Is AI Ready For Robots?

Short Wave

#Astronomy #Biology #Environment #NPR #Science #Daily News #News #Climate Change

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about a year ago 12:42

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It seems like artificial intelligence is everywhere in our virtual lives. It's in our search results and our phones. But what happens when AI moves out of the chat and into the real world? NPR science editor and correspondent Geoff Brumfiel took a trip to the Intelligence through Robotic Interaction at Scale Lab at Stanford University to see how scientists are using AI to power robots and the large hurdles that exist for them to perform even simple tasks.
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1282 episodes

Short Wave

Is AI Ready For Robots?

Short Wave

1,355 subscribers

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

1282 episodes

#Astronomy #Biology #Environment #NPR #Science #Daily News #News #Climate Change

All episodes

Short Wave

1
Will Trump Unleash Energy Dominance Or Damage? 13:53

8 hours ago13:53

13:53

The Trump administration is rewriting policies and reducing funding for multiple agencies that handle climate change, including NOAA, EPA and FEMA. We asked NPR reporters Lauren Sommer and Alejandra Borunda what that the implications of that are — and who the changes will affect. Want to hear more ways research is being impacted by the new administration? Email us at shortwave@nprg.org to let us know — and we may cover your idea in a future episode! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Could Wormholes Exist? 14:18

1 day ago14:18

14:18

In science fiction, wormholes are hyperspace subway tubes linking one part of a galaxy directly to another, distant point. But could they actually exist? To find out, we talk to theoretical physicist Ron Gamble , who says wormholes aren't just a matter of science fiction — and they have big implications about the shape of space itself. Want to hear about more hypotheticals physicists have to confront in their work? Email us at shortwave@nprg.org — we might turn your idea into a whole episode! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Orange Cat Lovers, Rise Up! 8:45

4 days ago8:45

8:45

Approximately 80% of orange cats are males, including the four orange cats owned by the Short Wave team. Scientists have long suspected that orange color was a sex-linked trait — hiding somewhere on the X chromosome. Now, scientists at Stanford University and Kyushu University in Japan have characterized the mutation responsible for orange cat coloration. Both groups published their results in the journal Cell Biology this week. Have a question about the animals all around us? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
How Baby Bats Learn To Eavesdrop On Dinner 13:49

6 days ago13:49

13:49

Most bats use echolocation to navigate and hunt, but some use their ears for another trick: eavesdropping. "And then these frog-eating bats, for example, they are actually listening in on the mating calls of frogs that are much, much lower in frequency," says behavioral ecologist Rachel Page. But how the bats knew this eavesdropping trick was a mystery. So she set up and experiment with baby bats and a speaker. Have a question about the animals all around us? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Learning A Second Language As An Adult 13:48

7 days ago13:48

13:48

Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Science says no. In this encore episode, Short Wave host Emily Kwong dissects the "critical period hypothesis," a theory which linguists have been debating for decades — with the help of Sarah Frances Phillips , a Ph.D. student in the linguistics department at New York University. Together, Emily and former Short Wave host Maddie Sofia explore where the theory comes from, how it applies to second-language acquisition and what it means for Emily's efforts to learn Mandarin Chinese as an adult. Have a linguistics or neuroscience question? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
The Indicator: American Science Brain Drain 10:42

8 days ago10:42

10:42

Today, we're airing an episode of NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money . It's about a group of people we know well: scientists. President Trump's federal cuts and scrutiny of academic institutions are forcing some U.S. scientists to head for the border. On today's show, an entomologist keeping America's farms safe from pests reconsiders America. And a CEO of a Canadian hospital explains how they are benefiting from the exodus. Want to learn more about the intersection of science and the economy? Email us at shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Could AI Go Green? 15:56

11 days ago15:56

15:56

Google , Microsoft and Meta have all pledged to reach at least net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Amazon set their net-zero deadline for 2040. To understand how these four tech companies could possibly meet their climate goals amid an artificial intelligence renaissance, Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong discusses the green AI movement. Speaking with scientists, CEOs and tech insiders, she explores three possible pathways: nuclear energy, small language models (SLMs) and back-to-the-future ways of keeping data centers cool. Listen to Part 1 of Short Wave's reporting on the environmental cost of AI here . Have a question about AI and the environment? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
What's The Environmental Cost Of AI? 15:17

13 days ago15:17

15:17

By 2028, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory forecasts that U.S. data centers could use as much as 12% of the nation's electricity. The reason: generative AI. Since 2022, AI innovation by four leading tech companies — Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon — has led to annual increases in both energy and water consumption. So, in this episode, Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong probes huge water footprint of AI. We begin with the rise of data centers, then look at how computers came to need so much water and, finally, what tech companies are doing to try to turn the ship around. P.S. Part 2 talks about the leading solutions in the green AI movement. So don't miss our Friday episode! Curious about tech and the environment? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Science Can Make You More Creative! 13:52

14 days ago13:52

13:52

Do you consider yourself a creative person? If not, you may be holding yourself back. Psychologist Zorana Ivcevic Pringle says creativity isn't a trait. Creativity is a choice . After studying creativity for more than 20 years, she has some suggestions for how anyone can stick with their creative ideas. Guest host and producer Berly McCoy talks to her about her new book The Creativity Choice . Curious about more psychology research? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Did Scientists Find Alien Life Or Just Controversy? 11:19

15 days ago11:19

11:19

Recently, a group of scientists claimed they found possible signs of life on a planet called K2-18b. The news made headlines. Researchers said they'd detected sulphur-based gases that, on Earth, are strongly associated with life. But the research caused an uproar in astronomy circles because other scientists don't think the data is strong enough to celebrate an alien find just yet. In fact, they have some real issues with how this whole thing went down, and a new analysis casts further doubt on the findings. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce is here to wade into the controversy — and tell us what all this means for the future of searching for life beyond our solar system. Want to hear more about new science research? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
What Can Minecraft Teach Us About Learning? 8:35

18 days ago8:35

8:35

Minecraft is a movie and a very popular video game with iconic block graphics that characters can "mine" for building material and gems. It's also what cognitive scientist Charley Wu and his team utilized to study how people learned as they played. Their unique study focused on both individual and social learning — and they found a clear answer to which players were most successful. (Hint: Get you a player who can do both.) Their results were published recently in the journal Nature Communications . Want to hear more about new science research? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Are DOGE Cuts Making America Healthy? 13:51

20 days ago13:51

13:51

In its first 100 days, the Trump administration — specifically, the Department of Government Efficiency — shuttered agencies and slashed budgets pertaining to foreign aid, scientific research, food safety and more. How will this impact people's health and well-being both in the U.S., and around the world? To answer that question, we're calling in our colleagues: global health correspondent Gabrielle Emmanuel and health policy reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin . (P.S. If you liked this episode, check out the breakdown of health and science policy changes we did after Trump's first 50 days — with different NPR reporters — here .) Want to hear more about how policy changes affect scientific research and discovery? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Should Kids Be Taking Melatonin? 13:02

21 days ago13:02

13:02

A good night's sleep makes a big difference to our mental and physical health. Without quality sleep, we're less productive. Grumpy. It can even affect our hearts. Meanwhile, more and more people are having problems falling and staying asleep, including kids. So some parents are turning to a supplement called melatonin as a potential solution. But some experts worry that there isn't enough research about how regularly taking melatonin affects kids in the long term. Today on the show, we explore the research with Michael Schulson, who recently wrote about the topic for Undark. Want to hear more stories about human health? Email us and let us know at shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
Harnessing Spineless Sea Creatures' Superpowers 12:15

22 days ago12:15

12:15

From starfish and sea slugs to jellyfish and sponges, the ocean's invertebrates are some of the most ancient and diverse critters on Earth. And so are their superpowers, as marine biologist Drew Harvell calls their unique abilities. In her new book, The Ocean's Menagerie , she chronicles the amazing abilities of some of these spineless creatures and showcases how they've inspired our science and medicine. Listen to our past episode on nudibranchs — the potent slugs of the sea — HERE. Want to hear more stories about underwater marvels? Email us and let us know at shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

Short Wave

1
This Telescope Could Find "Planet 9" 12:36

25 days ago12:36