Editing Ira Flatow

{{short description|American journalist, science radio host (born 1949)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox presenter
| image              = Ira Flatow at BookCon (26611).jpg
| imagesize          = 
| name               = Ira Flatow
| caption            = Flatow at [[BookCon]] in June 2019
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1949|03|07}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Ira Flatow|website=Amazon |url=https://www.amazon.com/Ira-Flatow/e/B001ILKD7K|access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref><ref name=birth>{{cite web|title=Ira Flatow|url=http://www.last.fm/music/Ira+Flatow|access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref>
| birth_place        = New York City, United States<ref name=birth/>
| alma_mater         = [[State University of New York at Buffalo]] (BS)
| children           = 3
| show               = ''[[Science Friday]]''
| network            = [[WNYC Studios]]
| timeslot           = Friday, Podcasts, On demand
| style              = Host, executive producer
| country            = United States
| prevshow           = ''[[Newton's Apple]]''
| spouse             = {{marriage|Miriam Flatow |August 28, 1983}}
| website            = {{URL|iraflatow.com}}
}}

'''Ira Flatow''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|l|eɪ|t|oʊ}}; born March 9, 1949) is a radio and television journalist and author who hosts [[WNYC|WNYC Studio]]'s popular program ''[[Science Friday]]''.<ref name = npr>{{cite web|title=Ira Flatow|url=https://www.npr.org/programs/scifri/flatow.html|publisher=NPR|access-date=January 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609120313/https://www.npr.org/programs/scifri/flatow.html|archive-date=June 9, 2013}}</ref> On TV, he hosted the [[Emmy Award]]-winning [[PBS]] series ''[[Newton's Apple]]'', a television science program for children and their families.<ref name = Ira>[https://www.npr.org/people/2100482/ira-flatow "Ira Flatow"]. [[National Public Radio]]. Retrieved January 15, 2013.</ref> Later he hosted another PBS series, ''Big Ideas''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Big Ideas|url=http://www.thirteen.org/bigideas/|publisher=WNET, New York Public Media|access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref> He has published several books, the most recent titled ''Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature''.<ref name = Ira/>

==Personal life==
Flatow is a native of New York and currently lives in [[Connecticut]].<ref name = npr/> He has been married to realtor Miriam Flatow (née Wagenberg) since 1983<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wagenberg|first1=Miriam|title=Marriage Miriam Wagenberg|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/29/style/miriam-wagenberg-is-wed.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 29, 1983 }}</ref> and has three children.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Flatow|first1=Miriam|url=https://www.raveis.com/agentprofile.asp?AGENT=8232&smart=1|website=Raveis.com|title=Miriam}}</ref>

== Education ==
Flatow graduated from [[State University of New York at Buffalo]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Encyclopedia.com|title=Encyclopedia.com|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/flatow-ira-1949|website=Encyclopedia.com}}</ref> with a BS in engineering in 1971.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Flatow|first1=Ira|title=Ira Flatow Degree|url=http://www.iraflatow.com/IraFlatow/CV.html|website=Iraflatow.com|access-date=April 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104010508/http://www.iraflatow.com/IraFlatow/CV.html|archive-date=November 4, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Career==
In 1966, Flatow began his career in broadcasting working in television at KHD-21 TV at H. Frank Carey High School in [[Franklin Square, New York]].  In 1969, Flatow began working in radio at [[WBFO]], in [[Buffalo, New York]], first as a reporter covering Vietnam anti-war demonstrations and riots and then as news director, 1971.  During this time, he was working on an engineering degree at the [[State University of New York, Buffalo|State University of New York at Buffalo]]. Flatow's first science stories were created in 1970 during the first [[Earth Day]].<ref name = npr/>

===National Public Radio===
From 1971 to 1986, he was on staff at NPR serving as a production assistant, associate producer, producer and science correspondent and reported on topics including the [[Kennedy Space Center]], [[Three Mile Island accident|Three Mile Island]], [[HIV/AIDS]] and the South Pole. From 1991 to 2013 he hosted [[Science Friday]] for NPR, which he anchored each Friday afternoon, discussing topics in science and technology.<ref name = npr/><ref name = Ira/>

===PRI, Public Radio International===
On January 1, 2014, the ''Science Friday'' program moved from NPR to PRI ([[Public Radio International]]) with Flatow continuing as host.<ref name = Ira/><ref>{{cite web|title=Flatow Finds More Traction For Science Friday In PRI|url=http://www.current.org/2013/12/flatow-finds-more-traction-for-science-friday-in-pri-distribution/|access-date=November 20, 2014}}</ref>

===WNYC Studios===
On April 11, 2018, distribution of ''Science Friday'' changed hands once more when it went from PRI to [[WNYC Studios]].<ref>[http://current.org/2018/01/science-friday-partners-with-wnyc-on-distribution/ 'Science Friday' partners with WNYC on distribution] ''Current Public Media,'' January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.</ref>

===Television===
From 1982 through 1987 he hosted the Emmy Award-winning PBS science program ''Newton's Apple'', which originated at [[KTCA]] in [[St. Paul, Minnesota]]. In 1991, Flatow wrote and reported science and technology for CBS News' ''[[CBS This Morning]]''. He has discussed cutting-edge science on a number of programs, including the [[Cablevision]] program ''Maximum Science''. He hosted the PBS series ''Big Ideas'' produced by [[WNET]]. His TV credits include science reporter for ''CBS This Morning'', Westinghouse, and cable's [[CNBC]]. Flatow wrote, produced and hosted an hour-long documentary about the history of the [[transistor]] called ''Transistorized!'', which aired on PBS.  He has talked about science on a number TV shows including ''[[The Merv Griffin Show]]'', ''[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]]'', ''[[Charlie Rose (TV series)|Charlie Rose]]'', and ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]''. He has written three books that popularize topics in science and technology: ''Rainbows, Curveballs, and Other Wonders of the Natural World Explained''; ''They All Laughed... From Light Bulbs to Lasers: The Fascinating Stories Behind the Great Inventions That Have Changed Our Lives''; and ''Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature''.<ref name = Ira/><ref name = XI>{{cite web|title=Ira Flatow: 2005 Honorary Member|url=http://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/prizes/honor.flatow.shtml|publisher=Sigma XI|access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref>

Flatow is founder and president of the Science Friday Initiative (previously TalkingScience) a nonprofit company dedicated to creating radio, TV, and Internet projects aimed at making science user friendly.<ref name = Ira/><ref>{{cite web|title=Science Friday Initiative|url=http://www.scifri.org|access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref>

In 2009, Flatow had a voice cameo appearance as himself on the [[CBS]] sitcom ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'' in "The Vengeance Formulation" (season 3, episode 9). In the episode, Flatow interviews [[Sheldon Cooper|Dr. Sheldon Cooper]] ([[Jim Parsons]]) on his research on [[magnetic monopole]]s. Flatow was given a co-star credit.

In 2013, Flatow appears as himself in person for another guest-star appearance on ''The Big Bang Theory'', interviewing [[Sheldon Cooper|Dr. Sheldon Cooper]] and [[Leonard Hofstadter|Dr. Leonard Hofstadter]] on ''Science Friday'' about Cooper's failed discovery in "The Discovery Dissipation" (season 7, episode 10).

In 2017, Flatow once again appeared on ''The Big Bang Theory'' interviewing Leonard Hofstadter for "Science Friday" (Season 11, Episode 2).

In 2014, Flatow settled a dispute with the federal government over a federal grant from the [[National Science Foundation]]. Flatow did not admit any wrongdoing and he and his company settled with the government for a fee of about $146,000. Flatow and ScienceFriday, Inc., were barred from future federal grants for one year, ending in 2015.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao/ct/Press2014/20140916.html|title=ScienceFriday, Inc. and Ira Flatow To Pay $145,531 To Resolve Allegations of Misuse Of NSF Grant|date=March 18, 2015 |publisher=The U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut}}</ref>

==Honors and awards==
[[File:Ira Flatow.jpg|thumb|Ira Flatow receiving the National Science Board Public Service Award in 2005]]
*Doctor of Humanities, SUNY Buffalo (honorary 2014)
*Distinguished Visiting Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara (2014)
*Doctor of Science Education, Muhlenberg College (honorary 2013)
*[[American Humanist Association]]'s Isaac Asimov Science Award (2012)
*[[Nierenberg Prize]] for Science in the Public Interest (2010)
*Member [[Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iraflatow.com/IraFlatow/CV.html|title=CV|website=www.iraflatow.com|access-date=November 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104010508/http://www.iraflatow.com/IraFlatow/CV.html|archive-date=November 4, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*American Institute of Biological Sciences President's Citation Award (2008)
*National Science Teachers Association Faraday Science Communicator Award (2007)
*Alan Houghton Award, [[Harlem Children Society]] (2006)
*National Science Board, Public Service Award (2005)
*National Technology Leadership Excellence Award (2003)
*[[Elizabeth A. Wood|E.A. Wood]] Science Writing Award (2002)
*AAAS-Science Journalism Award - Television (2000)
*[[Carl Sagan Award for Public Appreciation of Science]], Council of Scientific Society Presidents (1999)
*Women in Communications Matrix Award (1992)
*AAAS-Westinghouse Science Journalism Award - Radio (1983)
*AAAS-Westinghouse Science Journalism Award - Television (1983)
*[[National Association of Science Writers]] Science In Society Journalism Award (1981)
*Ohio State Award (1981)
*Bronze Cindy Award, Information Film Producers of America (1980)
*American Psychological Foundation National Media Award (1977)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book | last=Flatow | first=Ira | author2=Coale, Howard | title=Rainbows, Curveballs, and Other Wonders of the Natural World Explained | location=New York | publisher=William Morrow & Co | year=1988 | isbn=0-688-06705-0 | url=https://archive.org/details/rainbowscurvebal00flat }}
*{{Cite book | last=Flatow | first=Ira | title=They All Laughed... From Light Bulbs to Lasers: The Fascinating Stories Behind the Great Inventions That Have Changed Our Lives | location=New York | publisher=HarperCollins | year=1992 | isbn=0-06-016445-X | url=https://archive.org/details/theyalllaughedfr00flat }}
*{{Cite book | last=Flatow | first=Ira | title=Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature | location=New York | publisher=HarperCollins | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-06-073264-6 | url=https://archive.org/details/presentatfuturef00flat }}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{external media
| width = 160px
| float = upright
| headerimage= 
| video1   =[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aglMNj4hld0 Rare Earth Elements: The Intersection of Science and Society], presentation and discussion led by Ira Flatow, [[Science History Institute]], September 24, 2019 }}
*[http://iraflatow.com/ Ira Flatow official website]
*[http://www.sciencefriday.com ''Science Friday'' official website]
*[http://www.scifri.org Science Friday Initiative web site]
*{{IMDb name|0281292}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olMjWuucgfA Interview with Ira Flatow], ''A DISCUSSION WITH National Authors on Tour'' TV Series, Episode #22 (1992)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flatow, Ira}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:American radio journalists]]
[[Category:American television journalists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:NPR personalities]]
[[Category:University at Buffalo alumni]]
[[Category:American male journalists]]
[[Category:American online journalists]]
[[Category:Journalists from New York City]]