Intern, Science Vs

The Company

Gimlet, supported by its parent company, Spotify, tells stories through audio. Our roster of podcasts includes critically acclaimed shows like Reply All, Heavyweight, and Science Vs. We are looking for ambitious, curious, talented, and kind people to join our team.

We come from diverse backgrounds, brought together by the desire to make amazing things, and a shared belief in working hard, embracing creativity, and supporting one another. At Gimlet, good ideas matter more than titles. People who tackle problems with creative solutions, and who love the energy of a collaborative, team-oriented creative process thrive here.

Science Vs is the show that pits facts against fads. We explore the evidence behind popular trends and ideas - like Fasting Diets, 5G, Vaping and Gentrification - and make a lot of terrible puns along the way. We take facts seriously, but not ourselves.

The Job

We’re looking for a full-time intern (it’s paid!) who is comfortable reading scientific papers and using the primary literature to research topics. The successful candidate will be able to parse complicated jargon into clear and simple concepts, and assist the team to make sure scripts are factually correct.

What You’ll Do

• Fact check scripts - making sure each claim is backed up with evidence
• Research topic areas using scientific papers
• Listen to interviews and select the best tape
• Assemble early versions of episodes in Protools
• Comment on draft scripts and the sound of the show
• Write copy for the web

What You Have

• Science research experience (post grad preferred, but not required).
• Radio experience not necessary. We are happy to teach the successful candidate technical and field recording skills. But, you need to have a passion and interest in radio and science journalism.

This is a full-time, temporary, role, based in our Brooklyn, NY office. This posting will close at 5 PM ET on Wednesday, February 5th, 2020. You must be legally allowed to work in the US to apply. 

Please apply with a resume and responses to the following questions

1. Tell us about yourself, and why you want this job. No more than 300 words.
2. Imagine you’re writing a script for Science Vs. Explain Circadian Rhythm in 100 words or less. Add citations showing where you got your information from.
3. Fact check and rewrite the following paragraph so it’s correct. It is based on this study …

Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5813086/pdf/213_2017_Article_4771.pdf 

Can taking psychedelics help us fight depression? To find out, a team of US researchers gave 26 people with depression psilocybin. When they checked 3 months later, they found the people who got psilocybin were less depressed than those who didn’t get the drug. Unfortunately, the effect was short lived. At 6 months, the patients who got psilocybin were just as likely to be depressed as those who didn’t. Some scientists think psilocybin might treat depression because it latches onto dopamine receptors in the brain, which are thought to be important in depression. This suggests psychedelics like psilocybin might be a good short term treatment for depression. 

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. We strongly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and background will lead to a better environment for our employees and a better product for our users and our creators. This is something we value deeply and we encourage everyone to come be a part of changing the way the world listens to audio.