NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast

Ubiquitous Computing

Shwetak Patel leads the University of Washington Ubiquitous Computing Lab, which develops innovative sensing systems for health, sustainability and novel interactions. He will tell us about his experience bringing devices to market, mentoring the next generation and where sensors are headed next.

Inventing The Future

Cori Lathan has always had an interest in technology. She has spent her career inventing, founding and running a company, Anthrotronix, and inspiring STEM interest in future generations through robotics. Her recent book, "Inventing the Future: Stories from a Techno Optimist" explores the possibilities of tomorrow through her 20-year career journey. She joins us to discuss some of her inventions, how NSF support has helped her along the way, and her optimism for the future.

Coding Beats

Jason Freeman, professor of music and Brian Magerko, professor of digital media at Georgia Tech had an idea for a music-based learning environment to engage students in STEM by coding. EarSketch has gone on to reach over a million users, has been used in more than 5,000 schools in all 50 states and over 180 countries and has collaborated with music partners such as Pharrell, Young Guru, Common and Richard Devine. We'll hear from Jason Freeman, Brian Magerko, and Richard Devine on how it became a success.

Subglacial Secrets of Antarctica

The vast wilderness of Antarctica has many secrets, and to reveal some, you must dig down into the subglacial environment. We are joined by Matthew Siegfried and Ryan Venturelli from the Colorado School of Mines to learn about their involvement in SALSA, the Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access project.

Horses In the American West

Horses evolved in North America, but ancient populations died off during the last ice age. We are joined by William Taylor, assistant professor, and curator of archaeology at the University of Colorado Boulder, to learn about how horses impacted the shaping of the American West.

Hollywood’s Trolley Problem

A recurring dramatic trope in film and television relates to the trolley problem, wherein a dilemma arises in which choice must be made to save one or another. We are joined by Joshua Greene, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, who has spent much of his career studying moral judgment and decision-making.

Avoiding AI Plagiarism

Jooyoung Lee, a doctoral student at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology, joins us to talk about her research on plagiarism from language models in popular online chatbots.

Reconstructing Black Hole Images

The landmark first image of a black hole, at the center of the Messier 87 galaxy, has received a makeover with the help of machine learning. Lia Medeiros, an astrophysicist at the Institute for Advanced Study joins to discuss how she used PRIMO to reach the full resolution of the Event Horizon Telescope and what impacts it will have on black hole physics.

Quantum Communication

Spiros Michalakis is manager of outreach and a staff researcher at Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, an NSF Physics Frontiers Center. He joins us to discuss his role representing the U.S. for World Quantum Day; quantum states as a natural language; the challenges in communicating complex ideas; and where he hopes to see the field go in the future.

Mapping the Brain

In a landmark development for neuroscience, an interdisciplinary team has completed the first full map of an insect brain, revealing synaptic connections and valuable insights into how the brain operates. We are joined by Joshua Vogelstein, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University to learn about the obstacles in processing and analyzing big data; the links between animal intelligence, artificial intelligence, and machine learning; and where he’s hoping to take his research in the future.