Stanford Radio

The Future of Everything with Russ Altman: "Ami Bhatt: Lessons from the microbial world living within us" An expert on the gut microbiome says it’s important to stop seeing bacteria as an enemy and instead as a partner in our good health. The vast majority of bacteria that live inside us are not invasive, but rather quite the opposite. They are partners in our lives, helping us to metabolize difficult to digest foods and even to fight infection. Ami S. Bhatt, MD, PhD is a hematologist and geneticist who studies these important bacteria — the so-called “microbiome.” It is possible, through disease or excessive application of antibiotics, for the microbiome to become out of kilter affecting human health. Treatment options for those whose gut bacteria are not in balance range from the simple addition of probiotic foods, like yogurt and kombucha, to the diet, to the more extreme, such as the transplant of healthy fecal matter into the digestive tracts of the patient in the hope that a more balanced microbiome

The Future of Everything with Russ Altman: "Steven Collins: New prosthetics should be better than the real thing" A mechanical engineer explains how more and better data is helping to create new prosthetics unlike any before. For years prosthetic limbs were merely functional devices, but recent advances in robotics and neuroscience are transforming the very meaning of the word "prosthetic." Steve Collins is a mechanical engineer who is helping to lead that transformation to the benefit of people who've had an amputation, stroke or battlefield injury. The field has come a long way since the days of strap-on wooden legs. Collins says that, rather than trying to merely mimic what the body does, he's working on new ways of discovering prosthetic limb designs that outperform unimpaired bodies. His team uses advanced robotic systems that record and analyze the wearer's response, continually tuning their mechanical assistance to optimize performance and make them better than ever before. Originally aired on Sir

"Stanford Legal with Pam Karlan & Joe Bankman: "Regulating Rights for the Intellectual and Developmentally Disabled with guests Alison Morantz & Peter Vogel" About 6.5 million people in the U.S. have an intellectual or developmental disability that affects their day-to-day functioning. While there are laws and policies designed to help them access the same core rights and protections that other individuals enjoy, there are still big gaps in important services. How is the law developing in this critical and often-overlooked area? Stanford Law Professor Alison Morantz, co-founder of the newly-launched Stanford Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Law and Policy Project, and Peter Vogel, JD ’19, who worked with Morantz on newly-published research, discuss their findings and more. Originally aired on SirusXM on July 20, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

Stanford Legal with Pam Karlan & Joe Bankman: "Supreme Court: A Crucial Year for Democracy with guest Brian Fletcher" Prof. Pamela Karlan and Brian Fletcher discuss gerrymandering, the 2020 census, and two of the most important decisions from the Supreme Court’s recent term. Originally aired on SiriusXM on July 20, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

School's In with Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope: "Exposure to multiple languages enhances communication skills in grades K-12 with guest Ramón Martínez" Early exposure to multiple languages and code switching can enhance children’s communication skills, even when children are effectively monolingual. Originally aired on SiriusXM on July 20, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

Stanford Pathfinders with Howard Wolf : "Rising Popularity and Growth of eSports with guest Pete Vlastelica" Howard welcomes Pete Vlastelica, President and CEO of Major League Gaming (MLG), a division of Activision Blizzard devoted to creating the best esports experiences for fans across games, platforms and geographies. Originally aired on SiriusXM on July 13, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

The Future of Everything with Russ Altman : "Margot Gerritsen: How to get more women into data science" Women face many roadblocks to careers in data science and other STEM disciplines. One Stanford professor is out to change perceptions and realities for women in these fields. It was in 2015 when Margot Gerritsen was asked to speak at a data conference with not a single other woman on the program that she knew that something had to be done to get women into the field. As then-director of the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (ICME), Gerritsen knew more than a thing or two about data science and became determined to change the male-dominated culture. This determination led to the creation of the wildly popular “Women in Data Science Conference.” In putting the first agenda together, she was insistent that the conference be not about the problematic state of women in the field, but on the exceptional science of the attendees. Now into its fifth iteration, with more than 100,000 parti

The Future of Everything with Russ Altman: "Mehran Sahami: The evolution of computer science education" Once the core American curriculum meant reading, writing and arithmetic, but Stanford professor Mehran Sahami says we might soon have to add a fourth skill to that list, “coding.” Sahami thinks deeply about such matters. He’s the leading force behind recent changes in Stanford’s computer science curriculum. He notes that it may not be surprising that more students are choosing to major in computer science than ever before, but what might turn heads is the changing face and intellectual landscape of the field. With concerted effort, more women and minorities, and even students from traditional liberal arts and sciences backgrounds, are venturing into computer science. Sahami says coding has become more than just videogames, social media and smartphone apps. The field is an intellectual endeavor taking on the biggest issues of our day. And in pursuit of tackling big issues, computer professionals also need

Stanford Legal with Pam Karlan & Joe Bankman: "Creating a Social Media Oversight Board for Content Decisions with guests Nate Persily and Madeline Magneson" Nate Persily, election law and free speech expert, discusses his Stanford research practicum that looks at critical issues in creating a social media oversight board for content decisions. Stanford Law student Madeline Magneson joins the conversation. Originally aired on SiriusXM on July 6, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

Stanford Pathfinders with Howard Wolf" "The Power of Humor In The Workplace with guests Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas" Stanford Professor Jennifer Aaker and Lecturer Naomi Bagdonas examine the the positive power of humor to achieve business objectives in the workplace. Originally aired on SiriusXM on June 29, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

The Future of Everything with Russ Altman: "Sylvia Plevritis: Better cancer treatment through data" Biomedical data scientist Sylvia Plevritis is an expert in computational modeling of cancer risk and treatment options hidden in the remarkable quantity of data available today. Rarely is a tumor made up of a single mutation, she says, but more commonly of a mix of different mutations. Such heterogenous tumors may require complex combinations of drugs to produce the most effective treatments. That’s where computers can help. Using mathematical simulations, Plevritis is helping patients and their doctors understand the genetic makeup of a given cancer for the purpose of identifying drug combinations that stand a better chance of success. Some of the models Plevritis works with can be run in an hour or less and yet return invaluable guidance that can save a patient’s life. Plevritis says these computational approaches can even help those without cancer understand their inherent genetic risks to assess whether

Stanford Legal with Pam Karlan & Joe Bankman: "Regulating Online Hate Speech with guest Daphne Keller" How do we regulate online hate/terrorist speech? Daphne Keller, an expert in platform regulation and Internet users' rights, discusses how the law is developing particularly in the European Union. Originally aired on SiriusXM on June 22, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

School's In with Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope: "Immigration in Schools. How's It's Changing American Education with guest Tomas Jiminez" Impacts of immigration on public schools with guest Tomas Jimenez. Originally aired on SiriusXM on June 22, 2019 Recorded at Stanford Video.

Stanford Pathfinders with Howard Wolf: "Smart Money Investing with guest Mark Curtis" Mark Curtis with Graystone Consulting, a business of Morgan Stanley, talks about his decades long career as a top multi-billion dollar wealth and investment portfolio manager. Originally aired on SiriusXM on June 15, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

The Future of Everything with Russ Altman: "James Landay: What’s next in human-computer interaction?" Computers are everywhere and humans are engaging with them in nearly everything they do. Knowing this, the question becomes: How do we design a world around us so that technology makes life better, not worse? James Landay, an expert in human-computer interaction, says the key to thoughtfully integrating humans with digital technology is to put people first. This perspective draws on a philosophy known as human-centered or user-centered design. Within this approach, the first priority is to understand the problem vexing a particular population by observing, interviewing, and working with that population. Only once the problem is clear does the development of a solution begin. Typically, engineers and technologists have done the opposite. They’ve worked to develop the coolest technology they can think of, and then once it’s ready look around for a way to use it. With human needs at the forefront, Landay’s re

School's In with Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope: "How To Make Science Awesome for Kids with guest Jonathon Osborne" Science and science standards in early education with guest Jonathon Osborne Originally aired on SiriusXM on June 8, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

Stanford Legal with Pam Karlan & Joe Bankman: "Securing American Elections with guest Nate Persily" In 2016, Russia attacked the United States. As the Special Counsel report stated, “The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in a sweeping and systematic fashion.” In this episode of Stanford Legal, Stanford Professor Nate Persily, election law and free speech expert, discusses a new Stanford report that looks at the vulnerabilities of our election systems and ways to secure it. Originally aired on SiriusXM on June 8, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.

The Future of Everything with Russ Altman: "John Markoff: The past, present and future of Silicon Valley" John Markoff is perhaps best known as a science and technology writer for the New York Times, but he is also a fellow at the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence at Stanford. In both roles he is a keen observer and chronicler of the rise of Silicon Valley as the heart of the technological revolution of the past six decades. While Silicon Valley remains the preeminent technology center in the world today, Markoff cautions that nothing lasts forever and a demise can often be just as swift as the rise. The next big thing in tech, he says, will be a surprise and it could come from anywhere. To remain at the top, Silicon Valley cannot rest on its laurels, but must continue to innovate like no other. Markoff has noticed a shift in emphasis in recent years from faster and cheaper computers to artificial intelligence and robotics that may be opening new frontiers to technologists outside of Sil

The Future of Everything with Russ Altman: "Kari Nadeau: Science takes on food allergies" Once avoidance was the only answer, but a leading allergist says that advances in desensitizing allergies are challenging common convention. Food allergy expert Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD, says that as many as one in ten adults in the U.S. has a food allergy, many without knowing it. With consequences that range from mild to serious (including lethal anaphylaxis), it is imperative that medical scientists become better adept at spotting food allergies and ultimately at helping patients cope with allergies. Nadeau notes that while a cure remains elusive, it’s a "moonshot issue" worthy of pursuit. She has seen positive results with incremental desensitization therapies that build a patient's tolerance for foods that cause allergic reactions. In addition, new gene therapies are just emerging that are offering a glimmer of promise for those whose diets and lifestyles have been impacted by food allergies. Originally aired on Sir

School's In with Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope : "Student Social Activism, Past, Present and Future with guest Tom Ehrlich" Promoting social change through the courage of student activism with guest Tom Ehrlich. Originally aired on SiriusXM on May 25, 2019. Recorded at Stanford Video.