Point of Discovery
Behind every scientific discovery is a scientist (or 12) and a story. “Point of Discovery” takes you on a journey beyond WHAT we know to HOW we know it. Listeners will meet the sometimes quirky, always passionate people whose curiosity unlocks hidden worlds.
FEATURED ★ Podcast
Is Cosmology in Crisis?
A panel of physicists and astronomers grapple with possible cracks in our modern creation myth, the standard model of cosmology.
JWST’s image of spiral galaxy NGC 628, which is 32 million light-years away in the constellation Pisces. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Janice Lee (STScI), Thomas Williams (Oxford), and the PHANGS team.
Do Sick Animals Socially Distance?
According to a new review in the journal Science, when highly social animals — such as ants, mice and bats — get sick, their social interactions change, too.
Artificial Intelligence Revs Up Evolution’s Clock
When Risto Miikkulainen and Padmini Rajagopalan simulated hyenas forming mobs to steal prey from lions, they found something surprising.
Ask the COVID-19 Experts
An epidemiologist and two molecular bioscientists get to the bottom of your burning COVID-19 questions.
The Next 50 Years: Anybody Out There?
Astronomer Caroline Morley speculates on the possibility of finding life on other planets in the near future.
The Next 50 Years: A Model of Life on the Atomic Scale
Can we simulate life — in all its messy complexity and at the scale of each individual atom — in a computer?
Science Amid the Social Distance
A compilation from our previous episodes that we hope will help you find some solace right now: in rediscovering life, the people we're closest with and the universe.
The Next 50 Years: An A.I. Designed to Make Life Better
Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more a part of our daily lives. But will AI have mostly positive or negative impacts on society?
The Next 50 Years: Your Perfect Meal and Exercise Plan
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be able to follow a specific diet or exercise plan and others fail? The answer might have to do with factors unique to each person, like their microbiomes and genetics.
The Next 50 Years: A Global Census of Life
Biologist David Hillis aims to discover the 80 percent of species on Earth that scientists know nothing about in the next few decades.
Coming Soon: A New Podcast Miniseries
In January 2020, we will be releasing a new miniseries called The Next 50 Years.
About the Podcast
Behind every scientific discovery is a scientist (or 12) and a story. “Point of Discovery” takes you on a journey beyond WHAT we know to HOW we know it. Listeners will meet the sometimes quirky, always passionate people whose curiosity unlocks hidden worlds.
Hosted by Marc Airhart
Marc Airhart is the Communications Coordinator for the College of Natural Sciences. A long time member of the National Association of Science Writers, he has written for national publications including Scientific American, Mercury, The Earth Scientist, Environmental Engineer & Scientist, and StarDate Magazine.
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Disclaimer
Point of Discovery is part of the Texas Podcast Network, brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.