Podcasts as tools for science communication

MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Dr. Latif Nasser and Lulu Miller, the hosts of Radiolab, to understand how podcasts can be used to tell scientific stories. Radiolab, launched in 2002, is an investigative podcast that covers a diverse range of topics, from science to politics to philosophy [1]. Known for its versatility, Radiolab excels in storytelling, and has been recognized by multiple prestigious awards like the Peabody Award, People’s Choice Podcast Awards and many more [2]. Miller and Nasser have been involved in the creation of Radiolab episodes in multiple capacities: reporting, producing, and since 2020, hosting. Lulu Miller is a Peabody Award-winning science journalist, and the author of the international bestseller, Why Fish Don’t Exist. Her written work has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, VQR, and beyond. She is also the creator of the podcast Terrestrials and co-creator of Invisibilia. She has won honors from the National Academy of Sciences and the Associated Press, among others. Dr. Latif Nasser got his PhD in History of Science from Harvard University and has reported stories on everything from snowflake photography to medieval robots. Beyond Radiolab, he has hosted the mini-series The Other Latif, and the Netflix documentary series, Connected. In this interview, Miller and Nasser discuss the intricacies of podcasting as a medium of communication and offer insights into how scientists can use storytelling to effectively communicate complex scientific ideas to a broad audience.