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Rebecca Watson

Submitted by admin on June 6, 2007 - 4:29pm. ::

Rebecca Watson

Brookline, MA

26 years old

"I love to discover new things about the universe and share them with others."

Rebecca is one of the Talent Quest winners!

Recent Blog Posts

[Rebecca] The Last Weekend of Editing!
The Talent Quest web site wasn't feeling very well this past weekend, which happened to be the last few days I had for editing. So, I liveblogged the process over on Skepchick! Here it is. 7pm Coming down to the wire, the pilot is almost finished! Thanks again for all your suggestions for show names, slogans, and neurosurgeons. (It turns out, I don't need a neurosurgeon after all. Whee, last minute changes!) We're editing everything together tonight and fine-tuning it, and it's sounding great. A lot of the show is made up of interviews, as well as some recording out and about at the psychic fair, but then there's a lot of voice over work to do. In the grand scheme of things, doing the voice overs really isn't that difficult. I've already written the bulk of what I'm saying, and whenever I flub I can just do another take. The thing is, the more I do it, the more I become hyper-aware of how I say every word. And the more I think about what I'm saying, the more I screw up even the simplest sentences. Here's a list of all the things I do that annoy me, most of which I knew about before and have tried (and failed) to eradicate: more...
[Rebecca] S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT!
I normally prefer to spend my Saturday nights like most people -- meeting Tiny Michael Jackson, watching roller derby bouts, more...
[Rebecca] How I spent my Saturday.
I got up with the sun and hopped a train heading south. In my bag: a microphone, digital recorder, camera, and a good book. About three hours later, I arrived in New Haven, Connecticut, where I was picked up by my pal Jay Novella, who many of you know from our podcast, The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. Maybe you've heard of it. Jay and I then met up with Steve and Evan, and the four of us drove to a Holiday Inn in nearby North Haven. While that might sound like an uninspired skeptic-themed porn opener, that's not actually why we were there. We were there to attend a psychic fair. more...

Q & A

Why should you be on Public Radio?

I'm a curious person. I love to discover new things about the universe and share them with others. I love to talk to people who do cool things, and find out what they know. I spend my time with biologists, astronomers, teachers, artists, carnies, and roller derby skaters. I like to take complex subjects and translate them for everyone. I should be on Public Radio because I know there are others out there like me, who want to hear about these sorts of topics as well. I know there are many people out there who will relate to me, identify with my perspective, and draw inspiration from my enthusiasm.

Who is your favorite host and why?

I adore Peter Sagal. I had the opportunity to meet him and interview him for my podcast in January at The Amaz!ng Meeting in Las Vegas. He's quick-witted, he's easy to like, and he has a commendable respect for the art of building narratives to communicate and getting across important ideas in an entertaining way. Bonus points: the man can conduct an interview with celebs in a fresh and interesting way, asking unexpected questions and staying down to earth, like you're listening in on a conversation with friends. Totally inspirational.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I don't hold much back, really, but those who know I'm very skeptical of organizations like PETA seem a bit surprised to know I'm a vegetarian – especially because I never give anyone a hard time about eating meat. Unless it's human meat, because, dude, that's just wrong. Also surprising to some: I play flag football in a league, and I'm really, really good.

Bio

I run Skepchicks, LTD., at www.skepchick.org, dedicated to communicating science and critical thinking to the general public. I also co-host The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast, available weekly through iTunes or at www.theskepticsguide.org.

What's your favorite public radio show?

I love Wait Wait Don't Tell Me for being so smart and yet so damned entertaining. Peter presents a fine balance between keeping things light and yet never talking down to the audience.
Of course, I never miss This American Life, and Car Talk is a classic.

What's your secret talent?

Very few of my talents are secret, and of those very few are appropriate topics of conversation in mixed company. Some talents: juggling, magic, flag football, buying cute clothes on clearance, sudoku, and I can play the trumpet.

What song is stuck in your head right now, you know, a music wedgie?

I was just listening to Califone's version of The Orchids, just gorgeous.

Which station do you listen to most?

Currently wbur in Boston.

Entry Comments

"Well-written, superbly delivered. Charming, funny, interesting; and she has a nice voice to top it all off."

— skidoo

"This weekend, I'll have a drink in your honor while thinking of my wife. Or I'll have a drink in my wife's honor while thinking of you. I think it's the same thing."

— Bunk