Best Stanford Engineering Podcasts (2025)

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#88 – Cuts to federal grants for science & engineering research in universities: Reactions of 2 professors 39:28

12h ago39:28

39:28

I don't usually make videos/podcasts specific to a time, but given the magnitude of the crisis in academic research, I made an exception. To try to add light to the heat, I took some time to chat with my colleague, Prof. Marc Porosoff, co-host of the PodCAT also at the University of Rochester, to discuss our reactions to cuts in federal funding for…

1
The future of wildfire management 33:44

3d ago33:44

33:44

Michael Wara is a lawyer and an expert in wildfire policy who says that solutions are out there, but face financial, political, and cultural resistance. What’s needed, he says, are “whole-of-society” approaches that raise wildfire risk to the community level. In this regard, the devastation in Los Angeles in 2025 could provide the spark needed for …

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#87 – Federal research funding: How $10 million becomes $100 million 13:06

6d ago13:06

13:06

There is a lot of incorrect information out there on the role of research funding in the economy. Does it waste money or create it? Here, I use some data and back-of-the-envelope projections from my own lab at UC San Diego and University of Rochester to argue that a $10M investment in the form of grants & contracts will generate many hundreds of mi…

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218. Organ-on-a-chip: Our Best Shot At Beating Cancer? 14:15

6d ago14:15

14:15

(2:40) - Cancer-on-a-chip technology advances our understanding of how cancer operates This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about the role of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in the medical world! …

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The future of pediatric development and disability 31:42

10d ago31:42

31:42

Physician and psychologist Heidi Feldman is a pioneer in the field of developmental behavioral pediatrics who says that the world’s understanding of childhood disability is changing and so too are the ways we approach it. Where once institutionalization was common, today we find integrative, family-centered approaches, charting a more humane, hopef…

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Rob Ettema on River Ice, Ice-Sediment Interactions, and Sediment Scientist Biographies 56:05

10d ago56:05

56:05

I grew up in one of North America’s great snow belts…and started my career in Buffalo NY So, that background and my fascination with sediment transport primes curiosity in ice transport. I’m sure my ice friends would cringe at this, but I sometimes call ice transport as upside down sediment transport. But despite the symmetry of ice and sediment tr…

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What ChatGPT understands: Large language models and the neuroscience of meaning | Laura Gwilliams 42:31

11d ago42:31

42:31

If you spend any time chatting with a modern AI chatbot, you've probably been amazed at just how human it sounds, how much it feels like you're talking to a real person. Much ink has been spilled explaining how these systems are not actually conversing, not actually understanding — they're statistical algorithms trained to predict the next likely w…

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Scientists Cooperate while Humanists Ruminate (EF, JP) 41:46

11d ago41:46

41:46

Back in 2021, John and Elizabeth sat down with Brandeis string theorist Albion Lawrence to discuss cooperation versus solitary study across disciplines. They sink their teeth into the question, “Why do scientists seem to do collaboration and teamwork better than other kinds of scholars and academics?” The conversation ranges from the merits of coll…

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Best of: The future of female athletic health 30:25

17d ago30:25

30:25

The world of women’s sports is experiencing unprecedented growth, attention, recognition, and investment. Elite athletes including Simone Biles, Caitlin Clark, Serena Williams, and many others are having a significant impact on culture, and more women than ever are participating in both professional and recreational sports. Earlier this year, Russ …

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217. Meet the World's Smallest Walking Robots 15:24

20d ago15:24

15:24

(2:30) - Smallest walking robot makes microscale measurements This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about another micro-topic - micro-mobility - and how it will/already is changing our urban infrastructur…

1
The future of legal representation 36:44

24d ago36:44

36:44

Nora Freeman Engstrom is a professor of law who says that in three-quarters of cases one or more of the parties lacks legal representation. Worse yet, often the litigants are involved in high-consequence civil cases where there is no right to a lawyer and costs are prohibitive. Some states are looking at alternatives including non-lawyer representa…

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What the other half of the brain does | Brad Zuchero 35:00

25d ago35:00

35:00

We've talked about glia and sleep. We've talked about glia and neuroinflammation. We've talked about glia in the brain fog that can accompany COVID or chemotherapy. We've talked about the brain's quiet majority of non–neuronal cells in so many different contexts that it felt like it was high time for us to take a step back and look at the bigger pi…

1
The future of hearing loss 34:05

1M ago34:05

34:05

Physician Tina Stankovic is an ear, nose, and throat specialist and a lover of music whose seemingly disparate pursuits — medicine and music — have led her to a groundbreaking career in hearing research. She recently worked with music legend Paul Simon during his well-publicized battle with hearing loss and he has become a vocal advocate for hearin…

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216. Exoskeleton + Digital Twin Aid Stroke Recovery 17:25

1M ago17:25

17:25

(2:30) - Regaining mobility quickly after a stroke This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about how wearable robotics is aiding Parkisons therapy! Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.th…

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The future of live performance 36:13

1M ago36:13

36:13

Michael Rau is a professor, theater director, and tech innovator in one. He says that today’s technologies – AI, gaming, interactive storytelling, and even email – are reshaping what performers can do on stage and how audiences experience those performances. The best of the stage has always been about reflecting life, and technology is part of how …

1
Stimulating the brain with sound | Kim Butts Pauly and Raag Airan 30:43

1M ago30:43

30:43

As we gain a better understanding of how misfiring brain circuits lead to mental health conditions, we'd like to be able to go in and nudge those circuits back into balance. But this is hard — literally — because the brain is encased in this thick bony skull. Plus, often the problem you want to target is buried deep in the middle of a maze of delic…

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Grace Lindsay, "Models of the Mind: How Physics, Engineering and Mathematics Have Shaped Our Understanding of the Brain" (Bloomsbury, 2021) 51:54

1M ago51:54

51:54

Models of the Mind: How Physics, Engineering and Mathematics Have Shaped Our Understanding of the Brain (Bloomsbury, 2021) provides a multifaceted and approachable introduction to theoretical neuroscience. It discusses some major topics of the field, including both the milestones from their history and the currently open questions. It's accessible …

1
215. Stanford Predicts The Next Human Evolution 16:43

1M ago16:43

16:43

In this episode, we explore how a generative AI tool is marking a major milestone in biology and accelerating advancements in healthcare, genetics, and drug development. Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/ As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.…

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Best of: The future of culture 31:53

1M ago31:53

31:53

We've been thinking a lot about culture recently, and reflecting on how–whether or not we’re aware of it–culture is a force that’s always exerting influence on us. It’s typically only when we get outside of our daily routine, our city or even our country, and are confronted with new ways of doing things that we can clearly see the values, norms, an…

1
Pierre Julien on Bed Forms, High Concentration Flow, and Engineering Rules of Thumb 1:03:08

1M ago1:03:08

1:03:08

Dr. Pierre Julien joined the Colorado State faculty almost 40 years ago, where he worked at CSU’s Engineering Research Center and Hydraulics laboratory. His book, Erosion and Sedimentation, is one of my most common references, and several of the algorithms we have in HEC-RAS (particularly for mud and debris flows) come directly from this text. But …

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214. 3D Printing Robot Muscles 18:18

2M ago18:18

18:18

(2:22) - Encoding many properties in one material via 3D printing This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about the history of soft robotics and its current/future applications! Become a founding reader of …

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The future of electronic materials 35:42

2M ago35:42

35:42

We are on the cusp of a materials revolution – in electronics, health care, and avionics – says guest engineer-scientist Eric Pop. For instance, silicon and copper have served electronics admirably for decades, he says, but at the nanoscale, better materials will be needed. Atomically thin two-dimensional semiconductors (like molybdenum disulfide) …

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Does good sleep insulate the brain against Alzheimer's? | Erin Gibson 39:25

2M ago39:25

39:25

We're kicking off our new season with a deep dive into one of neuroscience's most fascinating mysteries: sleep. This unconscious third of our lives isn't just about rest – it's absolutely critical for brain health, memory consolidation, and overall well-being. But here's where it gets intriguing: recent research suggests that increased napping as w…

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213. Dehumidifying Walls Help Switzerland Hit Net Zero By 2050 17:46

2M ago17:46

17:46

(0:50) - Sustainable building components create a good indoor climate Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/ As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.By Farbod Moghaddam, Daniel Scott Mitchell

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The future of liquid biopsy 36:38

2M ago36:38

36:38

Physician Ash Alizadeh has seen the future of disease diagnosis and monitoring. It is coursing through every patient’s veins. Traditionally, biopsies have required invasively gathering tissue – from a lung, a liver, or a fetus. Now it’s possible to look for disease without surgery. The DNA is sitting there in the bloodstream, Alizadeh tells host Ru…

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212. One Cure For All Snake Venoms Via AI 18:55

2M ago18:55

18:55

(2:30) - AI-designed proteins neutralise snake toxins This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about how AI is being used to expedite the drug development discovery phase! Hint: it’s a great primer for this …

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Best of: The future of bioprinting 29:03

2M ago29:03

29:03

February is American Heart Month, and in light of that, we’re bringing back an episode about a group here at Stanford Engineering that’s developing 3D printing methods for human tissues and organs, a process known as bioprinting. Motivated in part by the critical need for heart transplants, Mark Skylar-Scott and his team are specifically working to…

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Ellen Wohl on World Rivers, River Restoration, and the Dimensions of Fluvial Connectivity 1:02:51

2M ago1:02:51

1:02:51

We’re kicking this season off with one of the most prolific researchers in River Science. Dr. Ellen Wohl is a Fluvial Geomorphologist at Colorado State’s Warner College of Natural Resources. As we will discuss, Dr. Wohl has explored and studied rivers on 6 continents (so far). But she has also focused on river processes in the Colorado front range …

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Community, Excellence, & Service: The CEO for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Janeen Uzzell, comes to MIT - EP 17 46:42

2M ago46:42

46:42

The CEO of the National Society of Black Engineers, Janeen Uzzell, heads to the lab at MIT to chat about her early years at NC A&T, the NSBE mission, programs, leadership, and family. We also hear about the upcoming NSBE 50th celebration in Chicago and check-in with a few students and alumni. Janeen is awesome - she also lectured for our 2.009 stud…

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Trailer: The Future of Everything 1:18

2M ago1:18

1:18

Welcome to Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything, the podcast that delves into groundbreaking research and innovations that are shaping the world and inventing the future. The University has a long history of doing work to positively impact the world and it's a joy to share about the people who are doing this work, what motivates them, an…

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211. Cooling Buildings With Porous Plastic Sheets 19:08

2M ago19:08

19:08

(0:35) - Porous plastic sheets can cool buildings by radiating light to space Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/ As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.By Farbod Moghaddam, Daniel Scott Mitchell

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The future of coronary arteries 32:37

2M ago32:37

32:37

Guest Kristy Red-Horse is a biologist who specializes in coronary artery development and disease. She says the latest advances in treatment of blockages could do away with invasive bypass surgeries in favor of growing new arteries using molecules like CXCL12, known to promote artery regrowth in mice. Red-Horse explains how leaps forward in medical …

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210. Origami-inspired Concrete Construction 19:00

3M ago19:00

19:00

(2:50) - Zigzags for greener construction This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about the critical role of energy storage in integrating renewable sources into the power grid! Become a founding reader of …

1
The future of transparent tissue 30:03

3M ago30:03

30:03

Materials scientist and physicist Guosong Hong is an expert in getting materials to do remarkable things. Recently, he and collaborators used a common food dye found in snack chips to turn living tissue transparent, allowing light to penetrate through skin and muscle. Hong is now working to realize a new age of medical imaging that lets doctors see…

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209. Tom Zaubermann & The Cyber Threat(s) To Your Car 55:56

3M ago55:56

55:56

(00:00) - Introduction to Automotive Cybersecurity (06:18) - Tom Zaubermann's Journey in Cybersecurity (12:22) - The Intersection of Cybersecurity and Automotive (16:06) - Challenges in Automotive Cybersecurity Development (21:23) - The Role of Over-the-Air Updates (25:20) - Consumer Awareness and Best Practices in Cybersecurity (29:54) - Navigatin…

1
Best of: The future of science education 30:44

3M ago30:44

30:44

With the tremendous amount of information available to us today, the ability to discern what’s reliable from what’s not is crucial to combating the spread of misinformation. In 2023, we sat down with Jonathan Osborne, an expert in science education to talk about the tools our students (and really all of us!) need to critically evaluate science news…

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Karenleigh A. Overmann, "The Material Origin of Numbers: Insights from the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East" (Gorgias Press, 2024) 10:50

3M ago10:50

10:50

What are numbers, and where do they come from? Based on her groundbreaking study of material devices used for counting in the Ancient Near East, Karenleigh Overmann proposes a novel answer to these timeless questions. Tune in as we talk with Karenleigh Overmann about her book, The Material Origin of Numbers: Insights from the Archaeology of the Anc…

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208. Tiny Antennas for Big Cellular Insights 16:53

3M ago16:53

16:53

(3:40) - Monitoring Cell Communication With Mini Antennas This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about how smart toilets could become a critical part of the health tracking ecosystem! Become a founding rea…

1
The future of seaweed 32:40

3M ago32:40

32:40

Oceanographer Kristen Davis, an authority on ocean physics and climate sustainability, discusses the growing excitement around seaweed and kelp as tools to combat climate change. Like trees on land, these underwater plants use photosynthesis to absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into organic matter. When they die, some of that carbon may sink to …

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207. Meet The Life-saving Snake Robot 18:19

3M ago18:19

18:19

(3:10) - The Snake That Saves Lives This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about how medical robots have been evolving over the years and what the future looks like! Become a founding reader of our newslet…

1
The future of kidney dialysis 33:43

3M ago33:43

33:43

Nephrologist Manjula Tamura discusses the downsides of kidney dialysis, especially for old or frail patients. Her field has set its sights on offering alternatives, including supportive medical management without dialysis, dialysis in increments, wearable artificial kidneys, and transplanted kidneys from genetically modified pigs – in addition to a…

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206. How Traditional Chinese Medicine Is Shaping Modern Wearables 16:53

3M ago16:53

16:53

(3:44) - Traditional Chinese Medicine Inspires Better Wearables This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about how solid state batteries will change the wearables for the better in the coming years! Become a…

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"Ask an Editor" with Amy East (Bonus short) 18:15

4M ago18:15

18:15

The peer review process can feel like hazing to a new (or not-so-new) river scientist. Many excellent practitioners are learning from their rivers every day, but it can feel like if it doesn't get into peer review, it doesn't "count." So we separated this short segment from my conversation with Dr. Amy East, the Editor-in-Chief of AGU's Journal of …

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The future of robotic surgery 33:32

4M ago33:32

33:32

Guest Renee Zhao works at the cutting-edge of robotic surgery – literally. Emboldened by advances in 3D-printing and miniaturization, she builds “millibots,” magnet-controlled, millimeter-scale soft robots that navigate the bloodstream to remove blood clots and treat brain aneurysms. While the millibot’s promise is clear, much work remains before t…

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205. 2024 Recap & 2nd Annual Saucies!🥫🍾 36:31

4M ago36:31

36:31

(04:44) - 163. Creating 3D Objects With AI (07:40) - 168. Neuroprosthetics: The Next Step Towards Limb Reconstruction (10:37) - 164. Dyson’s Automated, Self-sustaining Strawberry Farm (13:40) - 177. Did A Shrimp Fry This Rice? No, A Robot Did (16:47) - 172. Don’t Throw Away Coffee Grounds; They Could Solve The World’s Water Crisis! (19:49) - 191. F…

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Best of: The future of exercise 27:43

4M ago27:43

27:43

Happy New Year! For many of us, a new year brings a renewed sense of motivation when it comes to health. Earlier this year, Russ sat down to speak with Jonathan Long, a Stanford biochemist who studies the chemicals produced during exercise. The conversation was one of our most popular during 2024 and today we’re re-sharing it. As many of us look to…

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Best of: The future of skin longevity 29:21

4M ago29:21

29:21

Happy Holidays! However you’re celebrating, we hope you’re able to find time to connect with friends, family, and loved ones. To accompany you through the season, we’re re-running one of our most popular episodes from 2024, the future of skin longevity with Professor Zakia Rahman. As an expert in dermatology, Professor Rahman explains that our skin…

1
The future of depression care 30:47

4M ago30:47

30:47

Leanne Williams is an expert in depression. The first thing that she wants the world to know is that depression is not some sort of character flaw, but a real illness with symptoms that can impair one’s ability to function day to day. The past decade has seen remarkable advances, she says, as functional MRI has opened new avenues of understanding d…

1
Luci Pangrazio and Neil Selwyn, "Critical Data Literacies: Rethinking Data and Everyday Life" (MIT Press, 2023) 40:00

4M ago40:00

40:00

Data has become a defining issue of current times. Our everyday lives are shaped by the data that is produced about us (and by us) through digital technologies. In Critical Data Literacies: Rethinking Data and Everyday Life (MIT Press, 2023), Luci Pangrazio and Neil Selwyn introduce readers to the central concepts, ideas, and arguments required to …

1
The future of Alzheimer’s treatment 32:35

5M ago32:35

32:35

Guest Michael Greicius is an authority on Alzheimer’s disease. He makes the case that while effective treatments have remained elusive, there are high hopes for new approaches that target tau proteins in the brain associated with the disease. In the meantime, to reduce Alzheimer’s risk stay active, eat well, and manage circulatory risks, but skip g…

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Stanford Engineering Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen