Undergraduate, Peer-Reviewed Science Journal
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Issue 5, November 2002 Science on the Radio Jennifer DeMichele Natural Resources, Cornell University demichele@jyi.org The Need In
addition, Richard Harris, a science correspondent for National
Public Radio, says science radio shows demand that the program
hosts present the material as if they were having a conversation
with another individual, rather than starting to write up a dissertation.
General Science Fix Quirks and Quarks, the oldest radio science program in North America, has the potential to satisfy the science aficionado, as well as anyone interested in learning about science. According to the Quirks and Quarks Web site, the show brings its half a million listeners to "the cutting edge of science inquiry, presents the people behind the latest discoveries in the physical and natural sciences," and even examines the "political, social, environmental, and ethic [sic] implications of new developments in science and technology." A program of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Quirks and Quarks, which has won more than 40 national and international awards for science journalism in the last 25 years, is hosted by Bob McDonald every Saturday. McDonald, Canada's best-known science journalist, dissects the most technical scientific processes so that both he and his audience can understand the issues and processes being communicated. As Jim Handman, senior producer of Quirks and Quarks, says, McDonald is known around the studio for the phrase, "let me see if I got that right." If McDonald understands what is being discussed, he hopes that his audience will too, Handman says.
Whether
a topic is difficult or simply of human interest, Quirks and
Quarks typically brings a three-part show to its listeners.
The first part of the hour is usually devoted to the lead documentary
- a highly-researched and produced feature often involving four
weeks of preparation. The topic and scope of these documentaries
alternate between down-to-earth, practical stories and fanciful
ones, Handman says. Recent shows have included topics such as "The
Bionic Man Revisited," "Cheating Chickadees," and the "Evolution
of Modern Behavior." To
find out the subjects of past programs, visit Science Friday's
web page, but if shows are missed, visit Audible.com,
an online vendor of electronic audio books, to buy the full transcripts
of previous Science Friday programs.
Yet the lack of breaking science news does not hinder the scope of the show or weaken Scienceupdate's credibility as a reliable source of science news and information. Rather, the two-week delay in presenting information actually strengths the show, by forcing producers to either take an alternative angle to an already old story, or present infromation nobody would see anyway, Hirshon says. Who listens? "Our audience is not usually science hostile, but they are not necessarily science savvy," Hirshon says. Unlike public radio shows where listeners have an assumed interest in scientific information, commercial radio audiences are random people who may have happened upon Scienceupdate while driving in their cars to work, he says. Accordingly, for a litmus test, Hirshon uses a hypothetical 7-11 convenience store cashier. "If he or she would think the topic is 'really cool,' then it could very well be a potential topic for one of our shows," he said. Some recent topics have included "Ant Civil War," "Headache Prevention," and "Anthrax Antibodies." According to Scienceupdate's Web site, no prior knowledge of the presented subject is required. But because of time constraints, Scienceupdate is biologically oriented. "Unfortunately, having only 90 seconds per show, which translates into a 12-sentence script, we often have to leave out some of the more important and exciting topics out there," says Hirshon, "In a perfect world, we would include more physics and math." While Scienceupdate avoids technical jargon and sticks to straight facts, the program still provides a mechanism that allows its listeners to interact. In addition to visiting the website, where e-mailed comments and suggestions are welcome, Scienceupdate's "Why is it?" airs two times a week to answer previously recorded questions. The number to call to ask a question is 1-800-WHY-IS-IT. Based upon the number of calls and e-mails Scienceupdate receives, Hirshon recognizes that a lot of people out there are interested in both the program and science in general. Unfortunately, unlike Quirks and Quarks, Scienceupdate must rely on advertising for funding because it is a commercial radio program. "This limits the size of our staff and the audience that we can reach," Hirshon says.
Astronomical Fix
In addition, Star Date, which is funded by the McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas and the National Science Foundation, often attempts to put big astronomical discoveries and events into a present-day context, Benningfield says. "Over the years, Star Date has expanded its scope from just addressing issues involving sky watching to all science relevant to astronomy," he said. Like many other radio science programs, people do not need a strong background in science to enjoy Star Date's programs. They do not have to be budding scientists or professionals. Listeners just need a "general interest in the things around them," Benningfield said. "Most of Star Date's success stems from people's inherent interest in astronomy-related subject matter." Recent topics have included "Sun Power," "Black Hole Accelerators," and "Summer Triangle." Benningfield says the radio is a powerful medium for conveying astronomical information and related concepts. The radio forces people to use their imaginations. "You can ask your audience to imagine the formation of a new planet or describe the middle of a star, but you cannot physically show them this," he says. In order to send your imagination on a space odyssey, visit Star Date's Web site. You'll find out which radio stations broadcast the show and at what time. Soon you, too, may know the answer to why certain stars have the color that they do or how to find Venus in the summer night's sky. Earth and Sky For Deborah Byrd, writing only about astronomical topics did not seem to satisfy her scientific interests. Consequently, she left Star Date in 1991 after writing and producing more than 5,000 programs there and partnered with Joel Block to create what would become their own award-winning show, Earth and Sky. Millions of listeners of science daily radio series tune into this radio program, which is broadcast over 950 commercial and public radio stations throughout the United States, Canada, the South Pacific, and international networks. According to the Earth and Sky Web site, Byrd, who writes, hosts, and produces the show, has hoped for "each individual radio show to present an accurate, entertaining, and thought-provoking look at the natural world."
"Topics for Established Ideas in Science" may discuss the earth's dynamic processes, such as the movement of tectonic plates; the earth's, air's, and ocean's chemical processes; and astronomical processes such as the evolution of stars. "Topics for Insights into the Process of Science" may discuss the skepticism surrounding scientific evidence. "Topics for Background on Environmental Issues" provides listeners with the "tools to aid in understanding today's complex environmental issues," as described on the Web site. To determine which topics Earth and Sky will cover on a particular day, a visit to Earth and Sky's award-winning website is a must. On one recent show Byrd and Block discussed the historic battle between scientists and the smallpox bacterium, and gave advice on how to find the North Star. After reading the biographies of Byrd and Block on the Web site, listeners can easily decipher the passion and devotion both have for broadcasting information about the earth and sky. Since the pre-planning stages of the show to this present day, Earth and Sky has continued to produce high-quality, interesting science stories. Such success stems in part from the relationship Byrd and Block have formed with each other. "Deborah and I are really comfortable with each other and with presenting science enrichment features on the radio," Block said. One only has to listen to a few shows to realize the truth behind his statement.
Social Science Fix
Pulse of the Planet provides its more than one million listeners with information about the environment, anthropology, astronomy, and a variety of social science issues. A radio program funded mainly by the Dupont Co., as well as by the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Pulse of the Planet is not a program for listeners who want to absorb information passively. It is an experience that engages all aspects of people's auditory systems. The sounds of animal calls, breaking branches, and howling wind all hold, on edge, the audience's attention. According to the Pulse of the Planet Web site, the show produces "two-minute sound portraits of the planet Earth, tracking the rhythms of nature, culture, and science worldwide, and blending interviews and extraordinary natural sound." Recently, Pulse of the Planet has aired pieces on wild jaguars, dung beetles, and a piece on the Rarumari people of Mexico. Broadcast over 320 public and commercial stations around the world, including Voice of America and The Armed Forces Radio network, Pulse of the Planet brings its listeners to all corners of the globe. The sound is so clear, the script's images so vivid, that listeners often feel as though they are actors within the story, not merely passive listeners. One of the people responsible for these virtual journeys is Jim Metzner, executive producer and host of the show. According to the show's Web site, Metzner has produced more than 2,000 short-format radio programs since 1979, and in 1995 won the Grand Award at the International Radio Festival of New York. To hear Metzner's and his colleagues' work, visit the show's Web site, which provides a listing of radio stations that broadcast the show. The website also provides devoted listeners with MP3 recordings of archived shows. Pulse of the Planet does not end its shows with the phrase "Bringing you the miracles of science for 200 years" for nothing. Some of the show's topics will have listeners saying "wow;" others will leave them shocked. Many listeners may even gain a new appreciation for the sounds produced by the wildest creatures of nature. Withdrawal Escaped Once you realize the radio's potential for disseminating scientific information, the science withdrawal you previously felt will be mitigated, and most likely prevented from reoccurring.Millions of listeners remain devoted to science radio shows day in and day out, and some producers even say the competition for listeners is fierce. I am not surprised. I have listened to each one and am always astonished at their quality. Each has found a unique way to present science in an entertaining but informative way. In our visually dominated culture certain parts of our brain's cortex remain constantly in use while other parts receive little, if no stimulation. The radio challenges its listeners to step away from a world filled with external photographs, diagrams, and charts, and instead step into the world of the mind where they can conjure up their own images to match the radio show's scripts. At one point in time, scientific discovery invented the radio, and paradoxically, today, the tables have turned. The radio has now become a successful means to convey scientific innovations, and if you decide to tune into one of the above programs, you might just find yourself not only nodding your head in agreement, but intellectually challenged and scientifically satiated as well.
Journal of Young
Investigators. 2002. Volume Six.
Copyright © 2002 by Jennifer DeMichele and JYI. All rights reserved. |
JYI is supported by: The National Science Foundation, The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Glaxo Wellcome Inc., Science Magazine, Science's Next Wave, Swarthmore College, Duke University, Georgetown University, and many others.