Frank Field was born to Ukrainian immigrants to the U.S. He later anglicized his last name to Feld. He studied geology in college and then served in World War II where he was assigned duties as a meteorologist. His assignment was to help predict weather prior to bombing missions.
When he returned to the U.S., he decided to pursue a career in optometry but gave this up after a short period of time. He became an on-air weather forecaster. At the time, weather forecasting was largely done by those with no meteorological background. Weather forecasting was viewed more as an entertainment feature on the news, rather than a science-based delivery of important information. Frank was not the happy-go-lucky persona of on-air forecasters at that time, but his personality helped change the way that science-based information was presented on TV.
He became a science reporter who covered more than just the weather. He also began to explore the relationship between weather and health. One of his special causes was the explanation of the Heimlich maneuver in the prevention of choking. While at a dinner he choked and was saved by the maneuver he had educated others to perform. He lived to be 100.
As a society, science-based information has transformed from primarily a non-serious entertainment feature to one of serious information presented by those who have knowledge about what they are reporting on. Unfortunately, the serious information is now being overwhelmed by those who portray conspiracy theories with no scientific basis.
Just imagine the consequences to society when the general public no longer has scientific information presented to them that is serious and factual.
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“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” – Neil DeGrasse Tyson (astrophysicist and science communicator)