Podcasting the life of the mind with scholars from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Veritalk was developed by GSAS students, with support from the Graduate School. It is hosted by Nicholas Nardini, Laura Jeanty, and Xiaoxuan Li and produced by James Brandt.
Episodes:
Breaking Moore's Law Mikey Shulman and Quantum Computing
April 22, 2013
PhD candidate in Physics Mikey Shulman joins us to discuss his work on quantum computing, the extra-dimensional technology that promises to dwarf today's most powerful supercomputers.
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Are There PhD Candidates On Other Planets?: Courtney Dressing
March 13, 2013
Are they out there? PhD candidate in astrophysics Courtney Dressing discusses her work combing through data from the Kepler Space telescope for exoplanets comparable to Earth, capable of fostering alien life. She also discusses the recent spate of near-miss asteroids, and whether we should worry about them (yes).
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Are There PhD Candidates On Other Planets?: Courtney Dressing
March 13, 2013
Are they out there? PhD candidate in astrophysics Courtney Dressing discusses her work combing through data from the Kepler Space telescope for exoplanets comparable to Earth, capable of fostering alien life. She also discusses the recent spate of near-miss asteroids, and whether we should worry about them (yes).
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The Funny Thing About Pilgrimages: Nicolas Roth
March 4, 2013
PhD candidate in South Asian Studies Nicolas Roth joins us to discuss his recent visit to the Kumbh Mela, a mass Hindu pilgrimage that can grow to be the largest human gathering on Earth. Roth also discusses another "research interest" of his: Indian soap opera.
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How to Make It as a Chinese Writer (In the 16th century): Huan Jin
February 25, 2013
PhD candidate in East Asian Languages and Civilizations Huan Jin joins us to discuss Chinese literature in the age of Shakespeare, when the entrenched culture of the elite literati was threatened by an expansion of commercial printing. We also discuss the importance of Chinese New Year for Chinese students abroad.
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Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death Star: Sabeel Rahman
February 11, 2013
Is substantive political discourse still possible in America? Is Obama a democrat or a technocrat? Was the 2008 financial crisis good or bad for democracy? And what's being done to increase popular participation in civic life today? PhD candidate in Government Sabeel Rahman joins us to address these questions.
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Can I get your number, and a cheek swab?: Aaron Kuan
February 4, 2013
PhD candidate in applied physics Aaron Kuan joins us to talk about his work on ultra-fast DNA sequencing, technology with the potential to change everything about our life as biological entities. A professional musician, Aaron Kuan also runs through some sequences on his violin.
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An Endowed Chair in Freakiness: Florin Stefan-Morar
December 17, 2012
PhD candidate in History of Science Florin Stefan Morar joins us to discuss the 50th anniversary of Thomas Kuhn's seminal work The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, the book that gave the world the concept of the paradigm shift. We also discuss Christmas carols, and why the one that annoys you the most is always the one you love best.
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An Arms Race Against Nature: John Davis
December 10, 2012
We talk with John Davis, a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Design, about environmental engineering and urban design post-Hurricane Sandy. We also bite into some cookies from a new Harvard Square shop, and discuss the deep cultural roots of the cookie.
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Statistics Gives Power Back to the People: Panos Toulis
December 03, 2012
We talk with PhD candidate in statistics Panos Toulis about his work with the Obama campaign and the increasingly quantitative nature of elections in America. We also discuss an effort to eliminate gender at a Swedish preschool where there are no boys or girls, only "friends."
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