Ira Flatow

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Ira Flatow

Ira Flatow receiving the National Science Board Public Service Award in 2005
Born (1949-03-09) March 9, 1949[1][2]
New York City, New York, U.S.[2]
Show Science Friday
Network Public Radio International
Time slot Friday
Style Host
Country United States
Previous show(s) Newton's Apple
Website Personal website
Science Friday website
module

Ira Flatow (/ˈaɪərə ˈfleɪtoʊ/; born March 9, 1949) is a radio and television journalist and author who hosts Public Radio International's popular Science Friday.[3] On TV, he hosted the Emmy Award-winning Newton's Apple, a television science program for children and their families.[4] He hosted the PBS series Big Ideas[5] and has published several books, the most recent titled Present At The Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science And Nature.[4]

Personal life

Flatow is a native of New York. He currently lives in Connecticut.[3]

Career

In 1969, Flatow began working in radio at WBFO, in Buffalo, New York, first as a reporter covering Vietnam anti-war demonstrations and riots and then as news director, 1971. During this time, he was working on an engineering degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Flatow's first science stories were created in 1970 during the first Earth Day.[3]

National Public Radio

From 1971 to 1986, he was on staff at NPR serving as a production assistant, associate producer, producer and science correspondent and reported on topics including the Kennedy Space Center, Three Mile Island, HIV/AIDS and the South Pole. From 1991-2013 he hosted of Science Friday, which he anchored each Friday discussing topics in science and technology.[3][4]

PRI, Public Radio International

On January 1, 2014 Science Friday program moved to PRI, Public Radio International with Flatow as host. The radio program airs from the City University of New York CUNY Graduate Center studios.

Television

From 1982 through 1987 he hosted the Emmy Award-winning PBS science program Newton's Apple, which originated at KTCA in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1991, he wrote and reported science and technology for CBS News' "CBS This Morning." He has discussed cutting edge science on a number of programs, including the Cablevision program Maximum Science. He hosted the PBS series Big Ideas produced by WNET. His TV credits include science reporter for CBS This Morning, Westinghouse, and cable's CNBC. He wrote, produced and hosted an hour-long documentary about the history of the transistor called "Transistorized!", which aired on PBS. He has talked about science on a number TV shows including Merv Griffin, Today, Charlie Rose, and Oprah. He has written three books that popularize topics in science and technology: Rainbows, Curveballs, and Other Wonders of the Natural World Explained, They All Laughed... From Light Bulbs to Lasers: The Fascinating Stories Behind the Great Inventions That Have Changed Our Lives, and Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.[4][6]

Flatow is founder and president of the Science Friday Initiative (previously TalkingScience) a non-profit company dedicated to creating radio, TV, and Internet projects aimed making science user friendly.[4][7]

In 2009, Flatow had a cameo appearance as himself in The Vengeance Formulation in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. In the episode, Flatow interviews Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) on his research on magnetic monopoles.[citation needed] Flatow was given a co-star credit.

In 2012, Flatow was referenced in the 3rd season Archer episode, Skin Game, by title character Sterling Archer.[citation needed]

In 2013, Flatow gets another co-star appearance in The Big Bang Theory show, Season 7 Episode 10, interviewing Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter about Cooper's failed discovery The Discovery Dissipation

Honors and awards

  • Dr. of Science Education, Muhlenberg College, (honorary 2013)
  • National Science Teachers Association Faraday Science Communicator Award (2007)
  • Elizabeth Wood Writing (2002)
  • National Association of Science Writers Science In Society Journalism Award (1981)
  • Ohio State Award (1981)
  • AAAS-Westinghouse Science Journalism Award - Radio (1983)
  • AAAS-Westinghouse Science Journalism Award - Television (1983)
  • AAAS-Science Journalism Award - Television (2000)
  • Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest (2010)
  • American Humanist Association's Isaac Asimov Science Award (2012)
  • American Psychological Foundation National Media Award (1977)
  • American Institute of Biological Sciences President's Citation Award (2008)
  • Women in Communications Matrix Award (1992)
  • Bronze Cindy Award, Information Film Producers of America (1980)
  • National Technology Leadership Excellence Award (2003)
  • Sagan Award, Council of Scientific Society Presidents, (1999)

References

  1. ↑ "Ira Flatow". Amazon.com. Retrieved 19 January 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Ira Flatow". Retrieved 19 January 2013. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Ira Flatow". NPR. Retrieved 19 January 2013. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Ira Flatow". National Public Radio. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Big Ideas". WNET, New York Public Media. Retrieved 19 January 2013. 
  6. ↑ "Ira Flatow: 2005 Honorary Member". Sigma XI. Retrieved 19 January 2013. 
  7. ↑ "Science Friday Initiative". Retrieved 19 January 2013. 

Bibliography

  • Flatow, Ira; Coale, Howard (1988). Rainbows, Curveballs, and Other Wonders of the Natural World Explained. New York: William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-06705-0. 
  • Flatow, Ira (1992). They All Laughed... From Light Bulbs to Lasers: The Fascinating Stories Behind the Great Inventions That Have Changed Our Lives. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-016445-X. 
  • Flatow, Ira (2007). Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-073264-6. 

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