''Big Picture Science'' is an independent national science radio program and podcast hosted by astronomer

Seth Shostak Seth Shostak (born July 20, 1943) is an American astronomer and author, and is currently the senior astronomer for the SETI Institute. Shostak co-hosts the weekly radio show/podcast '' Big Picture Science'', has played himself numerous times in ...

and journalist Molly Bentley, the executive producer of the show. The program uses innovative storytelling to connect trends in contemporary research and technology. Episodes are thematic, providing in-depth discussion of the latest developments in science. Guests include researchers from academic, public and private spheres, popular science writers, cultural critics, engineers, and

ethicist Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied ethics ...

s focused on science. Regular "Skeptic Check," episodes are devoted to critical thinking and take on topics in

junk science Junk science is spurious or fraudulent scientific data, research, or analysis. The concept is often invoked in political and legal contexts where facts and scientific results have a great amount of weight in making a determination. It usually con ...

and the

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...

. The show is broadcast on approximately 155 radio stations, many of them NPR affiliates. These include

KALW KALW (91.7 MHz) is a non-commercial FM public radio station, owned by the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Its studios are in Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School off Manse ...

in San Francisco,

WCMU-FM WCMU-FM (89.5 FM) is a public radio station in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The station, owned by Central Michigan University, is a National Public Radio member station, airing a news/talk format along with a variety of other programming. It is the ...

in Michigan,

WVPE WVPE (88.1 FM) is the National Public Radio member station for the Michiana region of northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. Licensed to Elkhart, Indiana, and owned by Elkhart Community Schools, it features programming from NPR, American Pub ...

in Indiana, WHRV in Virginia,

WIEC A ''veche'' was a popular assembly during the Middle Ages. The ''veche'' is mentioned during the times of Kievan Rus' and it later became a powerful institution in Russian cities such as Novgorod and Pskov, where the ''veche'' acquired great pro ...

in Wisconsin, and WNYE in New York City. It is carried on about two dozen Native American stations. The show is also available for download via

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

and direct download from podcast networks as well as the show's website where archived shows from 2006 on can also be found. Episodes are cut to an NPR clock. ''Big Picture Science'' was formerly titled ''Are We Alone?'' and was produced at the SETI Institute until January 2025 when the show went independent. It is distributed through the

Public Radio Satellite System The Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) is the interconnected satellite-distributed network managed by NPR (National Public Radio), and used by NPR, Public Radio Exchange (PRX), and American Public Media (APM), as well as independent public radi ...

and

Public Radio Exchange The Public Radio Exchange (PRX) is a non-profit web-based platform for digital distribution, review, and licensing of radio programs. The organization is the largest on-demand catalogue of public radio programs available for broadcast and internet ...

References

External links

* * {{Skeptical podcasts American talk radio programs Audio podcasts Science podcasts 2002 radio programme debuts