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PODCAST

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast

U.S. National Science Foundation

This is the Discovery Files Podcast from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Join us as we explore the latest breakthroughs in science, technology and engineering with the researchers making these discoveries. Learn how scientific innovation bolsters the U.S. economy, supports our Nation’s interests around the globe, and improves the lives of Americans.

science

All Episodes

25:34

Repurposing Carbon Dioxide

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/05/27

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide act like an atmospheric blanket, but what if society could capture and repurpose those gases into useful products? Burcu Gurkan, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering department at Case Western Reserve University, joins this episode to discuss electrochemical methods of carbon capture, how the resulting products might be used and how flow batteries may fuel the future.

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13:23

Cicadas

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/05/20

This year billions of cicadas will emerge as the annual varieties are joined by the periodic Brood XIX and Brood XIII species that pop up every 13 and 17 years. Allen Moore, division director for the Division of Environmental Biology at the U.S. National Science Foundation, joins to discuss cicadas and answer some questions about these mysterious insects.

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24:31

Mayan Archeology

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/05/13

Prior to European arrival, the Maya peoples built a civilization in the inhospitable lowland jungles of Middle America. David Lentz, professor of biological sciences and executive director at the University of Cincinnati Center for Field Studies, joins to discuss his archeological findings from ancient Mayan cities.

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13:22

Black Hole Questions

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/05/06

Advancing tools and techniques are revealing more about black holes, but they also raise more questions that continue to capture the imaginations of people everywhere. Joe Pesce, an astrophysicist with the U.S. National Science Foundation, joins to answer some popular questions.

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25:11

Clarifying Quantum Information

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/04/29

With applications across the sciences and beyond, quantum information science is revolutionizing the world around us. We are joined by Scott Aaronson, Schlumberger Chair of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin and director of its Quantum Information Center, to discuss quantum computers, how to understand quantum mechanics and how artificial intelligence is misunderstood.

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20:46

Biofilm Resistance

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/04/22

Over six million people get bacterial infections that develop into biofilms every year, but what if you could cut off the bacteria before infection occurs? We are joined by Amber Doiron, assistant professor in the University of Vermont Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, to discuss developing biofilm-resistant wound dressings, the problems with treating bacteria, and how exciting it can be to mentor the next generation.

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17:59

Graphene Health Monitor

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/04/15

Tattoos have been a part of human culture for a very long time, but what if your tattoo could help diagnose your health? We are joined by Dmitry Kireev, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to discuss developing graphene biosensors, how they're like a tattoo, and how this technology may impact the future of health monitoring.

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22:36

Citizen CATE 2024

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/04/08

For a few minutes on April 8, when the moon passed between the sun and Earth, millions of people in the path of totality from Maine to Texas experienced a total solar eclipse. We are joined today by Amir Caspi, a principal scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, who explains the Citizen Continental-America Telescope Eclipse 2024 and his role in the project, the unique opportunities for science that occur during an eclipse, and how anyone can be a scientist.

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15:05

Total Solar Eclipse

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/04/01

On April 8, parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico will experience a total solar eclipse. We are joined today by Carrie Black, a program officer in the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences Division; Alain Brizard, a professor of physics at Saint Michael's College; and Maria Kazachenko, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Astrophysical & Planetary Science department to hear about what they'll be doing on April 8, what insights you might learn during an eclipse, and what can

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23:27

Smart Dope Quantum Dots

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/03/25

In chemistry, advances in artificial intelligence are allowing automated and self-driving labs to quickly realize complex experiments while providing new avenues for exploration. We are joined by Milad Abolhasani, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University to hear about how he developed Smart Dope, a self-driving fluidic lab, and how it is being used to advance quantum dots.

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17:42

Solar Weather Astronomy

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/03/18

Using cutting-edge tools such as the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, astronomers can study the sun as never before. We are joined by Maria Kazachenko, assistant professor in the University of Colorado Boulder Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences department and assistant professor at the National Solar Observatory, to hear about how why it's important to study the sun, why magnetic fields result in solar flares and how new tools are changing our understanding of the sun.

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19:49

Pluripotent Polymers

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/03/11

Plastics have historically been developed to be optimal for a specific use, but what if a single material could be made flexible for one application or sturdy for another? We are joined by Stuart Rowan, professor of molecular engineering innovation and enterprise at the University of Chicago, who shares how he is developing materials whose properties can be changed on demand.

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18:33

Crocodilia

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/03/04

Crocodilian species first appeared during the Mesazoic era 252-66 million years ago and have since adapted to survive changing environments and mass extinction events. We are joined by Greg Erickson, professor of anatomy and vertebrate paleobiology at Florida State University and curator at FSU's Biological Science Museum, who shares how he measured crocodilian bite strength, what happens if a crocodile bites you, and how they inform the understanding of dinosaurs.

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22:39

STEM and Downtown Boxing Gym

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/02/26

Since 2007, Detroit's Downtown Boxing Gym has provided a free academic and athletic program to students aged 8-18, where they have seen long-term, life-changing impacts and a 100% high school graduation rate. We are joined by Purdue University Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology Amanda Case, Downtown Boxing Gym Executive Director Jessica Hauser, STEAM Lab Coordinator Remi Napier and student researcher Kenneth Cain to learn more about their incredibly successful program.

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22:18

Quantum Computing

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/02/19

Quantum information science is a rapidly advancing field. The unique possibilities that quantum phenomena offer will create breakthroughs in areas such as sensing and measurement, computation and simulation, communication, networking, and security. Dolev Bluvstein, a doctoral student at Harvard University, working in the Lukin Group at the Quantum Optics Laboratory joins to discuss how they are making strides in advancing quantum computing, the value of error correction and what the future may hold

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21:02

ZEUS and the Frontier of Laser Science

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/02/12

The U.S. National Science Foundation's Zettawatt-Equivalent Ultrashort pulse laser System (ZEUS) is the highest power laser system in the United States, providing world-leading capabilities for scientific, medical, defense and industrial research. We are joined by Karl Krushelnick, professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences and director of the Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science at the University of Michigan, which houses ZEUS, to hear about how the laser works, the

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25:57

Geographic Information Science

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/02/05

From weather apps to maps, geographic information systems (GIS) are the computer-based tools that drive many modern-day conveniences. The U.S. National Science Foundation has played a central role in the technology's development and growth. NSF established the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) in 1988 and funded more than $83 million in grants in the last two years alone. We are joined by Jack Dangermond, who has served on advisory boards for NSF and NCGIA and alongside

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15:49

Macrophages and Cancer

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/01/29

In the immune system, white blood cells help protect the body from viruses and bacteria. A subset known as macrophages offer great promise for cancer treatment. We are joined by Kolade Adebowale, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to hear about his macrophage studies, how they might be made more effective, and why we should be optimistic about the future of cancer treatment.

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22:16

Tyrannosaurids

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/01/22

Since the discovery of incomplete dinosaur skeletons in the early 1800s, the collective knowledge about these creatures that roamed the Earth millions of years ago has grown dramatically. We are joined by Greg Erickson, a professor of anatomy and vertebrate paleobiology at Florida State University and curator at FSU's Biological Science Museum who shares how new Gorgosaurus discoveries impact what we know about ancient eating patterns, how he aged the famous Tyrannosaurus rex Sue, and his role in

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25:58

Lasers and Extreme Ultraviolet Light

NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast ·

2024/01/15

Light catches the imagination and raises questions about phenomena such as rainbows or why the sky is blue from an early age. We are joined by Franklin Dollar, professor of physics and astronomy and associate dean of graduate studies in the School of Physical Sciences at University of California, Irvine to hear about how he uses extreme ultraviolet light and lasers to reproduce and study the plasma states and particle acceleration that occur in the most extreme corners of the universe.

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180 results

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