-winning Newton’s Apple on PBS, science reporter for CBS This Morning, and cable’s CNBC. He wrote, produced, and hosted Transistorized!, an hour-long documentary about the history of the transistor, which aired on PBS. He has talked science on many TV talk shows including Merv GriffinTodayCharlie Rose, and Oprah. He has co-starred twice on the CBS hit series The Big Bang Theory.

On the Internet, Flatow has hosted numerous science-related web casts for Discovery Online, The Great Planet Debate, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

In print, Ira has authored articles for various magazines ranging from Woman’s Day to ESPN Magazine to American Lawyer. His commentary has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, and Current newspapers. Public speaking and moderating discussions are a regular part of his schedule. He has spoken at Rockefeller University, the World Economic Forum, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett Packard, Calvin Academy, Cal Tech, MIT, Harvard, University of Wisconsin, OSHU, National Inventor’s Hall of Fame, and the Kentucky Author Forum. In 2004, Ira was resident scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. His recent honors include: the Isaac Asimov Award (2012,) the Nierenberg Prize (2010), Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, membership (2008), National Science Teachers Association Faraday Science Communicator Award (2007), the National Science Board Public Service Award (2005), World Economic Forum Media Fellowship (2005), AAAS Journalism award (2000), Brady Washburn Award (2000), and the Carl Sagan Award (1999). Ira is member of the National Association of Science Writers, AFTRA, and Screen Actors Guild. His hobbies include tennis, golf, gardening (especially orchids), and electronic gadgets. He loves the theater. A native of New York, Flatow now lives in Connecticut.

Shows:

Ira Flatow appears in the following:

Hawai’i Wildfires, Blue-Fin Tuna Science, Maine’s New Lithium Deposit

Friday, August 11, 2023

Find out how blue-fin tuna became a sought-after delicacy. Plus, Maine’s new lithium deposit and a tour of the state’s diverse bird population.

Science-Friday-2023-08-04

Friday, August 04, 2023

TEASE

Answering Evolution Questions, Planetary Protection

Friday, August 04, 2023

We go back to the classroom for a bit of Biology 101. Plus, how do we prevent contaminating other planets? How do we protect other planets from Earth?

Artificial Sweetener Safety, Nuclear Weapons Tech

Friday, August 04, 2023

Artificial sweeteners are widely used, but are they safe? Plus, dive into how nuclear weapons technology has evolved since the Manhattan Project.

Lab-Grown Meat Approval, Underground Climate Change, Utahraptor

Friday, July 14, 2023

A study shows Chicago is facing a new threat: underground climate change. Plus, two companies recently received approval to grow and sell lab-cultivated chicken in the U.S.

Youth Mental Health Crisis, Repairing Sharks’ Bad Reputation

Friday, July 14, 2023

Hospitals can’t keep up with the need for mental health treatment in children. Plus, the children’s book ‘Mother of Sharks’ makes the case for the kings of the deep.

Accessible Birding, Space Sounds, Wasps

Friday, July 07, 2023

In the Colombian Andes, a professional birder has developed trails to help visually disabled people take part in hiking and birding. Plus, why you should thank your local wasp.

Beavers, Pando Tree, $7 Violin

Friday, July 07, 2023

Bringing beavers back may soften future floods and fires. Plus, the ancient Pando tree inspired a sound artist to record the leviathan’s many movements.

Hum Of The Universe, Cephalopod Event In Miami

Friday, June 30, 2023

Scientists have theorized about the hum of gravitational waves for years. Plus, Ira Flatow celebrates Cephalopod Week with two scientists who study squids and octopuses.

Social Media Chaos, Remembering Whale Song Scientist Roger Payne

Friday, June 23, 2023

Roger Payne died earlier this month, after a career spent listening to whalesong. Plus, journalist Max Fisher’s book 'The Chaos Machine' explores how social media has changed society.

Cephalopod Week Salutes See-Thru Squid, Hyperbole In Science Publishing

Friday, June 23, 2023

Researchers will study neural structure in a line of see-through squid. Plus, the incentives of scientific publishing contribute to inflated claims. And a new book on neuroaesthetics.

Avian Flu, Curly Hair

Friday, June 16, 2023

A strain of avian influenza has potentially sweeping implications. Plus, new research aims to better understand the role of hair texture in human evolution.

Science Books For Summer Reading

Friday, June 16, 2023

Two science journalists share their favorite nonfiction and fiction books for the season. Plus, a temperature surge in the North Atlantic is breaking records. 

Living Underwater For 100 Days, Refineries’ Excess Emissions, Owl Fact

Friday, June 09, 2023

Over the last two decades, Texas regulators have allowed companies to release a billion pounds of excess pollution. Plus, what 100 days at the bottom of the sea does to the human body.

Wildfire Smoke, Jurassic Park Reflection, Mosquito DNA Editing

Friday, June 09, 2023

Paleontologists explain how their work was inspired by the classic film, ‘Jurassic Park.’ Plus, an update on the wildfires and its smoke sweeping across Canada and the U.S.

Dwarf Tomatoes, Saguaro Cactus, Sonoran Desert

Friday, June 02, 2023

The Dwarf Tomato Project has generated over 150 tomato new tomato varieties. Plus, tracking saguaro cacti decline. And, conservation scientists want to save the Sonoran Desert.

Rewilding, Allergy Season, Sharing Science Rejections

Friday, June 02, 2023

Rewilding certain animal populations could help absorb greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, after several rejections, a paleoclimatologist found support from other scientists.

Weight and Health Myths, A Corvid Invasion

Friday, May 19, 2023

Author and podcast host Aubrey Gordon uses science to dispel misconceptions about weight and health. Plus, hundreds of crows took up long-term residence in a Baltimore neighborhood.

The B Broadcast: Bees, Beans, Bears, and Butterflies

Friday, May 19, 2023

After fifty years of studying bees, researcher Stephen Buchman suggests bees are sentient. Plus, research into butterflies suggests an origin in the Americas some 100 million years ago. 

Star Trek Science, Listening to Pando

Friday, May 12, 2023

Astrophysicist Dr. Erin Macdonald talks about consulting on the famous Star Trek franchise. Plus, a sound recordist created an “acoustic portrait” of Utah’s Pando aspen  tree.