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 Thursday, October 28, 2010 Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest Honors Ira Flatow The public is invited to attend Flatow's free presentation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego As National Public Radio's (NPR) science correspondent from 1971 to 1986, Ira Flatow found himself reporting from the Kennedy Space Center, Three Mile Island, Antarctica and the South Pole. In one memorable NPR report, Flatow took former All Things Considered host Susan Stamberg into a closet to crunch Wint-O-Green Lifesavers, proving they spark in the dark.Flatow has shared that enthusiasm with public radio listeners for more than 35 years, and the TV veteran and author now hosts NPR's weekly Science Friday, bringing radio and Internet listeners worldwide a lively, informative discussion on science, technology, health, space and the environment that makes science "user friendly." Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the William Nierenberg family are honored to announce that Ira Flatow, science journalist and host of NPR's Science Friday, has been selected to receive the 2010 Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest. The public is invited to attend the free presentation by Flatow, entitled "Science is Sexy," following a brief award ceremony on Tuesday, November 9, 2010, at 7 p.m. in the main auditorium at the Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society and the Environment (Scripps Seaside Forum) located at 8610 Kennel Way in La Jolla. Flatow's interest in things scientific began in boyhood. He almost burned down his mother's bathroom trying to recreate a biology class experiment. "I was the proverbial kid who spent hours in the basement experimenting with electronic gizmos, and then entering them in high school science fairs," Flatow says. Mixing his passion for science with a tendency toward being "a bit of a ham," Flatow describes his work as the challenge "to make science and technology a topic for discussion around the dinner table." Admission to the presentation is free but reservations are required, and seating and parking are limited. To reserve a ticket, please click here or contact Visitors Services at (858) 534-4109. The Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest was created to honor the memory of William A. Nierenberg, who was director of UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography for 21 years. A bronze medal and a $25,000 prize are awarded each year for outstanding contributions to science in the public interest. The award was created and is supported by gifts from the Nierenberg Family. Previous Nierenberg Prize winners include: Harvard Naturalist E.O. Wilson, (2001); Newsman Walter Cronkite, (2002); Marine Ecologist Jane Lubchenco, (2003); Primatologist Dame Jane Goodall, (2004); Nature Filmmaker Sir David Attenborough, (2005); Technology Innovator Gordon Moore, (2006); Genomics Pioneer J. Craig Venter, (2007); Climate Researcher James Hansen, (2008) and Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins, (2009). # # # Note to broadcast and cable producers: University of California, San Diego provides an on-campus satellite uplink facility for live or pre-recorded television interviews. Please phone or e-mail the media contact listed above to arrange an interview. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at University of California, San Diego, is one of the oldest, largest and most important centers for global science research and education in the world. Now in its second century of discovery, the scientific scope of the institution has grown to include biological, physical, chemical, geological, geophysical and atmospheric studies of the earth as a system. Hundreds of research programs covering a wide range of scientific areas are under way today in 65 countries. The institution has a staff of about 1,300, and annual expenditures of approximately $155 million from federal, state and private sources. Scripps operates one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration.
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