Summative Evaluation of Earth & Sky Radio Shows on Nanoscale Science and Engineering

Earth & Sky (E&S) is a short-format science radio series airing daily on more than 1,000 commercial and public radio stations and translators in the U.S. as well as on satellite and Internet radio outlets. The series is also widely heard beyond U.S. borders. Produced by a small non-profit, Earth & Sky, Inc. of Austin, TX, the series is hosted by Deborah Byrd and Joel Block and consists of 90-second programs on a wide variety of topics mostly drawn from environmental sciences, earth sciences and astronomy but also including emerging technologies like nanotechnology. Over the previous three years, National Science Foundation has supported the development, broadcast and Internet archiving of more than 80 shows on nanoscale science and engineering. This evaluation utilized a web-based explanatory survey design to explore the impact of Earth & Sky nanotechnology shows on listeners, comparing groups with different exposures to E&S and comparing E&S listeners with historical control groups. Although the study design does not permit a conclusion that E&S “causes” changes in nanotechnology awareness, knowledge and attitudes, the results reveal that exposure specifically to E&S nanotechnology shows relates significantly to higher awareness and knowledge about nanotechnology.