Earlier this year, Alda gave a lecture at Columbia University on the importance of accessible science. Photo credit: Eileen Barroso, Columbia University
When actor Alan Alda was 11 years old he asked his teacher, “What is a flame?” Her reply: “It’s oxidation,” which was an explanation that was neither accessible nor interesting to him. It was this encounter that inspired him to create a competition to help 11-year-olds understand science in a way that makes sense to them.
