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Blue Dot 88: Science Friday Squared!

Ira Flatow

On this episode of Blue Dot, Dave talks to fellow science communications host Ira Flatow who joined us from his home in Connecticut. The award winning host of Public Radio International's Science Friday tells us about being on the NPR staff in the early days as a science correspondent, the PBS television series he hosted for kids, Newton's Apple, his love of science and gadgets plus some tips for would be guests on the show. Ira also tells us about what it was like to play himself on the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Dave is also joined by United States Geological Survey research scientist Francis Rengers about the recent, tragic debris flows in Montecito, California that took 20 lives. Rengers specializes in studying the impacts of wildfires and how they can lead to catastrophic erosion like what was seen following the Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara County.

Dave Schlom is the longtime host and creator of Blue Dot. From surfing to Voyager in interstellar space, rock guitar to orcas in our imperiled oceans, the topics on Blue Dot are as varied as the host’s interests and connections -- which are pretty limitless! An internationally respected space history journalist, Dave is also deeply fascinated by all aspects of the grand workings of nature’s awesome machinery on scales ranging from galactic to subatomic. And topics take in all aspects of the arts and sciences.