Sanden Totten Science Reporter
- Phone: (626) 583-5258
Sanden Totten is KPCC's Science Reporter. Prior to that, Sanden was a producer for KPCC's Take Two program. He’s been on staff since the launch of the Madeleine Brand Show in 2010.
As a Science Reporter, Sanden covers everything from advances in medical technology to dinosaur fossils and space exploration. Before joining Southern California Public Radio, Sanden worked at Minnesota Public Radio, where he was co-creator of In "The Loop," a program that made the audience part of the show. He was also part of the team behind the Public Insight Network, a crowd-sourcing project designed to bring unique perspectives to news.
Sanden is the winner of several honors, including the Radio and TV News Association’s Golden Mike for “best writing” and the National Entertainment Journalism's award for “best radio news story.” He was a 2011 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT. With a BA in Psychology and English from Oberlin College in Ohio.
Sanden also attended school in Japan and Sweden, and speaks both languages.He is a fan of fast music, comics and movies about time travel.
Stories by Sanden Totten
Seth Green reflects on Mars rover landing, human progress
Actor Seth Green shared his thoughts on the Curiosity landing from mission headquarters at JPL Sunday night in anticipation of the Mars rover's touchdown.
Mars from Curiosity: First photos
With its Google Android shadow and Gabby Douglas landing, NASA's Mars rover Curiosity began sending images of itself in its surroundings within seconds of safely arriving on the red planet.
Touchdown confirmed! Curiosity lands safely on Mars
It would have been a sight to see: a car-sized rover using heat shields, a supersonic parachute and a jet powered hovercraft to safely land on the red dirt of Mars. A landing worthy of a medal, though no one was around to see it.
Watch video of Mars landing from NASA/JPL
NASA reports that the Mars rover is completely on its own as it approaches the outermost of the planet's two moons.
With Mars landing in sight, NASA scientists try to keep calm
NASA scientists are trying to stay calm as the landing of the Curiosity rover approaches. So far, weather conditions on Mars look good for the touchdown.
The Mars rock that inspired a generation of exploration
The Curiosity rover is set to land this Sunday. It hopes to answer some of the questions posed by a mysterious meteorite from Mars that was discovered here on Earth.
Let's talk about Mars: Friday, Aug. 3 @ 12 p.m. PDT
Join KPCC's Sanden Totten and G. Scott Hubbard, a veteran of the NASA Mars program, for a lively chat about all things Mars!
Mars 101: What we know of our celestial neighbor
This Sunday the Curiosity rover is scheduled to touch down on Mars. It's the latest in a very long string of attempts to better understand our rust colored neighbor.
A short history of Mars... in rhyming verse
After centuries of watching Mars in the sky, humans have only just begun to understand the red planet. KPCC's Sanden Totten recaps what we know about it so far.
NASA gets ready for Mars rover landing
On Sunday, NASA's latest rover touches down on Mars. The machine — nicknamed "Curiosity" — will use a super-sonic parachute, heat shields and a hovercraft to stick the landing.
When it comes to weight, 'you are what you eat'
There's a new study on obesity that caught our eye this morning. It makes the bold claim that modern day hunter hatherers in East Africa burn as many calories a day as sedentary office workers here in America. The study compared populations and found that both groups tend to use the same amount of energy, suggesting that America's obesity has more to do with what we eat — not how much we sit.
A day in the life of a chicken sitter
If you are headed out of town this weekend, you might have to call up the dog or the cat sitter. But what if you keep chickens in your backyard?
Lawsuit between origami enthusiasts unfolds
KPCC's Sanden Totten examines the unfolding drama between origami maker Robert Lang and painter Sarah Morris.
E3 underway in LA amid turbulent times in the video game industry
The giant annual video game conference, E3 or Electronic Entertainment Expo, is underway at the Los Angeles Convention Center. KPCC's Sanden Totten brings us more about E3 and the gaming business.
Four tons of marijuana found off Orange County coast
Yesterday, four tons of marijuana were found bobbing in the waters off the coast of Orange County.
