I dedicated my life to biology until I went on 'Naked and Afraid' and realized I could make a bigger difference doing TV instead

• Forrest Galante was a biologist and worked in field research before he went on "Naked and Afraid."
• Galante saw that 4 million people watched him on reality TV compared to 400 who'd read his papers.
• The experience made him realize he could reach more people in media so he pivoted his career.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Forrest Galante, a biologist by training, who pivoted his career from science research to media after being on the series "Naked and Afraid." It's been edited for length and clarity.