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
“AI for the Rest of Us” Brings Expert Conversations on Artificial Intelligence to UT Community
All summer, University experts will offer up key lessons about AI.
![Two people look at a wall emblazoned with the words "AI for the rest of us"](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/aifortherestofus_16-9.png)
Coming Soon: A New Podcast Miniseries
In January 2020, we will be releasing a new miniseries called The Next 50 Years.
![Logo consisting of a microscope in front of an abstract background](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/podcast_basic_images_2400x1350.png)
You Belong Here: What It Takes for Success in College
Why do so many first-year students struggle in college? Who is most likely to fail? And what can professors and staff do to help them get over the hump?
![Two students talking on steps in front of the main administration building at the University of Texas at Austin](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/students1-marsha-miller2400x1350.png)
Experimental Vaccine Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Elicits Strong Immune Response
After decades of research, an effective RSV vaccine now seems within reach
![A patient receives a vaccination in the arm](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/vaccination-2400x1350.jpg)
New AI Sees Like a Human, Filling in the Blanks
An artificial intelligence agent that can glance quickly at parts of a new environment and infer the full scene might be more effective on dangerous missions.
![Silhouettes of a human and a robot looking at a painting in a museum](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/robot_and_human_2400x1350.jpg)
A Machine That Understands Language Like a Human
Alex Huth is trying to build an intelligent computer system that can predict the patterns of brain activity in a human listening to someone speaking.
![Illustration of a brain with different regions colored differently](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/brain-map2400x1350.png)
A Love Letter from Texas Scientists to the Periodic Table
We're celebrating the 150th anniversary of the periodic table. Join us as we tour the cosmos, from the microscopic to the telescopic, with four scientists studying the role of four elements—zinc, oxygen, palladium and gold—in life, the universe and everything.
![A series of cupcakes arranged to look like the periodic table](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/periodic-cupcakes2400x1350.jpg)
All in the (Scientific) Family
Scientists often talk about the people who mentored them, and the students and postdocs they supervise, in ways that sound like a family.
![A casual photo of college students and faculty sitting on a living room floor](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/thorne-scientific-family2400x1350.jpg)
Bringing Real Science to the Big Screen
Scientist Kip Thorne talks with his former graduate student Bill Press about what it's like to work on a major Hollywood film.
![An astronaut walks across a frozen, alien landscape](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/mcconaughey-interstellar2400x1350.jpg)
A Big Week in Science
The first full week of October is like a science-lover's World Series: Each year, the spotlight falls on high-impact science, when day after day, a series of Nobel Prizes and other prestigious awards are announced one after another.
![Nobel ptize medal](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/nobelimage2400x1350.jpg)
Of Fruit Flies, Nobel Prizes and Genetic Discoveries that Change the World
Last year, University of Texas at Austin alumnus Michael Young won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the molecular mechanism behind circadian rhythms.
![Portrait of a man in a suit](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/young_michael2400x1350.jpg)
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.