Wendy Zukerman is an Australian-American science journalist and podcaster. She is best known as the host of Science Vs, a program that dissects areas of scientific controversy and public confusion.

Wendy Zukerman
At the March for Science 2018 in Washington, D.C.
Notable workScience Vs

About

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Zukerman was born in the United States but raised in Melbourne, Australia. She attended Monash University and received a biomedical science and law degree.[1][2]

She has worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on the documentary television program, Catalyst, and the consumer affairs television program The Checkout.[3] Additionally, she has written for many different publications including New Scientist magazine,[4] Cosmos magazine,[5] The Age, The Australian, and Saturday Paper.[3][6]

In 2014 and 2015, she spoke at Storyology, an annual festival of journalism and media.[1] In March 2018, she spoke at a SXSW, in a panel event called, "What Podcasts Ate for Dinner".[7][8]

In 2021, Zukerman was amongst the first nominees of The Podcast Academy's new "Ambie" awards. She was one of seven nominees for the Best Host award.[9]

Science Vs

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Since October 2015, her podcast Science Vs has been produced by Gimlet Media, a Brooklyn-based digital media company.[10][11][12] The show was previously produced and distributed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as part of ABC Radio's First Run podcast program.[13][14] The podcast works on communicating science to non-scientists. The show takes a myth-busting approach, and topics on the show generally come from controversial topics or current events. Episode topics have included immigration, gun control, ghosts, climate change, acne, and antidepressants, among others.[14][15][16][17] Zukerman has said that the idea for Science Vs came from news headlines about Gwyneth Paltrow wanting women to participate in a "health practice" of vaginal steaming, which she thought could combine science with humor.[18] Zukerman summarized her podcast's position against false equivalences, saying, "If there's a 95 percent consensus among scientists, you report the consensus."[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Wendy Zukerman". The Walkley Foundation. 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Drop in, don't drop out - Education - www.theage.com.au". www.theage.com.au. The Age Company Ltd. 23 February 2004. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Wendy Zukerman". Australian Audio Guide. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Wendy Zukerman". New Scientist. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Wendy Zukerman". Cosmos Magazine. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Wendy Zukerman, Author". Techly. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Events: Wendy Zukerman". SXSW 2018 Schedule. 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  8. ^ "What Podcasts Eat for Dinner: How to Feed a Show". SXSW 2018 Schedule. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  9. ^ Spangler, Todd (4 March 2021). "Podcast Academy Unveils 164 Nominees for Inaugural Ambies Awards (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Wendy Zukerman, Science Vs Interview". The Weekend Edition, What's on in Brisbane. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Podcaster Profile: Wendy Zukerman of Science Vs - Podcasting Pro". Podcasting Pro. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Wendy Zukerman Goes Head to Head With Fracking, Gun Control, and...the G-Spot". ELLE. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  13. ^ "ABC to lose popular Science Vs podcast as format and presenter snapped up by US outfit - Mumbrella". Mumbrella. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Podcast pick of the week: 'Science Vs'". USA TODAY. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  15. ^ a b Pesca, Mike (20 March 2017). "Cold, Hard Facts With Wendy Zukerman". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  16. ^ Eckwahl, Matthew (29 December 2017). "Opinion: 11 Best Science Podcasts". The Scientist. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  17. ^ "15 of the best science podcasts that will make you smarter". Business Insider. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Working with Sound: Wendy Zukerman". The Wheeler Centre. Audiocraft. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
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