Science!!!

If you love science too, you should really check out :

1) RadioLab from WNYC public radio.  How do I thee, RadioLab, let me count the ways...  It's a blend of artistry, science, music and masterful storytelling so of course I like it!  If you're familiar with "This American Life" it's in that ballpark--radio that's exploring new territory and completely enthralling.

The creativity, the use of sound effects, humor and music is reminiscent of Bill Nye but for grown-ups.  And yes, there are occassional episodes which discuss some topics, in a scientific context, that may not be appropriate for an elementary-age person.  The topics run the gamut.  They cover many disciplines of science, often within a single episode.  Robert Krulwich is just awesome and a long-time favorite of NPR listeners.  Jad Abumrad is positively brilliant and will be in radio for a long, long time, I predict. 

You can download podcasts for free (but, of course, you can do so with a clearer conscience if you're a fellow NPR/WNYC supporter, wink, wink).  I started with the "Emergence" episode and that's still my all-time favorite.  The "shorts" are just as good or even, in their own ways, better than the full-length episodes.

2) NPR's Science Friday (part of the Talk of the Nation series).  In general, call-in radio programs are not my cup of tea but, with this show, the guest scientists get to really tell their story and host Ira Flatow asks some intelligent questions.  They don't usually take a ton of call-in questions and, when they do, the callers usually ask pretty good questions (still wish they'd just avoid this, though). 

Again, download the podcasts which, thankfully, have a description of the topic, and you can just listen to the stuff that intrigues you.  They also do some great stuff especially for young folks so it's a great learning tool for, among others, home learners. 

3)  My father, also a science enthusiast, has something of a crush one of the science writers for the NY Times, Olivia Judson ;-)  Her weekly pieces on various science subjects are wonderful introductions to various science subjects and, usually, apply to our lives, either individually or collectively.

4) Your local library for awesome audiobooks.  I admit it, I do a lot of listening to books and not that much actual reading.  I won't explain or make excuses but audiobooks allow me to really delve into stuff I want to learn about (and that's just about everything).  The issue with podcasts, magazine articles and all but the most in-depth TV programs is that there's just not enough time to REALLY explore all the facts.  Books and audiobooks, of course, can be as long as they need to be for the reader to grasp the topic. The great thing about audiobooks is that a good reader can keep you tuned in.  Their vocal inflections can help keep you focused in a way that mere printed words may not.  Of course, they usually lack the illustrations so it's a trade-off and there's DEFINITELY a place for printed books but try out a non-fiction, science-oriented audiobook sometime and see if it's something that you might enjoy too.