Dr. Science’s Voice

  I’ve noticed that your voice on your radio series has changed over the years. In the beginning, you were a smooth voice announcer, albeit one with noticeable speech defects, mainly a sibiliant “s” and a lazy “l”. In the last few years, you’ve developed a hoarse quality, a barking, blustery manner that seems exaggeratedly midwestern. Your speech defects are still there, for sure, but seem masked by this new abrasive delivery. Are you changing or is the role of Dr. Science played by a variety of actors?

———- from Marilyn Musick of St. Louis MO

  I don’t know what you’re “on” or what you hope to gain by attacking me. I assure you I’m the same person who began tackling your collective ignorance over a decade ago. Perhaps what you’ve noticed is the gradual disintegration of my personality, a sure result of working too long in public radio and now a victim of repetitive emotion syndrome. Long hours spent in front of computer or microphone, piles of unreadable mail. I’m nothing, if not a survivor, damn it.