For the first time since I started at WKSU more than 25 years ago, I no longer have a regular on-air shift. I am now Ideastream’s full-time science reporter. And I’m loving it.
I also love hosting radio shows, which I’d done since 1998, when I started part-time at WKSU. But there’s nothing like getting out there and talking to people face to face like I’m doing in this new job.
I’ve already talked with Canton residents who are wary of a new, hyperscale data center being built on an abandoned industrial site on the city’s East side. I also spoke with the facility’s developer, who said data centers power everything we do online and support our new digital economy. It’s one of the biggest issues of our time, and I plan to delve into the complexities of data centers and what they mean for our society.
I’m also reporting on one of the most sophisticated machines humans have ever created. The IBM quantum computer at the Cleveland Clinic is one of just a few in the world.
Researchers are using this powerful tool to model how molecules interact with each other in the search for new drugs and other health care challenges. They’re still learning how to use this behemoth of processing power, whose workings are so cosmic, frankly, that it sounds more like science fiction than science reporting. I’m looking forward to explaining as best I can what quantum computing is and why it’s important.
Meanwhile, the infrastructure that powers our daily lives is failing. Lakewood, like other Ohio cities, is struggling with ongoing power outages because of aging cables, switches and transformers. I’m planning to report on how that massive repair job is going, and the challenges facing our power grid, especially with the increasing demands from data centers.
This week I’m also reporting on how one of the most powerful El Nino events in decades could affect Ohio’s weather this winter. In short, it’s good news and bad news.
As you can tell, I’m very excited about this new position, and if you have any science-type stories or questions you’d like me to explore, please get in touch.
I already have a list of story ideas, like:
Why do humans and other primates have fingernails, and what’s the only other type of animal that has them?
What is precision psychiatry and how is it used?
Why do people wake up in the middle of the night – and how did that save humankind?
Why is gratitude good for you?
What causes inflation?
The list goes on.
So I won’t be on the radio each day as a host, though I will fill in from time to time when needed. After 25 years, it’s like riding a bike.
Most of the time, though, you will hear me on the radio and see me on television and social media helping us better understand our complex and amazing world through the lens of science.
“The Cut” is featured in Ideastream Public Media’s weekly newsletter, The Frequency Week in Review. To get The Frequency Week in Review, The Daily Frequency or any of our newsletters, sign up on Ideastream’s newsletter subscription page.