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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A privately financed craft succeeds in taking a pilot into space for the second time in less than two weeks. In doing so, SpaceShipOne wins the so-called X-Prize of $10 million for the team funded by Paul Allen, a founder of Microsoft. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded rocket plane to complete two trips to the edge of space within a two-week window. The feat makes the craft the apparent winner of a $10-million award known as the X-Prize, designed to encourage space tourism. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum.
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Two classified computer zip disks may not be missing after all from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Reports of their disappearance brought operations at the facility to a standstill. Sources say investigators now suspect the disks never existed in the first place. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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The Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico places 15 employees on mandatory leave as the FBI investigates the disappearance of two data storage devices containing classified information. The incident raises questions over the balance between protecting top secret research at the nuclear weapons lab and scientists who value working unhindered by elaborate security measures. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports. -
Energy Department officials say they have asked the FBI to help investigate the disappearance of two classified computer disks at Los Alamos National Laboratory. At a press conference Thursday, the agency said there is no "evidence of activity with a hostile intelligence motive" -- but criminal charges may be warranted under the law. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded rocket ship to carry a human into space. The craft took off from the Mojave Desert Monday morning, carrying one civilian test pilot. The spaceship appears to have soared 62 miles high -- past the official mile marker for the lower edge of space --though the exact altitude has yet to be confirmed. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum.
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A privately financed rocket plane took its pilot to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere Monday, the first time a commercial venture has put a manned craft into space. SpaceShipOne landed at an airstrip in the Mojave Desert after reaching an altitude of more than 60 miles. The project is funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. 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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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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Three scientists win this year's Nobel Prize for physics for their work with superfluids and superconductivity. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences cites Alexei Abrikosov, Anthony Leggett and Vitaly Ginzburg for their theories. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum.
