Skip to content
Sensor Sensibility episode artwork

Dec 19, 2011 54 min

Sensor Sensibility

from Big Picture Science Hosted by Big Picture Science

Have you lost your senses? You’ll find them everywhere you look. Sensors respond to external stimuli – light, sound, temperature and much else – to help us make sense (ha!) of our universe. And more are on their way. “Ubiquitous sensing” is the term that describes a world blanketed by tiny sensors: on bridges, in paint and medicine bottles, and even in our brains! Discover where you’ll find sensors next. And, has the world’s largest detection device found the elusive particle that will help explain the universe? Where are you, Higgsy-wiggsy? Also, out-of-this world sensors have detected a possibly Earth-like planet. What’s next for the Kepler planet-hunters? Plus, DIY sensor kits, and, if computers can do all that, why can’t we send the odor of, say, freshly-baked bread over the Internet? The case for a smell-o-meter. Guests: Frank Close - Physicist at Oxford University, author of The Infinity Puzzle: Quantum Field Theory and the Hunt for an Orderly Universe Jan Rabaey - Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), University of California, Berkeley Barry Shell - Writer in Vancouver, Canada Andy Huntington - Interaction designer, based in London Sara Seager - Professor of planetary science and physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Planet hunters - Daryll LaCourse and Tom Jacobs, citizen scientists with Planet Hunters Descripción en español

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Sensor Sensibility

0:00 54:00

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Big Picture Science?

This episode is 54 minutes long.

When was this Big Picture Science episode published?

This episode was published on December 19, 2011.

Can I download this Big Picture Science episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.