We pull back the curtain as former show hosts Merry Buckley and Carl Zimmer talk Meet the Scientist origins, favorite interviews and microbial topics.

Julie’s Biggest Takeaways:

Though the show started before podcasts were as popular as they are now, this didn’t pose a problem for Merry or Carl when soliciting guests - scientists were happy to have their work featured and to discuss their research.

Inviting guests may involve bringing in a mix of experienced and early-career researchers, but both Merry and Carl agreed that the science is the major deciding factor when selecting guests.

The ability to steer away from technical jargon and to use accessible, everyday analogies is one of the features shared by favorite guests. Carl uses the example of Bonnie Bassler, who explains bacterial quorum sensing as a communication mechanism.

Delving into the personal motivations and experiences of guests can be tough, even when these experiences relate to science. Merry uses Abigail Salyers’ claim of the English teacher who supported her through her high-school pregnancy and Julie uses Ilaria Capua’s experience when falsely accused of trafficking viruses for money.

Scientists can make themselves more visible to scientists and nonscientists by promoting their research on social media, particularly on Twitter.

Links for this Episode:

MTM Listener Survery

Merry Buckley on twitter

Carl Zimmer website

Carl Zimmer on TWiV

She has her Mother’s Laugh