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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This week, a presidential panel will release a report on how to implement President Bush's plans for a moon base and a manned mission to Mars. Numerous experts endorse the idea of a Mars mission, but are sober about its near-term prospects. Representatives of foreign nations say funding for an international effort will be difficult to come by, and public support for the project is mixed. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum.
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The Department of Energy wants to clean up its aging underground tanks of high level nuclear waste. But environmental groups say the agency's plan to empty and seal the tanks isn't safe enough; it leaves behind shallow layers of radioactive sludge. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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NASA may try to launch an unprecedented robotic mission to service the Hubble space telescope. Administrator Sean O'Keefe says tests of the idea in recent months have been encouraging. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham says he is considering major security reforms at the nation's nuclear weapons facilities -- including creation of a new federal police force and consolidation of stocks of plutonium and uranium. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, critics have questioned whether such facilities are sufficiently protected against terrorism. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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Behind fences, under armed guard, the United States stores hundreds of tons of nuclear material. It's enough to make tens of thousands of bombs that could kill hundreds of thousands of people. The government says the sites are well protected. But critics say that's a lie. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports from Los Alamos, one of the nation's highest security sites.
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The Energy Department says in September it will begin moving weapons-grade nuclear material from its current location in New Mexico to a more secure location in the Nevada desert. Activists concerned with the security of the material say the move is long overdue. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum.
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NASA plans to test an aircraft this weekend designed to fly seven times the speed of sound, using an innovative engine called a "scramjet." The test is part of an effort to develop missiles that can reach any target on Earth within two hours, and spacecraft that can transport people and cargo more cheaply. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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Retired Adm. Harold Gehman, who led the investigation into the Columbia space shuttle disaster, calls for a new review of the risks and benefits of keeping the Hubble space telescope alive. NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe tells a Senate panel he'll seek advice from the National Academy of Sciences, though for now he stands by his decision to retire Hubble early. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum.
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Astronomers unveil a new image taken with the Hubble Space Telescope that reveals the deepest look ever at distant and ancient galaxies, providing a glimpse of the universe as it appeared shortly after the big bang. The image was released at an event designed to rally support for efforts to save Hubble, which is slated for early retirement in 2006. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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The Hubble Space Telescope provides astronomers with what they believe to be the edge of the Big Bang. Space Telescope Science Institute officials say the deep-space view was derived from focusing the telescope on a single point for 1 million seconds. The resulting image is being termed the Ultra Deep Field. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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NPR's David Kestenbaum has the second of two reports on security concerns at the U.S. nuclear weapons complex in New Mexico. Every year, the federal government tries to break into its own weapons facilities to see if terrorists could get in and steal materials to make a bomb. In some drills, lapses in security have been exposed. But the government says that is not the case.
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Flipping a coin may not be the fairest way to settle disputes. A team of mathematicians claims to have proven that if you start with a coin on your thumb, heads up, flip it and catch it in your hand, it's more likely to land heads up than tails. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.