Flora Lichtman

Flora Lichtman is a science journalist, filmmaker, author, and broadcaster whose career spans radio, podcasting, video production, and film. Lichtman has produced science media across multiple formats, beginning at Science Friday, where she advanced from intern to fill-in host and resident videographer. Before joining Science Friday, Lichtman worked at a NATO oceanographic laboratory in Italy, studying the effects of noise on marine mammals. This early experience in scientific fieldwork informs the curiosity and rigor present in her work.

Lichtman's filmmaking includes the Emmy-nominated "Animated Life" series, a collection of short films produced for The New York Times Op-Docs in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's HHMI BioInteractive. The series highlights pioneers in science and pivotal moments of discovery. Collaborating with Sharon Shattuck, Lichtman employs paper animation and puppetry to communicate complex scientific topics. She has received Emmy nominations for her television writing and for co-directing this series of short animated films on the history of science. Her writing on Netflix's "Bill Nye Saves the World" and the "Animated Life" series has also earned Emmy nominations.

In podcasting, Lichtman created and hosted Gimlet Media's "Every Little Thing," a listener call-in podcast that ran for 200 episodes and averaged 1 million monthly downloads. She also created and hosted "The Adaptors," a podcast about climate change that ran for five years and published over 200 episodes. As Hypothesis Fund managing editor, Lichtman led storytelling initiatives such as The Leap, highlighting scientists pursuing innovative ideas.

Lichtman is a published author. In "Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us," co-authored with NPR science correspondent Joe Palca, she explores the scientific literature to explain what causes annoyance. The book examines psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, and other disciplines to uncover the science behind everyday irritations.

Lichtman is host of "Science Friday," a science show broadcast nationally on more than 500 public radio stations and available on podcast platforms. Science Friday features two hosts: Ira Flatow, the program's founder, and Lichtman. Her return to the program where she began her career reflects her broad experience in science communication, including filmmaking, authorship, and podcasting.