Cool Science Radio

Digital illusionist and author Keelan Leyser reveals how the hidden blind spots in our perception shape everything from everyday decisions and online behavior to courtroom verdicts and deepfakes in his new book “Unseen: Blind Spots and Why We Miss What Matters Most.”

NASA Scientist Dominic Benford takes a behind the scenes look at NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope before it launches in September. Learn how this first-of-its-kind observatory will map the universe one panoramic frame at a time.

From advising the White House on science and technology policy to leading AI strategy at the University of Utah, Dr. Manish Parashar discusses how artificial intelligence is reshaping research, industry and everyday life.

Beth Simone Noveck discusses how artificial intelligence could strengthen democracy, improve government services and help rebuild public trust in institutions.

Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis explores how music can transport us into vivid inner worlds and what those musical daydreams reveal about the mind.

Astrophysicist Emma Chapman explores how radio waves reveal the hidden universe and what they can teach us about everything from distant planets to the origins of the cosmos.

Kevin Williams, founder and CEO of Ascend AI Labs, explores how AI has evolved from a future possibility into a powerful opportunity and how organizations are learning to harness it to work smarter, move faster, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing world.

University of Utah chemist Matthew Sigman explains how machine learning is transforming drug discovery. By predicting how molecules form, especially their critical “handedness,” new tools can dramatically cut the time, cost, and trial-and-error required to develop life-saving medicines.

Simon Rogers of Google discusses his book, “What We Ask Google,” and what two decades of search data reveal about human curiosity, behavior and connection.

Astrophysicist and journalist Maria Luísa Buzzo discusses her Scientific American article on unusual galaxies that appear to lack dark matter, challenging how scientists understand galaxy formation.

Mathematician Richard Elwes discusses his book, “Huge Numbers,” and how the pursuit of ever-larger numbers has shaped math, science and human thought.

Science journalist Lee Billings of Scientific American discusses Artemis II and what it means for the future of human space exploration.

Physicists Vedant Basu and Carsten Rott of the University of Utah discuss the next phase of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the ongoing search for cosmic neutrinos.

Linda Lehmkuhl, CEO of MedVet, discusses her journey from veterinary cardiologist to health care leader and the evolving science of specialty and emergency care for animals.

Science journalist Humberto Basilio discusses his Scientific American article on a remarkable discovery of thousands of dinosaur footprints in the Italian Alps that could reshape what scientists know about early dinosaurs.

Entomologist Samuel Ramsey discusses "Secrets of the Bees" and what the hidden lives of bees reveal about ecosystems, agriculture and survival.

Astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett discusses his book, “The Scale of the Universe,” and how understanding the vastness of space and time can reshape how we see ourselves and each other.

A leading AI researcher, Dr. Melanie Mitchell, explores the gap between pattern recognition and genuine comprehension and how today’s most powerful models still stumble on the difference.

Utah’s dramatic landscape holds clues to ancient lakes, shifting climates, and powerful geologic forces. Geologist Dr. Holly Godsey of the University of Utah explores Lake Bonneville, getting students into the field, and bringing science to life.

Geneticist Adrian Woolfson discusses how artificial intelligence and synthetic genomics are making it possible to design entire genomes from scratch — a shift he calls artificial biological intelligence.

Science journalist Rebecca Boyle discusses her Scientific American article on mysterious “Little Red Dots” discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope that could reshape how scientists understand the early universe.

Archaeologist Lisbeth Louderback, curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah and associate professor at the University of Utah, discusses new research suggesting Indigenous people in the Four Corners region may have begun domesticating the Four Corners potato thousands of years earlier than previously believed.

Park City High School’s all-girls robotics team, Team Minerva, just placed 2nd in the state championship. They talk about robotics and AI, how they became hooked on building robots, and how they hope to inspire the next generation.

In this episode, geologist-turned-writer Evan Howell discusses his High Country News article exploring the surprising scientific link between the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater in northern Arizona.

In this episode, University of Utah geologist Thure Cerling discusses research showing that lead exposure has dropped dramatically over the past century — and the proof is preserved in human hair.

University of Utah geologist William Johnson discusses the discovery of a hidden, pressurized freshwater aquifer beneath the Great Salt Lake and what it could mean for dust control and the lake’s future.

Economist science correspondent Matt Kaplan discusses his new book, “I Told You So!,” and the scientists who were ridiculed, sidelined or punished for advancing ideas that later proved correct.

NHMU executive director and entomologist Jason Cryan highlights Bug World, a new blockbuster exhibition opening at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Built by the special effects studio behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar,” the exhibition brings the hidden genius of insects to life at a jaw dropping scale.

University of Chicago professor Eric Oliver explores what it actually means to know yourself, and why so many people feel quietly dissatisfied even when life seems fine.

Author and science historian Oren Harman explores why metamorphosis is one of biology’s greatest mysteries, and what radical transformation can teach us about identity, survival and change.

Author and professor emeritus Christopher Cokinos explores the moon’s enduring pull on human imagination, science and culture. Drawing from his book "Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon, from Antiquity to Tomorrow," he reflects on how our closest celestial neighbor has shaped belief systems, space exploration and questions about responsibility as humanity prepares to return.