Robert Krulwich

Robert Krulwich works on radio, podcasts, video, the blogosphere. He has been called "the most inventive network reporter in television" by TV Guide.

Krulwich is a Science Correspondent for NPR. His NPR blog, "Krulwich Wonders" features drawings, cartoons and videos that illustrate hard-to-see concepts in science.

He is the co-host of Radiolab, a nationally distributed radio/podcast series that explores new developments in science for people who are curious but not usually drawn to science shows. "There's nothing like it on the radio," says Ira Glass of This American Life, "It's a act of crazy genius." Radiolab won a Peabody Award in 2011.

His specialty is explaining complex subjects, science, technology, economics, in a style that is clear, compelling and entertaining. On television he has explored the structure of DNA using a banana; on radio he created an Italian opera, "Ratto Interesso" to explain how the Federal Reserve regulates interest rates; he has pioneered the use of new animation on ABC's Nightline and World News Tonight.

For 22 years, Krulwich was a science, economics, general assignment and foreign correspondent at ABC and CBS News.

He won Emmy awards for a cultural history of the Barbie doll, for a Frontline investigation of computers and privacy, a George Polk and Emmy for a look at the Savings & Loan bailout online advertising and the 2010 Essay Prize from the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

Krulwich earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Oberlin College and a law degree from Columbia University.

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Krulwich Wonders...
1:49 pm
Mon March 11, 2013

The History Of Mankind In Five Words, And Other Things Reza Knows

Here are some of the things Reza Farazmand knows. He knows how we dream.

He knows how we hurt ...

He knows how little we know.

And, in his sly way, he knows about imagination ...

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Krulwich Wonders...
6:22 am
Sat March 9, 2013

Guy Builds Solar-Powered Death Ray In His Backyard (Yawn)

Krulwich Wonders...
11:16 am
Fri March 8, 2013

What Happened When Humans Met An Alien Intelligence? Sex Happened

Originally published on Mon March 25, 2013 2:50 pm

Krulwich Wonders...
11:54 am
Wed March 6, 2013

Neil Tyson Pounds The Table, Demanding A Future, Now!

Credit Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images
Krulwich Wonders...
12:49 pm
Mon March 4, 2013

How To Produce A Billion Flowers On The Very Same Day

Krulwich Wonders...
11:38 am
Thu February 28, 2013

MIT Invents A Machine That Can Look At Batman's Face And See His Heart Beating

Credit The New York Times / YouTube

Originally published on Thu February 28, 2013 11:53 am

My pal Erik Olsen at The New York Times has just described an extraordinary new way to look at people. You point a camera at someone, record the image and then, using an "amplifier," you can discover things you've never seen before.

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Krulwich Wonders...
10:16 am
Thu February 28, 2013

Go Away! I Want You As Far Away From Me As Possible. (How Big Is The Universe?)

Credit Minute Physics / YouTube

Originally published on Thu February 28, 2013 2:13 pm

Krulwich Wonders...
9:46 am
Wed February 27, 2013

Close Your Eyes And Imagine A Protein. See Anything? A Housefly, Maybe?

Originally published on Thu February 28, 2013 10:09 am

Pay no attention to this housefly. We'll get to it later, but first, how about a "Do You Recognize This?" quiz.

If I say "DNA," what do you see? Well, instantly, you see one of these:

But what if I say "protein"? What comes to mind? Anything?

Well, for many people, "protein" is what you find on a plate ...

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Krulwich Wonders...
10:25 am
Tue February 26, 2013

Flying Plates Learn To Catch Flying Poles In Switzerland

Credit YouTube

Originally published on Tue February 26, 2013 10:40 am

Krulwich Wonders...
11:32 am
Mon February 25, 2013

What's That Thing Hanging Outside My Bathroom Window? My Neighbor's Drone

Originally published on Mon February 25, 2013 12:08 pm

Krulwich Wonders...
10:08 am
Tue February 19, 2013

The Filibuster Solution, Or 'What If Honeybees Ran The U.S. Senate?'

Bees are democrats. They vote. When a community of bees has to make a choice, like where to build a new hive, they meet, debate and decide. But here's what they don't do: they don't filibuster. No single bee (or small band of bees) will stand against the majority, insisting and insisting for hours. They can't.

Bee biology prevents it.

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Krulwich Wonders...
9:53 am
Fri February 15, 2013

A Crazy But Rational Solution To Our Electoral College Problem

Credit Courtesy of Fake Is The New Real

Originally published on Fri February 15, 2013 2:26 pm

Let's pretend. Let's pretend that politics doesn't matter, politicians don't matter, history doesn't matter, nostalgia doesn't matter, emotion doesn't matter, habit doesn't matter, romance doesn't matter, prejudice doesn't matter — all that matters is good old rational, mathematical, look-at-the-numbers common sense.

And now let's look at the Electoral College.

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Krulwich Wonders...
8:09 am
Thu February 14, 2013

Guy Pumps Out A Valentine — Literally

Originally published on Thu February 14, 2013 1:47 pm

Krulwich Wonders...
11:52 am
Tue February 12, 2013

What Is It About Emily?

Originally published on Tue February 12, 2013 3:46 pm

Krulwich Wonders...
12:40 pm
Mon February 11, 2013

The Egg Makes Its Move In A New Version Of Which Came First: The Chicken Or the Egg?

Which came first? I just bumped into a new take on this old puzzler.

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