RACHEL BECKER
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VIDEO


Our (slightly doomed) flight to an atmospheric river

The Verge​​​​
Co-writer, host

​Who’s to blame for the neurotoxin that’s poisoning the Pacific?

The Verge​​​​
Writer, host

​Can AI help crack the code of fusion power?

The Verge​​​​
Writer, host

​Old nuclear bomb tests are still haunting us today

The Verge​​​​
Co-writer, Co-host

​88,000 tons of radioactive waste – and nowhere to put it

The Verge​​​​
Writer, host

​Why wildfire season never stops

The Verge​​​​
Co-writer, Co-host

​Inside a volcano scientist’s campaign for Congress

The Verge​​​​
Writer, host

Why California's trees are dying

The Verge​​​​
Script writer, host

​Wildfires are sweeping through California — here's why

The Verge
A wet winter, a hot dry summer, and the diablo winds combined to create a devastating fire season for California. And with climate change, it will likely get worse.
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Script writer, host

Bad habits: Why do we fidget? 

The Verge
Script writer, host

Wobbly bridges

The Verge
Can a crowd take down a bridge just by walking on it? Engineers are using virtual reality ​​​​​and a gigantic treadmill to find out. 
Script writer, host

​Where's my universal flu shot?

The Verge
This year’s deadly flu made the quest for a universal flu shot more urgent. But the promise of a universal flu vaccine is still years away.
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Script writer, host

​Exercising when sick: should you sweat it out?

The Verge
Tl;dr? Nope, it's a bad idea.
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Script writer, host

The truth behind your Vitamin C packets

The Verge
Script writer, host

Reptile sex lives could be screwed up by climate change

The Verge
Script writer, host

How to watch a nuclear explosion like a weapons physicist

The Verge
Weapons physicist Greg Spriggs at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory walks us through how he analyzes films of nuclear explosion tests, and what they mean for our nuclear arsenal. ​​​
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Script writer, host

The future of extreme floods

The Verge
The latest research suggests that floods will get more extreme as sea levels continue to rise. The biggest danger? Storm surges.
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Script writer, host

What's with all the octopus robots?

The Verge
Every few months, a new study about an octopus robot pops up online. Why do engineers love imitating these natural mimics? In this video, we explore the promise and pitfalls of soft robotics, and why ​​​​octopuses are robot engineers squishy muses.
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Script writer, host

The real villain in Wonder Woman are chemical weapons

The Verge
Wonder Woman's chemical weapon makes no scientific sense, but it evokes real and horrifying history. World War I was called ‘The Chemist’s War’ for a good reason.
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Script writer, host

Climate change is costing you money

The Verge​
Think investing in sustainability is too expensive? Think again. Climate change is already hitting us where it hurts — in our wallets.
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Script writer, host

How the US plans to shoot down a nuclear missile

The Verge​
If a nuclear-tipped missile were hurtling toward the United States, would we be able to stop it? Maybe, if we were very lucky. But some experts warn that the United States’ missile defense system isn’t as reliable as people might think.
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Script writer, host

How optical Illusions trick your brain

The Verge
People have been staring at geometrical illusions for centuries, but scientists still aren’t entirely sure why certain combinations of shapes and lines mess with our minds. 
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Script writer, host

Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline controversies explained

The Verge
Now that President Trump has resurrected the hotly contested Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, here's what you need to know about their pasts — and their futures. 
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Script writer, host

Why dating apps aren’t ruining Valentine's Day…probably

The Verge
Dating apps are serving up more potential love interests than ever before — which can wind up feeling pretty overwhelming. Is too much choice ruining love, or just the opposite?
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Script writer, host

Should We Grow Human Organs In Pigs?

MinuteEarth
An amazing new technology will let scientists grow new kidneys for patients using their own stem cells inside of pigs.
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Co-script writer​ with David Goldenberg

Why Do Animals Eat Their Babies?

MinuteEarth
Sometimes, it makes sense for critters across the animal kingdom to chow down on their own young. 
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Script writer

Can Math Explain How Animals Get Their Patterns?

MinuteEarth
How Alan Turing's Reaction-Diffusion Model Simulates Patterns in Nature

Script writer

The Mystery of Asparagus Pee

MinuteEarth
Asparagus is a green, white, or purple spike of a vegetable that heralds spring, goes well with eggs...and makes your pee smell really, really weird. 

Script writer

What Can You Learn From Ancient Poop?

Gross Science
NOVA and PBS Digital Studios
Fossilized poop, called coprolites, can reveal surprising secrets about the past.

Writer, Animator, Editor, Director of Photography, Sound

Why Neuroscientists Love Kinky Sea Slugs

Gross Science
NOVA and PBS Digital Studios
The California brown sea hare has gigantic neurons. It also has a very strange way of reproducing.

Director of Photography, Sound

Why Don’t These Cicadas Have Butts?

Gross Science
NOVA and PBS Digital Studios
The fungus Massospora cicadina infects periodical cicadas when they emerge every 13 or 17 years.

Writer, Director of Photography, Sound, Media Sourcing

What Are Tonsil Stones?

Gross Science
NOVA and PBS Digital Studios
If you’ve got white lumps in your throat, they could be tonsil stones or “tonsilloliths.” 

Researcher, Illustrator, Director of Photography, Sound

The Strangest Use For Bacon… Ever?

Gross Science
NOVA and PBS Digital Studios
Everyone loves bacon. Even parasitic botflies living under your skin.


Writer, Illustrator
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