There's an invisible world that’s right at your fingertips. Literally. Trillions and trillions of tiny microbes live alongside us in our cities and we don't even see them. A team of scientists recently swiped a whole bunch of ATM keypads in New York, looking for evidence of our minuscule neighbors.
Dec 15, 2016•5 min
First, If you want to learn how to roast the perfect chicken, you’ve come to the right place. Mark Bittman talks about cooking - and eating - without fear. Then, Your dream job doesn’t always turn out to be your dream job. Millennial’s Megan Tan explains how she turned her part-time passion into her full-time career. Finally, Having trouble learning something? Take a break. Barbara Oakley dives into how we actually learn.
Dec 09, 2016•49 min
Megan Tan’s portfolio project accidentally became a certified hit. Here’s how she created Millennial.
Dec 08, 2016•12 min
Want to be a scientist, but never made it past high school algebra? Barbara Oakley talks with us about why there may still be hope for you - and why you might even have a leg up.
Dec 08, 2016•19 min
Here’s the story of a culinary experience you’ve almost certainly had - with a backstory you may not know as well.
Dec 08, 2016•4 min
Want to know anything and everything about cooking? There’s one person you should turn to. Mark Bittman.
Dec 08, 2016•16 min
How well do you remember your past? Dr. Julia Shaw explains why your memory isn't nearly as good as you think it is.
Dec 01, 2016•17 min
You can read a book from 100 years ago… but will your descendants be able to access a USB drive? A look at the world of digital memory.
Dec 01, 2016•9 min
Less than a century ago, chicken was as expensive as lobster. Now, Americans eat. 6 million pounds of chicken every hour of every day. Emelyn Rude tells us how thinking about the chicken as a piece of technology can help explain this change.
Dec 01, 2016•16 min
Why do we use mice for medical research? As I-Hub's Caroline Lester found out, it all started with fancy mice.
Dec 01, 2016•8 min
This week, we're gifting you I-Hub a few days early. Just another thing to be thankful for. There are a lot of lessons one can learn from the election. But one of the most vital is how important place is; how where you live can shape your worldview and how your worldview can shape the place you live. This episode, we’re exploring the idea of place.
Nov 22, 2016•51 min
Helping refugees - and others - generally means giving them things like blankets, clothes, and food. Radha Rajkotia thinks we should try handing out cash. Plus, Jessica Tracy explains why one of the seven deadly sins could be a good thing, after all. And finally, advances in genetic engineering have allowed scientists to make decisions that could affect millions of people. Kevin Esvelt thinks the public should have a voice in those decisions.
Nov 18, 2016•50 min
Ezra Cornell was fired from his job due to after the Panic of 1837… then helped create our modern communication network.
Nov 17, 2016•3 min
Pride isn’t just for cheating athletes or bullies. Psychology professor Jessica Tracy explains why pride is a key emotion in human civilization.
Nov 17, 2016•19 min
Do we know what refugees need better than they do? Radha Rajkotia of the International Rescue Committee tells us why giving cash, rather than food and other supplies, could be a better model for foreign aid to refugees.
Nov 17, 2016•12 min
Gene technology is becoming more and more powerful… and could affect more and more people. MIT researcher Kevin Esvelt tells us why he thinks the public needs to have a say in how we use it.
Nov 17, 2016•17 min
How exactly was Donald Trump able to captivate us on his path to the White House? Columbia University Professor Tim Wu explains.
Nov 11, 2016•15 min
America's manufacturing industry has been hollowed out by globalization and automation. Donald Trump promises he can revive it. MIT researcher Andrew McAfee says that’s not possible.
Nov 11, 2016•17 min
Trump promised to bring back jobs from China and Mexico. But, according to MIT researcher Andrew McAfee, not only are those jobs not coming back - they don’t even exist anymore. No matter who you voted for, you were probably surprised by Trump’s triumph. Psychology professor Mahzarin Banaji thinks implicit bias might help us understand the difference between the polls and the actual results. A former reality TV star will be the 45th president of the United States. Columbia Law School’s Tim Wu ex...
Nov 11, 2016•50 min
Surprised by the election? Us too. Psychologist Mahzarin Banaji thinks our unconscious biases might explain the difference between the public’s expectations and the results.
Nov 11, 2016•17 min
There are things you should be very afraid of. According to security expert Juliette Kayyem, terrorism isn’t one of them. But science writer Annalee Newitz tells us that mass extinction is. Plus, our seeds are becoming less diverse. Conservationist Cary Fowler says this is something you should care about, if you consider eating crucial to your health.
Nov 04, 2016•50 min
Afraid of the apocalypse? Well, maybe you shouldn’t worry too much. The Earth has already gone through at least five.
Nov 03, 2016•19 min
It’s very unlikely that you will be killed by a far-off terrorist group. So why do we worry about it so much? National security expert Juliette Kayyem explains what we should - and shouldn’t - be afraid of.
Nov 03, 2016•15 min
Cary Fowler thinks we might be in trouble. But he’s got a solution. A tiny, tiny solution.
Nov 03, 2016•16 min
According to researcher Brittany Solomon, there’s one personality trait in a husband or wife that can predict success for their spouse: conscientiousness.
Oct 28, 2016•6 min
Think glancing at Facebook isn’t a big deal? Well, Cal Newport says it can significantly derail your train of thought for about 10 minutes.
Oct 28, 2016•18 min
Robert Propst was a brilliant inventor who wanted to make a better office. Instead, he created something he hated.
Oct 28, 2016•49 min
That quick glance at Facebook… it’s kind of a big deal. Professor Cal Newport says it can significantly derail your train of thought for about 10 minutes. Plus, Immigration may be a contentious issue in this election, but immigrants are absolutely essential to our economic success. Cabinet member Maria Contreras-Sweet explains. And finally, economist Robert Frank talks love, money, and happiness.
Oct 28, 2016•49 min
How do money and happiness intersect when it comes to finding a job? Economist Robert Frank thinks he might have the answer.
Oct 28, 2016•14 min
Do you remember your first job? Odds are, it was with a local small business. One of President Obama’s cabinet members talks small businesses, immigration, and jobs.
Oct 28, 2016•11 min