A special podcast mini-series for the summers of 2022 and 2023 (and 2025–watching this space!). Tune in each week for conversations with dynamic and talented science communicators. We’ll cover how they got into science communication, their approach to conveying research findings in an engaging way, and what you can do to be a more effective communicator. I emphasize social science communication because that’s my background, but the series draws broadly on science communication in general.
All episodes will be released on the Opinion Science podcast feed, which is available on all major podcast platforms.
- Joss Fong (Senior Editorial Producer at Vox.com) discusses the challenges of visually communicating social science concepts in video.
- Meryl Horn (Producer at Science Vs) discusses how she and her team makes the Spotify original podcast Science Vs, conveying science-based takes on current issues.
- David McRaney (Author and Host of You Are Not So Smart) provides his take on communicating insights from psychology via writing and podcasting.
- David Nussbaum (Founder of Psychgeist Media) teaches listeners how to pitch and write Op-Ed articles grounded in social science.
- Taylor Scott (Co-Director of the Research-to-Policy Collaboration) provides tools for social scientists who want to impact policy by communicating their science to lawmakers.
- Evelyn Carter (President at Paradigm) reveals how she meets the challenge of communicating evidence-based practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion as a trainer and consultant.
- Daniel Pink (Bestselling Author, “Drive,” “The Power of Regret”) shares his process for planning and writing books that integrate findings in social science for the public.
- Vanessa Bohns (Cornell University) tells her story of pitching, writing, and promoting a book based on her program of research for the public.
- Jesse Thorn (Host of “Bullseye” on NPR) shares his insights on interviewing and how to prepare to talk to someone when that conversation is the final product.
- Tim Houlihan & Kurt Nelson (Hosts of “Behavioral Grooves”) discuss how to interview behavioral scientists and be interviewed as a behavioral scientist.
- Alie and Micah Caldwell (Co-Creators of “Neurotransmissions”) share what they’ve learned about independently producing engaging neuroscience and psychology content on YouTube.
- Steve Rathje (1M followers on TikTok) shares how he uses TikTok to introduce an entirely new audience to psychological science.
- John Sides (Co-Founder and Publisher of The Monkey Cage) discusses why it’s important for social scientists to have a public voice and how they can contribute to evolving political discussions.
- Melinda Wenner Moyer (Science Journalist and Author of “How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes”) gets into the weeds on reporting science stories and conveying complicated findings to her readership.
- Adam Mastroianni (Author of “Experimental History”) talks about how he uses Substack to write about behavioral science and what he thinks scientists’ responsibilities are to ensure their work is accessible.
- Sam Jones (Science Reporter and Producer of “Tiny Matters”) shares her journey from working on a PhD to becoming a full-time science reporter and what she’s learned along the way.
- Siri Carpenter (Co-Founder of The Open Notebook) tells the story of how she helped build one of the great resources for science communicators.
- Alie Ward (Host of “Ologies”) shares how she balances her creative and scientific interests and how Ologies became a way to showcase the human side of science.
- Latif Nasser (Co-Host of “Radiolab”) gives a glimpse into his process of chasing curious ideas and building them into compelling stories that explore big questions.
- Adam Cole (Co-Host of “Howtown”) shares his story, breaks down the process of visually conveying science methods, and discusses working with a creative partner.
- Joel Bervell (Medical Mythbuster) discusses the quirks of being a science-minded influencer and how to do it authentically.
- Alex Dainis (Video Producer) talks about being an independent content creator, staying organized, and committing to getting the facts right. Coming soon!
- Alison Fragale (Organizational Psychologist, Author of “Likable Badass”) shares her approach to booking speaking engagements and developing compelling talks rooted in social science. Coming soon!
- Joe Palca (Former NPR correspondent) discusses his unlikely journey from graduate school to producing captivating short science stories for the radio. Coming soon!
- Sarah McAnulty (“Squidfacts,” “Skype a Scientist”) discusses using street art as a vehicle for science communication and her initiative to connect scientists with curious students. Coming soon!
- Lulu Miller (“Invisibilia,” “Radiolab,” “Terrestrials”) shares how she ended up reporting science stories and how she digs for evocative stories when sharing science with adults and kids alike. Coming soon!
