Verge of Discovery

Latest Episodes:

031: Rockets and the Challenges of Space Travel with Dr. Vanstone Feb 08, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Leon Vanstone is an aerodynamic engineer and a real life rocket scientist. Travelling really fast through the atmosphere generates a lot of heat due to friction from the air. Leon’s work looks at how to stop things that do this from melting. It’s pretty hard to travel fast enough to melt something unless you drop the object from space and so this problem usually only applies to rockets and re-entry vehicles. Leon discusses some of these challenges and tells us a bit more about orbital travel.

030: Big Data, Cloud Computing and Machine Learning with Dr. Ryoo Feb 01, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Jungwoo Ryoo is the interim head of the division of business, engineering, and information sciences and technology (BEIST) and an associate professor of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at the Pennsylvania State University-Altoona. He discusses his field of expertise in big data, cloud computing and machine learning. Dr. Ryoo dives deeper into the state of big data field and how we need more and more qualified interdisciplinary experts in the field to advance this industry into the future.

029: Brain 'Zaps' to Improve Language, Cognition & Motor Abilities with Dr. Mehta Jan 25, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Jyutika Mehta is an associate professor at Texas Woman’s University and directs Neurophysiology lab in the department of Communication Science & Disorders. Her primary research interests are to study speech and language representation in normal and disordered brains.

028: Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Scans and ADHD with Monica Rosenberg Jan 18, 2016

Show notes

Monica Rosenberg is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at Yale University. Monica discusses how applying cognitive neuroscience research can help identify and treat disorders like ADHD. She expands on how ability to sustain attention varies widely across individuals and researchers lack a standardized way to measure it. Monica dives deeper into her groups recent work introducing a new fMRI measure of sustained attention based on patterns of functional connectivity, or correlated activity across the brain.

027: The Undersea Internet Network with Dr. Starosielski Jan 11, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Nicole Starosielski is the author of "The Undersea Network," a book on the undersea cable systems that carry almost all transoceanic internet traffic today. She discusses the history of the network and how it was started and how it developed into what it is today. Dr. Starosielski discusses the technology behind the network and why it is being used today. She also dives deeper into other factors such as security, longevity and reliability of the network and its future.

026: Macular Degeneration, Pigmentation and Alzheimer's with Dr. McKay Jan 04, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Brian McKay is an associate professor at the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science at the University of Arizona. Dr. McKay joins the show to discuss age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its potential causes. He dives deeper into the relationship between certain pigments and persons susceptibility to AMD or glaucoma and how they are related. Dr. McKay also shares with us his most recent results in which Alzheimer’s drug can potentially help us treat and even prevent future cases of AMD.

025: Predictive Policing, Space Travel and The Internet of Things with Dr. Perkowitz Dec 28, 2015

Show notes

Dr. Sidney Perkowitz is Emeritus professor of physics at Emory University. He is a scientist and a writer. Dr. Perkowitz discusses some of his interests in science and technology and dives deeper in his most recent articles including predictive policing, the internet of things and space travel.

024: Mathematics in Social Media and Scientific Networks with Dr. Struppa Dec 21, 2015

Show notes

Dr. Daniele Struppa introduces his work as a mathematician working primarily in the area of Fourier Analysis and it’s applications. He has recently become interested in some aspects of social media and how he can use mathematics to judge the “impact” of certain content in various networks and in scientific publications in particular. He expands on his findings and tell us a bit more about the best ways to diffuse knowledge and ideas through social media.

Bonus: What will be the greatest scientific discovery in the next ten years? Dec 18, 2015

Show notes

What will be the greatest scientific discovery in the next ten years?

Is extending the human life the next big discovery?

023: Top 10 American Fears with Dr. Christopher Bader Dec 14, 2015

Show notes

Dr. Christopher Bader is one of the principal investigators of the Chapman University Survey of American Fears. Dr. Bader starts our interview by discussing satanic panic back in the 80s/90s and how it peaked his interest in the overall study of fear. He then introduces his group’s work with the Chapman University Survey of American Fears. Dr. Bader dives deeper into finding of the study and how it affects our lives. Stay tuned for top 10 fears of 2015.

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