Seeing the World in a Flash: The Story of Doc Edgerton | Curious Nebraska

From freezing a bullet in midair to shaping the future of photography, one Nebraska native changed how the world sees motion.
Harold “Doc” Edgerton was an electrical engineer who pioneered strobe photography, capturing split-second moments invisible to the human eye. Though his name may not be widely known, his images — a milk drop splash, a bullet through an apple, hummingbird wings in motion — are iconic.
This Curious Nebraska story traces Doc Edgerton’s journey from a curious kid in Aurora, Nebraska, to an MIT professor whose work earned an Academy Award, supported Allied forces during World War II and inspired generations of scientists, artists and students. Through stories from family members and educators, we explore how Doc’s passion for hands-on learning and asking better questions continues to shape science education today.

Featuring: Eric & Sylvia Edgerton, Doc’s Grandchildren; Tina Larson the Executive Director of the Plainsman Museum in Aurora; Mary Molliconi the Executive Director of the Edgerton Explorit Center.


⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters
00:00 – Introduction:
00:25 – Who Was Doc Edgerton?
01:00 – Aurora, Nebraska Roots
01:34 – Education and Teaching Legacy
02:03 – World War II Contributions
03:03 – Invention of the Piddler
03:16 – Creating the Edgerton Explorit Center
03:32 – Curiosity as a Philosophy

Produced by Andy Hermann for Nebraska Public Media

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"Curious Nebraska" is Nebraska Public Media radio producer Andy Hermann's quest to figure out what makes Nebraska, Nebraska.

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