Alan was all set on majoring in biology, but then he realized he liked writing about science more than doing research, so he left Hong Kong and went to study journalism in the U.S. After interning at NPR and WBEZ in Chicago, he has never wanted to work anywhere outside of public radio. He covers space and all other kinds of innovation. He enjoys comic books, LEGO, and dragon boating.
More from the Contributor
Some parents say their children are not supported enough. The School District of Philadelphia says they need more staff and resources.
2 months ago
Listen 12:02Air pollution at Philadelphia’s 15th Street subway station ‘considerably higher’ than EPA standard
Local researchers say it’s unclear what the health impact is, but public transit is still preferable to driving.
3 months ago
Resident doctors at Penn Medicine to demand contract both inside and outside the hospitals this week
After almost a year of negotiations, the big sticking point now is over wages. Residents say they make a little above minimum wage after accounting for long hours.
3 months ago
Listen 1:27Workers in Philly's Old City hit upon a historic cemetery with hundreds of people. It took years to study, identify and rebury them.
4 months ago
Listen 5:32Former Mütter Museum forensic anthropologist launches research institute
Longtime Mütter Museum forensic anthropologist Anna Dhody will continue her work analyzing historic samples, but now in a research institute of her own.
4 months ago
Meet two companies vying to make the next generation air conditioner
Air conditioning is a century-old technology, but now companies are racing to reinvent it and lower its large environmental footprint.
4 months ago
Listen 11:45How Philly area hospitals are dealing with a national shortage of blood culture bottles
Hospitals routinely use these bottles to check for infections in patients’ blood — now they are cutting back on tests.
4 months ago
Listen 1:51In Pa., spotted lanternflies’ knack for hitchhiking is proving crucial to their staying power
The invasive insect appeared in Pennsylvania 10 years ago and continues to spread west, as far away as Illinois.
4 months ago
Listen 1:39Meet a shark fisherman who structured his life around catching, and saving, sharks
13 years ago, AJ Rotondella realized he could catch sharks from the beach. He’s been hooked ever since, even moving across states to chase sharks.
4 months ago
Listen 12:02Some Philadelphia-area doctors say admissions to intensive care and asthma deaths among children have gone up this year, partly because of supply issues.
5 months ago
Listen 2:25Data centers transformed Northern Virginia’s economy, but residents are wary of more expansion
The largest concentration of data centers in the world are in northern Virginia. Amazon estimates that around 70 percent of global internet traffic goes through the area.
5 months ago
Listen 10:402 people who donated parts of their bodies to Philly’s Mütter Museum now want them back
This comes as the relatively new leadership grapples with how to approach their collection, which includes a lot of human remains.
5 months ago
Listen 5:20