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.
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Can Tiny Bubbles Help Save the Planet?
Seagrasses store a lot of carbon in their tissues, making them a potential counterweight to rising levels of atmospheric CO2.
When Will We Have Quantum Computers?
Scott Aaronson believes in the next few years, someone may achieve something called quantum supremacy—the first demonstration of a quantum computer doing something faster than a conventional computer.
Can Sound Save a Fish?
Gulf Corvina look pretty ordinary—they're a couple of feet long and silvery. Yet the sounds they make—when millions get together to spawn—are a kind of wonder of the natural world. It's also why they are in danger.
Keeps Us on Our Toes
Michael Mauk is working on a "digital cerebellum" that mimics the part of the brain that helps us keep from falling. It could help make robots more stable, as well as humans with neurodegenerative diseases.
The Science of Relationships
What are the health benefits of romantic relationships? How can newlyweds avoid communication breakdowns that result from external stress? Do optimists make better partners?
Resetting the Alcoholic Brain
The brains of people experiencing alcohol addiction have different patterns of gene expression than those without addiction. Could this lead to a new kind of therapy?
The Mighty Copepod
These teeny shrimp-like critters at the bottom of the ocean food web seem totally unimportant.
Evolution Inspires Anthrax Cure
Scientists borrowed tricks from evolution to develop the world's first treatment for late stage inhalation anthrax.
The Last First Planetary Mission
University of Texas at Austin alumnus Alan Stern describes the challenges, and the joys, of the last first mission to a planet.
Some Bacteria Have Lived in the Human Gut Since Before We Were Human
New study suggests that evolution plays a larger role than previously known in people's intestinal-microbe makeup.
Looking Forward ... and Back: Podcast Updates
In case you missed it, here are some Point of Discovery podcast highlights from the past year, plus a preview of new episodes coming soon
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.