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
The politics behind the flower business
The Valentine bouquet you may have offered the one you love during the weekend – or will tonight, after a swing by the supermarket floral department – may have traveled thousands of miles.
The pests hiding in your Valentine's Day flowers
Los Angeles International Airport may smell sweeter than usual this week. That’s because cargo jets are delivering millions of flowers in preparation for Valentine’s Day. Federal Customs and Border Patrol has stepped up inspections to ensure that the flowers you pick up at the store don’t harbor unwanted pests.
Immigrants' rights groups call for focus on women
Immigrants' rights supporters in Los Angeles on Tuesday said they plan to focus on issues many people tend to overlook - the concerns of women.
In Other News...
There's only so much you can cover in an hour of the Madeleine Brand Show. But there are plenty of stories just below the radar that nonetheless brighten our days. So, we've collected some of the bizzare headlines that made us smile.
Seeking the Total State of the Union Experience
Who doesn't love a good State of the Union speech?
Spam on the decline
If you were checking your e-mail over the holidays, you may have noticed something was missing.Spam.The mass marketing messages were on the decline across the world last month. That's according to data from computer security firm, Symantec.
The street that beat the floods
This week's rainfall has been a real test for Elmer Avenue in Sunland. It's a street notorious for flooding. In years past the water could reach up to resident's front steps.
Time to hang up the Spider-Man tights?
Yesterday, another actor in the Spider-Man musical took a spill (video here).The injured list for the 65 million dollar mess is up to four.
Farewell to the Disney fairy tale?
Disney's princesses are in trouble. They're not trapped in a tower or under a sleeping spell... they're just not reaching the right audiences.
Marines have the skills to call the shots at umpire camp
As the nation celebrates the contributions of the men and women of the armed forces, a group of former and current Marines is looking to make a contribution of a very different sort. They are attending a week-long training camp to learn the art of baseball umpiring.
California's palm trees under attack
California is under attack. There is an alien species invading our borders. These devious creatures are small, crafty and have an insatiable appetite.
Anti-Obama books selling briskly
Negative critiques of President Obama are par for the course right now as election season comes to a head. Most conservative candidates, and even some Democrat ones, have taken swipes at our commander in chief.
"America's Favorite Serial Killer" at Toys-R-Us
For those of you who haven't seen Showtime's series Dexter, it's the story of a compulsive killer who hacks people into bloody messes.
Hotel becomes "death ray" in the sun
Yeah, it is hot today in California. But at least not burning the hair off your head.
Strange Tips For Studying That Actually Work
Students heading back to school, listen up. What you’ve been told about studying is wrong. Camping out in one quiet location, going over material again and again in large undisturbed blocks of time – this may actually be the wrong approach to learning facts and figures. Sanden Totten chats with Madeleine about some unconventional tricks for getting the most out of your cramming sessions. NOTE: In the piece Sanden says Nate Kornell is from Mitchell College. He is actually a professor with Williams College.
