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Joe Palca: "Reporting on Remarkable Science and Remarkable Scientists"

Courtesy of Joe Palca
Joe Palca on RAGBRAI in 2015

During the 25 years he has been with NPR, Joe Palca has covered everything from biomedical research to astronomy.

On this edition of River to River, Ben Kieffer talks with Palca about the process of science and how its findings get communicated to the public. They also discuss his latest series Joe’s Big Idea, which explores the minds and motivations of scientists and inventors.

Palca will present a program titled, “Reporting on Remarkable Science and Remarkable Scientists” from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Phillips Hall in Iowa City. The event is free to the public.

"I'm going to pick out three or maybe four of the stories that I've covered over the last three or four years of this project that really represent what I'm trying to do, which is to talk about science not as a series of results or end points, but as a way of getting to an answer," Palca says. "And inevitably, the answer raises more questions, and so that gives you more to look into."

Palca’s appearance is part of the University of Iowa Public Policy Center’s Forkenbrock Series and the Office of Research and Economic Development’s Creative Matters Series. His visit also is sponsored by Iowa Public Radio.

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River