ISTOCK, AZURE-DRAGONAs a science-obsessed kid, I didn’t realize how tedious research can be. Much of being a bench scientist involves mind-numbing tasks, only occasionally punctuated with moments of exciting discovery. Luckily, I’ve found a way to alleviate boredom and make this time feel productive: podcasts.
Podcasts not only make humdrum hours in the tissue culture room fly by, but also show me how to effectively communicate science, keep me informed about wide-ranging fields, and serve as a resource to discover various career options.
Radiolab, Science Friday, Invisibilia, and Science Vs are podcasts that do a wonderful job of communicating science to nonscientists. Many radio listeners are likely familiar with the first two, which are both long-running NPR programs. If not, I recommend starting with Radiolab’s “Antibodies Part 1: CRISPR.” The story-tellers’ jargon-free explanation of this powerful new tool for genomic engineering is fantastic. I have even borrowed some of their vivid descriptions for teaching CRISPR to students.
Invisibilia, which focuses on “the invisible forces that shape human behavior,” is another ...
