Christopher Kirchhoff helped launch a Defense Department office that aimed to bring Silicon Valley technology to the US military. Christopher’s problem is this: How can the giant bureaucracy that is the US military keep up with technological change?
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Measles: The Cancer Killer?… from Incubation
We thought we knew everything there was to know about measles. But in recent years, new research has revealed that the virus attacks the immune system and creates effects far more dramatic than a rash…
RoboPod and the Perpetual Money Machine – Cautionary Questions 2… from Cautionary Tales
What really drove the 2008 financial crash? What’s a shadow bank? And what’s the connection between NIMBYs and BANANAs? Tim Harford and Jacob Goldstein answer more of your questions. Enjoy this episode from Cautionary Tales,…
Turning Solar Energy Into Fuel (The Solar Era, Part 3)
Solar power and batteries are becoming cheap and ubiquitous. Great. But there are problems batteries can’t solve – like fueling ships and planes. One way to solve those problems: Use solar power to create hydrogen,…
Get Happier, Help Others: Some Good Ideas About Giving
It’s the season of giving: colorful paper and shiny bows, sure, and charitable giving, too. In this special episode, Jacob Goldstein, the host of What’s Your Problem, gets smart about donating. Did you know that…
Can Hot Bricks Save the World? (The Solar Era, Part 2)
This is the second of three episodes about the solar-power revolution. Last week, we talked about how solar power got so cheap. This week, we’re talking with someone who is building giant plants around the…
Drugs in Space
Paul Reichert is a research scientist at Merck, working on improvements to how we administer drugs to patients. Paul’s problem is this: How can you run experiments in space to learn how to make better…
The World Is Getting Better (Really)
Hannah Ritchie is a data scientist and the deputy editor of Our World in Data. She is also the author of Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to…
Rabies: When Monsters are Real…from Incubation
Why has rabies invaded our nightmares for centuries? Author and veterinarian Monica Murphy tells us about the cultural history of rabies (which involves vampires and werewolves!) and how our long nightmare with the disease came…
Using Gene Therapy to Help the Blind See
After decades of research, gene therapy is starting to work. Shannon Boye is a professor of cellular and molecular therapeutics at the University of Florida. She is also the co-founder and chief scientific officer of…
Using Gene Therapy to Help the Blind See
After decades of research, gene therapy is starting to work. Shannon Boye is a professor of cellular and molecular therapeutics at the University of Florida. She is also the co-founder and chief scientific officer of…