Episodes

  • AI sounds smart but still doesn't understand

    AI sounds smart but still doesn't understand
    Mar 26 2026
    A leading AI researcher, Dr. Melanie Mitchell, explores the gap between pattern recognition and genuine comprehension and how today’s most powerful models still stumble on the difference.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • Turning curiosity into geologic insight

    Turning curiosity into geologic insight
    Mar 26 2026
    Utah’s dramatic landscape holds clues to ancient lakes, shifting climates, and powerful geologic forces. Geologist Dr. Holly Godsey of the University of Utah explores Lake Bonneville, getting students into the field, and bringing science to life.
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • The rise of artificial biological intelligence

    The rise of artificial biological intelligence
    Mar 19 2026
    Geneticist Adrian Woolfson discusses how artificial intelligence and synthetic genomics are making it possible to design entire genomes from scratch — a shift he calls artificial biological intelligence.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • What 'little red dots' could reveal about the early universe

    What 'little red dots' could reveal about the early universe
    Mar 19 2026
    Science journalist Rebecca Boyle discusses her Scientific American article on mysterious “Little Red Dots” discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope that could reshape how scientists understand the early universe.
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Ancient tools reveal the deep history of the Four Corners Potato

    Ancient tools reveal the deep history of the Four Corners Potato
    Mar 12 2026
    Archaeologist Lisbeth Louderback, curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah and associate professor at the University of Utah, discusses new research suggesting Indigenous people in the Four Corners region may have begun domesticating the Four Corners potato thousands of years earlier than previously believed.
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • Park City High School all-girls robotics Team Minerva: The next generation of robot builders

    Park City High School all-girls robotics Team Minerva: The next generation of robot builders
    Mar 12 2026
    Park City High School’s all-girls robotics team, Team Minerva, just placed 2nd in the state championship. They talk about robotics and AI, how they became hooked on building robots, and how they hope to inspire the next generation.
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • The Surprising Link Between the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater

    The Surprising Link Between the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater
    Feb 26 2026
    In this episode, geologist-turned-writer Evan Howell discusses his High Country News article exploring the surprising scientific link between the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater in northern Arizona.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • The Proof That Banning Leaded Gas Worked

    The Proof That Banning Leaded Gas Worked
    Feb 26 2026
    In this episode, University of Utah geologist Thure Cerling discusses research showing that lead exposure has dropped dramatically over the past century — and the proof is preserved in human hair.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins