David Kestenbaum
David Kestenbaum is a correspondent for NPR, covering science, energy issues and, most recently, the global economy for NPR's multimedia project Planet Money. David has been a science correspondent for NPR since 1999. He came to journalism the usual way — by getting a Ph.D. in physics first.
In his years at NPR, David has covered science's discoveries and its darker side, including the Northeast blackout, the anthrax attacks and the collapse of the New Orleans levees. He has also reported on energy issues, particularly nuclear and climate change.
David has won awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
David worked briefly on the show This American Life, and set up a radio journalism program in Cambodia on a Fulbright fellowship. He also teaches a journalism class at Johns Hopkins University.
David holds a bachelor's of science degree in physics from Yale University and a doctorate in physics from Harvard University.
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Planet Money put a picture of a cow on the Internet and asked how much it weighed. The idea was to understand the phenomenon that drives everything from the stock market to orange juice prices.
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The economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that his grandkids would work just 15 hours a week. He imagined by now, we would basically work Monday and Tuesday, and then have a five-day weekend. His family's grandkids help explain why he was so wrong.
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A group of cancer doctors is trying to create a database on cancer drugs. It would give a score for each drug, reflecting how well the drug works. It would also list how much the drug costs.
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Some casinos are switching out slot machines for games of skill. This story originally aired on April 29, 2015, on All Things Considered.
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Greece is on the verge of an economic nightmare scenario of the modern world. The financial plumbing in Greece is starting to shut down, and the Planet Money podcast finds out the widespread and weird effects.
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3 Economists Answer This Question: What Keeps You Up At Night?It's been 7 years since the financial crisis nearly took down the global economy. Our Planet Money team wondered what the next big mess might be, so they asked three economists for their thoughts.
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Machines have been taking jobs forever. Computers and software are doing things people were paid to do. They are booking airplane flights. Filing our taxes. And they are getting better all the time.
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When young people go to casinos, they aren't playing slot machines. Our Planet Money team talks to a man who thinks he can make slot machines that younger people will want to play.
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Some casinos are trying to attract players by switching out games based on luck for games relying on skill. This story originally aired on All Things Considered on April 29, 2015.
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Some casinos are trying a new strategy to attract players. They're switching out games based on luck for games of skill. NPR's Planet Money goes to Atlantic City to try one of these experiments.