Best Russ Altman Podcasts (2024)

1
The future of extreme climate events 33:08

2h ago33:08

33:08

Climate change authority Noah Diffenbaugh says that the effects of climate change are no longer theoretical but apparent in everyday, tangible ways. Still, he says, it is not too late to better understand the effects of climate change, to mitigate them through reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and other measures, and to adapt how we live in th…

1
The future of climate projection 29:05

6d ago29:05

29:05

Climate modeler Aditi Sheshadri says that while weather forecasting and climate projection are based on similar science, they are very different disciplines. Forecasting is about looking at next week, while projection is about looking at the next century. Sheshadri tells host Russ Altman how new data and techniques, like low-cost high-altitude ball…

1
Best of: Computation cracks cold cases 30:50

13d ago30:50

30:50

Halloween may be behind us in the US but here at The Future of Everything we’re not quite done with spooky season. If you’re pairing your trick-or-treat haul with some scary movies, we invite you to revisit with us a conversation Russ had with Lawrence Wein a couple years ago about the work he’s doing in forensic genetic genealogy to crack cold cas…

1
The future of autonomous vehicles 29:23

20d ago29:23

29:23

Returning guest Marco Pavone is an expert in autonomous robotic systems, such as self-driving cars and autonomous space robots. He says that there have been major advances since his last appearance on the show seven years ago, mostly driven by leaps in artificial intelligence. He tells host Russ Altman all about the challenges and progress of auton…

1
The future of ultrafast electronics 36:37

27d ago36:37

36:37

Physicist Matthias Kling studies photons and the things science can do with ultrafast pulses of X-rays. These pulses last just attoseconds – a billionth of a billionth of a second, Kling says. He uses them to create slo-mo “movies” of electrons moving through materials like those used in batteries and solar cells. The gained knowledge could reshape…

1
Best of: An innovative polling model can move us beyond political polarization 28:00

1M ago28:00

28:00

We’re just weeks away from a national election, and in our polarized society, we all know it can be difficult to find and create spaces for thoughtful policy discussions. A couple of years ago, James Fishkin, a professor of communication at Stanford, joined the podcast. He talked about a system called deliberative polling that can serve as a model …

1
The future of GPS 31:21

1M ago31:21

31:21

Astronautics professor Grace Gao is an authority on the Global Positioning System. GPS has long been key to navigation on Earth, she says, but science is now shifting its focus outward to the frontiers of space. Gao is working on a GPS-like system for the Moon. To keep costs low, this lunar positioning system will leverage Earth-based satellites co…

1
The future of female athletic health 30:38

2M ago30:38

30:38

Sports medicine physician Emily Kraus knows a lot about the health challenges of female athletes. Women face far more ACL tears and bone stress injuries than men, for instance, and excessive training or poor nutrition can also delay puberty and affect menstruation. These differences are vastly understudied, she says. To close the gap, Kraus initiat…

1
Best of: How to fight climate change 27:50

2M ago27:50

27:50

Today, we’re bringing you a best-of from our archive of over 250 episodes. We’re all aware that the consequences of climate change range from rising sea levels, to drought, wildfires, economic disruption and the displacement of populations. We’re seeing and living through many of these effects, but is there hope for managing additional risk? A coup…

1
The future of skin longevity 29:35

2M ago29:35

29:35

Taken any selfies lately? Dermatologist Zakia Rahman studies both the science of healthy skin and the effects of the exponential increase in skin images on self-esteem. As a result, skin health is linked to mental health, she says. It’s not about vanity, it’s about vitality, Rahman tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s Th…

1
The future of AI at work 32:59

2M ago32:59

32:59

Arvind Karunakaran studies the intersections of work, AI, and organizational behavior. He says AI can enhance speed and productivity in the short run, yet degrade skills over time. But it is in organizational power dynamics where AI has had its most marked impact, he says, telling host Russ Altman about situations in law firms where AI has fostered…

1
Best of: Better ways to build an airplane 26:28

3M ago26:28

26:28

We want to wish our listeners in the states a happy Labor Day weekend. We hope, wherever you are, you’re taking some time to savor the last bit of summer. After a couple months full of travel and news about the airplane industry, we can’t help wondering — are there better ways to build airplanes? Our previous guest, Ilan Kroo, an expert in aeronaut…

1
The future of Russia and Ukraine 32:21

3M ago32:21

32:21

Political scientist Kathryn Stoner is the Director of the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Stanford and an authority on Russian/Ukrainian politics. She says views on the current war depend on which side someone is on: Many Russians and their leader Vladimir Putin say Ukrainians are Russians and have been since the 10t…

1
The future of educational technology 30:02

3M ago30:02

30:02

Dan Schwartz is a cognitive psychologist and dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Education. He says that artificial intelligence is a different beast, but he is optimistic about its future in education. “It’s going to change stuff. It’s really an exciting time,” he says. Schwartz imagines a world not where AI is the teacher, but where human stu…

1
Best of: A more thoughtful approach to technology can improve medical care 28:02

3M ago28:02

28:02

Today, we’re re-running a fascinating conversation with Sara Singer, a Stanford professor of medicine, and an expert on integrated healthcare. Anyone who’s had to navigate the healthcare system knows it’s extremely complex, and care can often feel disjointed or inefficient. In this episode, Sara highlights new technologies that could improve integr…

1
The future of cognitive tools 34:06

4M ago34:06

34:06

Psychologist Judy Fan is an expert in how physical objects facilitate learning. In the classroom, these include pencils, pens, paper, and whiteboards. But in any learning situation, the physical world provides tools for learning and communicating, often trumping the speed and reach of today’s digital technologies. These objects are cognitive tools …

1
The future of perceptual phenomena 29:17

4M ago29:17

29:17

From witchcraft to shamans to those with schizophrenia, voices and visions have always been part of human experience and they have always intrigued anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann. She now studies how various cultures understand these mysterious mental phenomena. Luhrmann has observed and talked to hundreds who’ve experienced voices and visions and l…

1
Russ’s Summer Playlist 0:53

4M ago0:53

0:53

Whether you’re taking a summer road trip, planning a long plane ride, or simply enjoying walks in the warm weather, we want to take a moment to recommend to you a few recent episodes of The Future of Everything to listen to along the way. You’ll find a list of these episodes in the show notes, but as a brief preview we’ve got conversations on robot…

1
The future of polymers 30:06

4M ago30:06

30:06

Alberto Salleo is an expert in the long, chain-like molecules known as polymers. The world relies on polymers and the most common are in plastics. Salleo is now working on a new generation of organic polymers made of Earth-abundant materials that could lead to flexible electronics that can biodegrade or be easily recycled. These polymers could be g…

1
Best of: How math makes markets fairer 28:43

5M ago28:43

28:43

We have another best-of episode for you today. This one is a conversation with Irene Lo about the work she’s doing to study and leverage markets for social impact — think markets for public school assignments, or medical school residency matches. Irene reminds us that markets exist to help effectively allocate limited resources, and not all marketp…

1
The future of exercise 28:09

5M ago28:09

28:09

Jonathan Long is a biochemist who studies the chemicals produced during exercise. In Long’s world, “you always start with molecules,” which offer “clean handles” to understanding complex processes. His lab has identified a chemical produced in the digestive tract during exercise that can make a person stop eating. Long now studies this “gut-brain a…

1
Best of: The future of proteins 31:17

5M ago31:17

31:17

We’re digging back into our archives with an episode with bioengineer Polly Fordyce. Polly studies the form and function of proteins. She refers to proteins as the “workhorses” that make things in the body happen, and her study of these molecules reveals a greater understanding of human life. We hope you’ll tune in to this conversation again, and e…

1
The future of computer-aided education 32:17

5M ago32:17

32:17

Chris Piech is a professor of computer science who studies how computers can help students learn. In comparing human- and computer-aided education, he says humans are great one-on-one, but AI is more consistent at grading and feedback. He and colleagues have created several generative AI grading apps to take advantage of these relative strengths, a…

1
The future of effective communication 30:01

6M ago30:01

30:01

Guest Matt Abrahams is a master communicator who helps others overcome their fear of speaking — before live audiences, in small groups, or even one-on-one. His catchphrase, “Think Fast, Talk smart,” describes a mindset that, he says, is key to speaking well. Thinking fast is the ability to recognize and respond to patterns in order to talk smart — …

1
Best of: What happens when computers can write like humans 27:14

6M ago27:14

27:14

We’re bringing you a timely best-of episode, given the recent advances in generative AI tools like ChatGPT. A couple years ago we interviewed Jeff Hancock, a Stanford professor of communication whose research explores the psychological and interpersonal processes at play when people communicate with each other and with computers. At the time of thi…

1
The future of the universe 30:11

6M ago30:11

30:11

Astrophysicist Risa Wechsler studies the evolution of the universe. She says that our understanding of how the universe formed and how it will change over time is changing as new technologies for seeing and measuring space come online, like a new high-resolution camera that can quickly map the full sky to see everything that moves, or new spectrogr…

1
The future of robotics 29:46

6M ago29:46

29:46

Guest Jeannette Bohg is an expert in robotics who says there is a transformation happening in her field brought on by recent advances in large language models. The LLMs have a certain common sense baked in and robots are using it to plan and to reason as never before. But they still lack low-level sensorimotor control — like the fine skill it takes…

1
The future of brain science 34:40

7M ago34:40

34:40

Guest Sergiu Pasca is a physician-scientist who turns skin cells into stem cells and then into brain tissues he calls “organoids” and “assembloids” in order to study psychiatric and neurological illness in a dish instead of in living human beings. With this knowledge, Pasca hopes to develop new treatments for conditions ranging from schizophrenia a…

1
The future of cybersecurity 31:58

7M ago31:58

31:58

With TikTok in the hands of 170 million Americans, cybersecurity expert Amy Zegart says it’s time to talk about consequences. Foreign access to all that data on so many Americans is a national security threat, she asserts. For those as concerned as she, Zegart has good news and bad. The government has gotten better at fighting cyberthreats, but art…

1
Best of: Regenerating and rejuvenating human tissues 26:53

7M ago26:53

26:53

A best of episode where Russ interviews one of his bioengineering colleagues, Fan Yang, about some of the fascinating work she’s doing in the realm of tissue engineering. Hear more about the ways her lab is modeling human tissue to help develop a better understanding of how we might effectively replace damaged tissues and alleviate a number of heal…

1
Best of: How do you build a better robot? By understanding people. 27:09

7M ago27:09

27:09

A best of episode where Russ interviews computer scientist and electrical engineer, Dorsa Sadigh. They had a fantastic conversation about the work she’s doing to train robots to better understand humans, and as she shares, it turns out that one key to this work is better understanding human behavior. If you’re curious about how we’re going to make …

1
Best of: Why AI must embody the values of its users 27:52

7M ago27:52

27:52

We’re bringing back an episode about trust and AI. In a world where the use of Artificial Intelligence is exploding, guest computer scientist Carlos Guestrin shares insights from the work he’s doing to support the development of trust between humans and machines. We originally recorded this episode in 2022, but the insights are just as if not more …

1
The future of addiction 30:30

8M ago30:30

30:30

Guest Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist and a specialist in the behavioral sciences who studies addiction. While there is tremendous variety in the things people can be addicted to, all forms are tied to dopamine, a biochemical that is key to human senses of pleasure, reward, and motivation. She says that new treatments are combining traditional abstin…

1
The future of computer music 34:27

8M ago34:27

34:27

Humans and computers making music together, it’s the best of both worlds. Ge Wang is a professor of music, a computer scientist, and director of the Stanford Laptop Orchestra – an orchestra in which human musicians and computers collaborate to make music. “I once thought computer music was abstract and inaccessible, but it can be very playful, too,…

1
The future of pediatric pain 29:31

8M ago29:31

29:31

Laura Simons is a clinical psychologist and an authority on pain, particularly chronic pain in childhood, which is much more common than widely understood. Most people don't even think chronic pain happens in children, says Simons. The consequences, however, are serious, ranging from learning gaps from missed school to social isolation and even dep…

1
The future of measuring cancer 29:54

8M ago29:54

29:54

Guest Olivier Gevaert is an expert in multi-modal biomedical data modeling and recently developed new methods in the new science of “spatial transcriptomics” that are able to predict how cancer cells present spatially and will behave in the future. Tumors are not monolithic, he says, but made up of various cell types. Spatial transcriptomics measur…

1
The future of reading 30:08

9M ago30:08

30:08

Rebecca Silverman is an expert in how humans learn to read. It’s a complex process, she says. First we must connect letters and sounds to decode words in texts. Researchers know a lot about the decoding process and how to teach it. But, beyond that, we must also comprehend what the words in texts are conveying. Comprehension is complex, and researc…

1
The future of culture 31:58

9M ago31:58

31:58

Professor and cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand’s latest book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, explores notions of what she calls “tight” and “loose” cultures, and how each shapes us as individuals and the world around us. Tight cultures closely follow unwritten cultural norms, while those on the looser side have more latitude. Culture is complicat…

1
Best of: What makes a surgeon great? 27:53

9M ago27:53

27:53

We’re taking you into our archive of over 250 episodes to re-share an interview Russ Altman did in 2022 with Stanford Medicine Professor of Surgery, Carla Pugh. Performing surgery is profoundly complex and requires precision, dexterity and lots of practice. Dr. Pugh shares about how she’s studying the movements of skilled surgeons to better underst…

1
The future of bioprinting 29:01

9M ago29:01

29:01

Mark Skylar-Scott is one of the world’s foremost experts on the 3D printing of human tissue, cell by cell. It’s a field better known as bioprinting. But Skylar-Scott hopes to take things to a level most never imagined. He and his collaborators are working to bioprint an entire living, working human heart. We’re printing biology, Skylar-Scott tells …

1
The future of language learning 31:16

10M ago31:16

31:16

Cognitive scientist Michael Frank studies differences in how children and AI learn language. There is a “data gap” between the billions of words ChatGPT has to work with and the millions of words a toddler is exposed to. But, says Frank, children learn in a rich social context that supports their learning. He’s currently conducting the “BabyView St…

1
Best of: Computational modeling can help us understand Alzheimer’s disease 26:35

10M ago26:35

26:35

We’re re-running an important episode on Alzheimer’s disease — a topic that touches many people. We still don’t have a complete understanding of the disease and that makes it hard to design effective therapies. In 2022, Russ Altman sat down with mechanical engineer Ellen Kuhl who offered a glimpse into the way she’s using computational modeling to …

1
The future of immigration 27:48

10M ago27:48

27:48

Ran Abramitzky studies the economic history of immigration by tapping into now-public government records and using AI to chart changing attitudes on immigration captured in written documents and official speeches. What’s revealed is a remarkable story that often diverges from conventional wisdom. Not all streets were paved with gold, Abramitzky tel…

1
Best of: The future of art 29:13

10M ago29:13

29:13

We’re re-releasing a wonderful episode about the positive impact art has on individual and societal health. Guest Deborah Cullinan, vice president for the arts at Stanford, shares how including just 10-20 minutes of art in your day — whether through drawing or dancing to your favorite song — can contribute to improved health. Her insights remind us…

1
The future of digital health 31:17

10M ago31:17

31:17

As the pandemic made a doctor visit as easy as a Zoom call and computer vision proved able to distinguish a benign blemish from something more worrisome, guest Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, grew fascinated with the many ways digital technologies will impact all of medicine, not just her specialty, dermatology. She now believes the future of digital health…

1
Best of: New life for old muscles 27:18

11M ago27:18

27:18

To kick off 2024, we’re bringing you an episode that’s been one of our most popular. The timing is just right as many of us are headed into the new year thinking about how to live better. In this episode, Professor Helen Blau, a stem cell biologist, tells us all about how she’s recruiting stem cells to regenerate youthful muscle in older people. We…

1
Russ's Holiday Episode Playlist 1:15

11M ago1:15

1:15

Russ's curated playlist of six episodes from our archive to accompany you through the holiday season & into the new year. Curated Episode Links: Is it time to rethink philanthropy? (Robert Reich) --> YouTube or Episode Page The future of the gut microbiome (KC Huang) --> YouTube or Episode Page How 3D printing is changing medicine (Joseph DeSimone)…

1
Best of: Making sense of the gut biome 28:15

11M ago28:15

28:15

Professor Michael Fischbach, tells us that the “gut biome” – that is, the complex community of bacteria that lives in our gastrointestinal tract – is what makes digesting and extracting nutrients from those meals possible. We hope you’ll tune in. Contact Links: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads o…

1
Best of: What can the DNA in your blood reveal about your health? 27:17

12M ago27:17

27:17

Professor Stephen Quake's research has helped countless patients avoid the pain and suffering that can come with invasive diagnostic testing. Russ and Stephen discuss his work to develop a number of noninvasive blood tests to help detect preterm births, genetic disorders like Down Syndrome, cancer, and organ transplant rejection. It’s an episode th…

1
The future of AI Chat: Foundation models and responsible innovation 35:47

12M ago35:47

35:47

Guest Percy Liang is an authority on AI who says that we are undergoing a paradigm shift in AI powered by foundation models, which are general-purpose models trained at immense scale, such as ChatGPT. In this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast, Liang tells host Russ Altman about how foundation models are built, how t…

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