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Michael Lemonick

Lemonick went to Hawaii, he wasn?t there for the beach. Instead, the senior science writer for Time Magazine found in himself atop dormant volcano Mauna Kea at the Keck Observatory, chasing down a story that began billions of years ago.

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Michael Lemonick Biography

 The result was the September 2006 cover story, “Let There Be Light,” a narrative that tracked the efforts of British Astronomer Richard Ellis and his Graduate Assistant Dan Stark to discover what fueled the birth of the first stars.

Lemonick shared his thoughts on science writing, and specifically on the process composing this story, in a Question and Answer session with an audience of New York University students and professors on October 24, 2006. The event was moderated by Los Angeles Times science writer Robert Lee Hotz.

The article, which focused on the research and observations of Ellis and Stark, began merely as an idea for a story about the Dark Ages of the universe — the period following the Big Bang but preceding the birth of the first stars. This was “a crucial era for the universe,” Lemonick said. The appearance of the first stars set the stage for everything that came afterwards. “It was during the Dark Ages that the chemical elements we know so well — carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and most of the rest — were first forged out of primordial hydrogen and helium,” writes Lemonick in “Let There Be Light.” “And it was during this time that the great structures of the modern universe — superclusters of thousands of galaxies stretching across millions of light-years — began to assemble.” The closer we get to viewing light from the time of the Big Bang, says the writer, the closer we come to finding out how our world truly began.

Lemonick admitted, however, that when he pitched his editor, he had no real story — no leads, no plot: just an idea he thought was an important one to tell. “Don’t try this at home,” he said with a laugh, adding that he got away with it because he has been “writing long enough to make something out of nothing.” In fact, Lemonick has had over 20 years of practice, twelve of them at Time.

In its initial incarnation, Lemonick’s story about the universe’s infancy was largely speculative. The early draft explored current beliefs about how hard it would be to spot the distant galaxies born immediately after the Big Bang. But, the writer’s personal “Grand Unified Theory of Science Writing,” a theory he created and perfected over the years, told him that something more was needed.

Lemonick’s approach to science writing can be broken down into three steps. First, he writes a draft. Then, he goes through the story and puts it into terms that the average person could understand. This means taking out most of the science jargon. Finally, he tries to anticipate any questions readers might have and makes sure the story answers them. After applying his theory to his Time story, Lemonick realized that the average reader, one with little or no science experience, would not be able to fully grasp what he was saying. Convinced that he needed something more concrete to keep readers’ attention , Lemonick began searching for a human element to his story.

His search brought him to Richard Ellis, who ultimately became the protagonist of “Let There Be Light.” When Lemonick called, Ellis was in the midst of planning a trip to the Keck Observatory in Waimea, Hawaii, which holds two of the world’s most powerful telescopes. There, he and Graduate Assistant Dan Stark were planning to try and view one of six galaxies they believed they’d found, whose lights began their journey to Earth half a billion years after the Big Bang. Ellis and Stark were looking for visual confirmation of the galaxies existence. If successful, they would be the first people to view “the most distant galaxy ever seen,” Lemonick said.

When Stark typed in the wrong username, making the powerful computer-operated Keck telescope unable to focus, Lemonick knew he’d happened on the drama that would keep readers invested in his story. Ellis and Stark had only one night to view the galaxies and, as Ellis said, “If you can’t focus the telescope, you’re stuffed.” In writing about it, Lemonick captured the tension in the observation room, and the relief when they fixed the problem. He had found the final piece of the puzzle. Ellis and Stark were able to view three out of six galaxies. Locating these galaxies led Ellis to believe that astronomers would eventually have enough data to paint a picture of what spurred the birth of the first stars.

Lemonick’s journey didn’t end with the writing of the story, however. Since it wasn’t tied to a particular news hook, his story could run at any time, and he had to be prepared to put the finishing touches on the piece at his editor’s convenience. So, at 3 o’clock on a Friday afternoon, several weeks after writing the story, when Lemonick’s editor called and asked how his stamina was, and then faxed over five pages of questions and revisions, he knew he was in for a rough night. Thanks to his years of experience, he was able to finish the story before dawn the next day.

Despite the last minute rewrites, Lemonick said he wouldn’t change anything. This should come as no surprise from a man who describes astronomy as his “first love,” on his website. Asked what he likes best about being a journalist, he said, “My favorite thing, I think, is interacting with really smart, interesting people…That forces me to look at my world through different eyes.”

FAQs
  • How do I book Michael Lemonick to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Michael Lemonick for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Michael Lemonick, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Michael Lemonick or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Michael Lemonick

    Speaking fees for Michael Lemonick, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Michael Lemonick are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Michael Lemonick, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Michael Lemonick speak about?

    Michael Lemonick is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Culture, Journalism, Science and Technology, Technology Speakers.
  • Where does Michael Lemonick travel from?

    Michael Lemonick generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Michael Lemonick’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Michael Lemonick for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Michael Lemonick for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Michael Lemonick or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Lemonick went to Hawaii, he wasn?t there for the beach. Instead, the senior science writer for Time Magazine found in himself atop dormant volcano Mauna Kea at the Keck Observatory, chasing down a story that began billions of years ago.

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Michael Lemonick Biography

 The result was the September 2006 cover story, “Let There Be Light,” a narrative that tracked the efforts of British Astronomer Richard Ellis and his Graduate Assistant Dan Stark to discover what fueled the birth of the first stars.

Lemonick shared his thoughts on science writing, and specifically on the process composing this story, in a Question and Answer session with an audience of New York University students and professors on October 24, 2006. The event was moderated by Los Angeles Times science writer Robert Lee Hotz.

The article, which focused on the research and observations of Ellis and Stark, began merely as an idea for a story about the Dark Ages of the universe — the period following the Big Bang but preceding the birth of the first stars. This was “a crucial era for the universe,” Lemonick said. The appearance of the first stars set the stage for everything that came afterwards. “It was during the Dark Ages that the chemical elements we know so well — carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and most of the rest — were first forged out of primordial hydrogen and helium,” writes Lemonick in “Let There Be Light.” “And it was during this time that the great structures of the modern universe — superclusters of thousands of galaxies stretching across millions of light-years — began to assemble.” The closer we get to viewing light from the time of the Big Bang, says the writer, the closer we come to finding out how our world truly began.

Lemonick admitted, however, that when he pitched his editor, he had no real story — no leads, no plot: just an idea he thought was an important one to tell. “Don’t try this at home,” he said with a laugh, adding that he got away with it because he has been “writing long enough to make something out of nothing.” In fact, Lemonick has had over 20 years of practice, twelve of them at Time.

In its initial incarnation, Lemonick’s story about the universe’s infancy was largely speculative. The early draft explored current beliefs about how hard it would be to spot the distant galaxies born immediately after the Big Bang. But, the writer’s personal “Grand Unified Theory of Science Writing,” a theory he created and perfected over the years, told him that something more was needed.

Lemonick’s approach to science writing can be broken down into three steps. First, he writes a draft. Then, he goes through the story and puts it into terms that the average person could understand. This means taking out most of the science jargon. Finally, he tries to anticipate any questions readers might have and makes sure the story answers them. After applying his theory to his Time story, Lemonick realized that the average reader, one with little or no science experience, would not be able to fully grasp what he was saying. Convinced that he needed something more concrete to keep readers’ attention , Lemonick began searching for a human element to his story.

His search brought him to Richard Ellis, who ultimately became the protagonist of “Let There Be Light.” When Lemonick called, Ellis was in the midst of planning a trip to the Keck Observatory in Waimea, Hawaii, which holds two of the world’s most powerful telescopes. There, he and Graduate Assistant Dan Stark were planning to try and view one of six galaxies they believed they’d found, whose lights began their journey to Earth half a billion years after the Big Bang. Ellis and Stark were looking for visual confirmation of the galaxies existence. If successful, they would be the first people to view “the most distant galaxy ever seen,” Lemonick said.

When Stark typed in the wrong username, making the powerful computer-operated Keck telescope unable to focus, Lemonick knew he’d happened on the drama that would keep readers invested in his story. Ellis and Stark had only one night to view the galaxies and, as Ellis said, “If you can’t focus the telescope, you’re stuffed.” In writing about it, Lemonick captured the tension in the observation room, and the relief when they fixed the problem. He had found the final piece of the puzzle. Ellis and Stark were able to view three out of six galaxies. Locating these galaxies led Ellis to believe that astronomers would eventually have enough data to paint a picture of what spurred the birth of the first stars.

Lemonick’s journey didn’t end with the writing of the story, however. Since it wasn’t tied to a particular news hook, his story could run at any time, and he had to be prepared to put the finishing touches on the piece at his editor’s convenience. So, at 3 o’clock on a Friday afternoon, several weeks after writing the story, when Lemonick’s editor called and asked how his stamina was, and then faxed over five pages of questions and revisions, he knew he was in for a rough night. Thanks to his years of experience, he was able to finish the story before dawn the next day.

Despite the last minute rewrites, Lemonick said he wouldn’t change anything. This should come as no surprise from a man who describes astronomy as his “first love,” on his website. Asked what he likes best about being a journalist, he said, “My favorite thing, I think, is interacting with really smart, interesting people…That forces me to look at my world through different eyes.”

FAQs on booking Michael Lemonick

  • How do I book Michael Lemonick to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Michael Lemonick for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Michael Lemonick, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Michael Lemonick or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Michael Lemonick

    Speaking fees for Michael Lemonick, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Michael Lemonick are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Michael Lemonick, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Michael Lemonick speak about?

    Michael Lemonick is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Culture, Journalism, Science and Technology, Technology Speakers.
  • Where does Michael Lemonick travel from?

    Michael Lemonick generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Michael Lemonick’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Michael Lemonick for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Michael Lemonick for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Michael Lemonick or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Michael Lemonick is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Michael Lemonick for your event is available upon request. Michael Lemonick generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Samuel Burke, Sebastian Salazar, Andrew Fitzgerald, Brad Stone and Gerard Baker. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Michael Lemonick for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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Speakers Similar to Michael Lemonick

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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