December 8, 2005 Source: University of Toronto:
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/051208-1895.asp Professors celebrate Quirks & Quarks' 30th anniversary Explaining science in common language key to success
Dec 8/05
by Karen Kelly (about) (email) It doesn’t matter if you flunked high school chemistry or wrote the textbook, Quirks & Quarks is just plain fun. This could be because the folks behind CBC’s award-winning science radio show are having a blast putting it together. "We’re always a bit cheeky, we’re always a bit irreverent," says Jim Handman, executive producer. "We take the science seriously but we don’t take ourselves seriously." To celebrate, Quirks & Quarks will air a 30th anniversary special on Saturday, featuring six prominent U of T researchers: Dick Bond, cosmology; Beth Savan, environment; Marla Sokolowski, genetics; Robert Reisz, paleontology; Ted Sargent, nanotechnology; and John Polanyi, science and society. Not only are these researchers some of the best in their field, but they have a knack for conveying their enthusiasm on-air, Handman notes. "It’s not good enough that you’re brilliant and smart, you have to be able to explain science in common language," Handman says. The more difficult the topic, the more fun it gets, according to Handman. After 30 years, the show is still going strong, focusing on everything from animal sex to black holes. It brings in over half a million listeners every week on the standard radio dial and has raked in over 40 national and international awards for science journalism, linking science with important issues such as AIDS, nuclear wars and climate change. Tune to CBC Radio One this Saturday at noon (12:30 p.m. NT) to listen to the 30th anniversary special. The show will also be archived on webpage http://radio.cbc.ca/programs/quirks/
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