Carnegie Science Center's Podcast

Jake Marsico, Master of Tangible Interaction Design Candidate at Carnegie Mellon University steps in to answer the questions, what is computational design and what is the CoDe Lab?

What do craft, tectonics, aesthetics, interaction, and architecture techniques that navigate between digital and analog have in common?

SciTech Days are a special kind of field trip for middle and high school students that features the growth areas of Pittsburgh: biotech & health, nanotechnology & advanced materials/processes, information technology & robotics, and eco-tech (think environment & energy).

Recorded Friday, March 7, 2014 at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Amidst great fanfare, three American racing airplanes were shipped to France to fly in the prestigious Gordon Bennett Race in the fall of 1920. None completed a single lap of the race. American aviation plunged to a nadir. The Pulitzer Trophy Air Races, endowed by his sons in memory of publisher Joseph Pulitzer, lifted American aviation to the top. In 1923, after the first three of six Pulitzers and an American racer setting world speed records, a French magazine lamented American "pilots have broken the records which we, here in France, considered as our own for so long." Winning speeds increased 60 percent to 249 mph, and Pulitzer racers set closed course and straightaway speed records in 1922, 23, and 25. The winning racers in the 1922 and 25 Pulitzers, mounted on floats, won the most prestigious international air race – the Schneider Trophy Race for seaplanes in 1923 and 25. More than a million people saw the Pulitzers; millions more read about them and watched them in newsreels. Commercially, the Pulitzer racers’ successes promoted sales of American airplanes, engines, propellers, and other equipment both domestically and internationally. This first book about the Pulitzers highlights businessmen, generals and admirals who saw racing as a way to drive aviation progress, designers and manufacturers who produced record-breaking racers, and dashing pilots who gave the races their public face. It emphasizes the roles played by the communities that hosted the races - Garden City (Long Island), Omaha, Detroit and Mt. Clemens, Michigan, St. Louis, and Dayton. The book concludes with an analysis of the Pulitzers' importance, their end, and why their story has languished in obscurity for 85 years.

Michael Gough (PhD, Brown University, biology) was a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He was a program manager at the Office of Technology Assessment, United States Congress, served on and chaired national committees dealing with various risk assessment controversies in the White House, at the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and testified before congressional committees 30 times. Before his retirement, he worked at middle-of-the road and libertarian think tanks and consulted in toxic substances legal proceedings.

He published 30 papers in basic science, about the same number of articles about technology assessment and health risk assessment in technical journals, and two dozen newspaper op-eds. His book Dioxin, Agent Orange [Plenum Press, 1986] sold about 6,000 copies, and he has co-authored and edited other books.

Since his retirement, he has volunteered at aviation museums and as a teacher of English as a Second Language. He has written articles about airplane racing in the 1910s and 20s and presented talks about them. His book, The Pulitzer Air Races: American Aviation and Speed Supremacy, 1920-1925 [McFarland & Co] was published in May 2013.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/078647100X/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Recorded Monday, February 3, 2014 at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

This is the Q&A portion of the talk with Michael Gough.

Amidst great fanfare, three American racing airplanes were shipped to France to fly in the prestigious Gordon Bennett Race in the fall of 1920. None completed a single lap of the race. American aviation plunged to a nadir. The Pulitzer Trophy Air Races, endowed by his sons in memory of publisher Joseph Pulitzer, lifted American aviation to the top. In 1923, after the first three of six Pulitzers and an American racer setting world speed records, a French magazine lamented American "pilots have broken the records which we, here in France, considered as our own for so long." Winning speeds increased 60 percent to 249 mph, and Pulitzer racers set closed course and straightaway speed records in 1922, 23, and 25. The winning racers in the 1922 and 25 Pulitzers, mounted on floats, won the most prestigious international air race – the Schneider Trophy Race for seaplanes in 1923 and 25. More than a million people saw the Pulitzers; millions more read about them and watched them in newsreels. Commercially, the Pulitzer racers’ successes promoted sales of American airplanes, engines, propellers, and other equipment both domestically and internationally. This first book about the Pulitzers highlights businessmen, generals and admirals who saw racing as a way to drive aviation progress, designers and manufacturers who produced record-breaking racers, and dashing pilots who gave the races their public face. It emphasizes the roles played by the communities that hosted the races - Garden City (Long Island), Omaha, Detroit and Mt. Clemens, Michigan, St. Louis, and Dayton. The book concludes with an analysis of the Pulitzers' importance, their end, and why their story has languished in obscurity for 85 years.

Michael Gough (PhD, Brown University, biology) was a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He was a program manager at the Office of Technology Assessment, United States Congress, served on and chaired national committees dealing with various risk assessment controversies in the White House, at the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and testified before congressional committees 30 times. Before his retirement, he worked at middle-of-the road and libertarian think tanks and consulted in toxic substances legal proceedings.

He published 30 papers in basic science, about the same number of articles about technology assessment and health risk assessment in technical journals, and two dozen newspaper op-eds. His book Dioxin, Agent Orange [Plenum Press, 1986] sold about 6,000 copies, and he has co-authored and edited other books.

Since his retirement, he has volunteered at aviation museums and as a teacher of English as a Second Language. He has written articles about airplane racing in the 1910s and 20s and presented talks about them. His book, The Pulitzer Air Races: American Aviation and Speed Supremacy, 1920-1925 [McFarland & Co] was published in May 2013.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/078647100X/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Recorded Monday, February 3, 2014 at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Anca Dragan

Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute

A unique aspect of the Quality of Life Technology Center (QoLT) Center is its strength in all the relevant disciplines, which include robotics, rehabilitation science, human computer interaction, geriatrics, social sciences, and health care policy. Through their people, QoLT is connected to some of the world’s leading health systems, and technological and clinical research facilities.

People design robots to make our lives better, often in unique ways. Your presenter Anca Dragan (who is part of QoLT) is a doctorate student at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute and a member of the Personal Robotics Lab.

Her research lies at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and human-computer interaction.

SciTech Days are a special kind of field trip for middle and high school students that features the growth areas of Pittsburgh: biotech & health, nanotechnology & advanced materials/processes, information technology & robotics, and eco-tech (think environment & energy).

Recorded November 5, 2013 at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Eric J. Beckman

Chemical Engineering Department

University of Pittsburgh

Many consumers would agree that using truly environmentally friendly products is a good thing. However, having to wade through a sea of less-than-accurate "green" advertising claims as well as the perception that greener products don't work as well or are more expensive than their conventional cousins has left customers feeling blue. The widespread use of misleading green claims has produced rampant skepticism regarding industry’s ability to design truly greener products leading some economists to conclude that without government support, greener products can't survive.

Eric Beckman hopes to change that. Beckman believes it is possible to achieve real eco-innovation, where performance is enhanced even as the environmental footprint of a product is reduced.

Beckman will discuss some of what he describes as the fundamental guiding principles of eco-innovation including developing and marketing products in a way that leaves customers saying, "It's green too? Cool!"

Eric Beckman received his BS in chemical engineering from MIT in 1980, and a PhD in polymer science from the University of Massachusetts in 1988. Dr. Beckman assumed his faculty position at the University of Pittsburgh in 1989, was promoted to associate professor in 1994, and full professor in 1997. He received a Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation in 1992, and the Presidential Green Chemistry Award in 2002. He previously served as Associate Dean for Research for the School of Engineering and Chairman of Chemical Engineering. In 2003, Dr. Beckman co-founded the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, a school of engineering institute that examines the design of more sustainable infrastructure. In 2005, he co-founded Cohera Medical Inc. to commercialize surgical adhesive technology developed at the University. Dr. Beckman took an entrepreneurial leave of absence from the University in 2007-2009 to help move the products to market. Dr. Beckman's research group examines the use of molecular design to solve problems in green product formulation and in the design of materials for use in tissue engineering. He has published over 175 papers and has received more than 40 US patents.

Recorded at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA on Monday, December 2, 2013.

This is the Q&A portion of the evening.

*A correction from the Q&A: Zipcar's IPO was in April 2011. Zipcar common stock traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "ZIP" until 14 March 2013, when Avis Budget Group acquired Zipcar for US$500 million in cash.

Eric J. Beckman

Chemical Engineering Department

University of Pittsburgh

Many consumers would agree that using truly environmentally friendly products is a good thing. However, having to wade through a sea of less-than-accurate "green" advertising claims as well as the perception that greener products don't work as well or are more expensive than their conventional cousins has left customers feeling blue. The widespread use of misleading green claims has produced rampant skepticism regarding industry’s ability to design truly greener products leading some economists to conclude that without government support, greener products can't survive.

Eric Beckman hopes to change that. Beckman believes it is possible to achieve real eco-innovation, where performance is enhanced even as the environmental footprint of a product is reduced.

Beckman will discuss some of what he describes as the fundamental guiding principles of eco-innovation including developing and marketing products in a way that leaves customers saying, "It's green too? Cool!"

Eric Beckman received his BS in chemical engineering from MIT in 1980, and a PhD in polymer science from the University of Massachusetts in 1988. Dr. Beckman assumed his faculty position at the University of Pittsburgh in 1989, was promoted to associate professor in 1994, and full professor in 1997. He received a Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation in 1992, and the Presidential Green Chemistry Award in 2002. He previously served as Associate Dean for Research for the School of Engineering and Chairman of Chemical Engineering. In 2003, Dr. Beckman co-founded the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, a school of engineering institute that examines the design of more sustainable infrastructure. In 2005, he co-founded Cohera Medical Inc. to commercialize surgical adhesive technology developed at the University. Dr. Beckman took an entrepreneurial leave of absence from the University in 2007-2009 to help move the products to market. Dr. Beckman's research group examines the use of molecular design to solve problems in green product formulation and in the design of materials for use in tissue engineering. He has published over 175 papers and has received more than 40 US patents.

Recorded at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA on Monday, December 2, 2013.

Explore digital dreaming with Matt Stewart, who earned his master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). Learn about a graduate program that combines technology and fine arts to creates new processes, tools, and vision for storytelling and entertainment.

During this workshop, Stewart will share his experiences at ETC, which allowed him to work on a variety of projects in the field of themed entertainment. His projects included interactive installation at the Give Kids the World Resort, an exploration of 3D printing while studying in Barcelona, and tinkering with embedded electronics.

He is also the co-business owner of Digital Dream Labs, LLC, which has created an interactive tabletop experience, called DREAM-TABLETOP, that combines puzzle blocks with a virtual environment. The program aims to teach children abstract computer science principles, such as objects, properties (size, action), arrays (colors), and variables in a fun and tangible way.

Prior to moving to Pittsburgh, Stewart received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University. There he built his own recumbent bicycle, and gained experience through internships at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and Northrop Grumman Corporation.

SciTech Days are a special kind of field trip for middle and high school students that features the growth areas of Pittsburgh: biotech & health, nanotechnology & advanced materials/processes, information technology & robotics, and eco tech (think environment & energy).

Recorded November 7, 2013 at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

This is the Q&A portion of the talk by Dr. Andrew Watson.

Healthcare traces its roots back to around 400 BC and the era of Hippocrates, when doctors began realizing how face-to-face treatments could aid in healing.

Through the evolution of healthcare we have gone from learning about basic circulation to the role of genetics. The march of time has seen the advent of ever more complicated surgeries, organ transplants and now even video-based procedures. But, with all of the modernization of healthcare and scientific research, we never predicted the digital age and its impact on the face-to-face visit and healthcare.

In less than a decade, we've seen patients became empowered with wireless broadband, smart phones, early sensor data and most importantly a global interconnectedness. Traditional geographical boundaries are melting away and the access to information, individuals, and intelligence is at our fingertips.

Join Dr. Andrew Rose Watson as he discusses how we are on the cusp of perhaps the greatest paradigm shift in history in how we view healthcare and treat patients.

Watson will speak about how care may shift outside traditional locations and how the digital age will empower patients like never before.

Dr. Andrew Rose Watson is the Medical Director of the Center for Connected Medicine, The Center, located in Pittsburgh, is a joint venture between global healthcare leaders including GE, IBM, UPMC, Verizon and Alcatel-Lucent. The Center is the only collaborative national executive briefing center in healthcare.

A fourth-generation surgeon and the sixth in his family, Watson attended Trinity College and subsequently earned his Master's degree at the University of Oxford in England studying 17th century British architectural history. He attended medical school at Columbia University in New York and returned to Pittsburgh for his surgical training and minimally invasive fellowship at UPMC. Currently he practices in the division of colorectal surgery and specializes in minimally invasive inflammatory bowel disease surgery.

More than 75% of Dr. Watson's time is focused on healthcare thought leadership discussions, telemedicine and information technologies. Currently he is a Vice-President of the UPMC International and Commercial Services Division and is an Executive Director for Telemedicine.

Recorded at the Carnegie Science Center on Monday, November 11, 2013.

Healthcare traces its roots back to around 400 BC and the era of Hippocrates, when doctors began realizing how face-to-face treatments could aid in healing.

Through the evolution of healthcare we have gone from learning about basic circulation to the role of genetics. The march of time has seen the advent of ever more complicated surgeries, organ transplants and now even video-based procedures. But, with all of the modernization of healthcare and scientific research, we never predicted the digital age and its impact on the face-to-face visit and healthcare.

In less than a decade, we've seen patients became empowered with wireless broadband, smart phones, early sensor data and most importantly a global interconnectedness. Traditional geographical boundaries are melting away and the access to information, individuals, and intelligence is at our fingertips.

Join Dr. Andrew Rose Watson as he discusses how we are on the cusp of perhaps the greatest paradigm shift in history in how we view healthcare and treat patients.

Watson will speak about how care may shift outside traditional locations and how the digital age will empower patients like never before.

Dr. Andrew Rose Watson is the Medical Director of the Center for Connected Medicine, The Center, located in Pittsburgh, is a joint venture between global healthcare leaders including GE, IBM, UPMC, Verizon and Alcatel-Lucent. The Center is the only collaborative national executive briefing center in healthcare.

A fourth-generation surgeon and the sixth in his family, Watson attended Trinity College and subsequently earned his Master's degree at the University of Oxford in England studying 17th century British architectural history. He attended medical school at Columbia University in New York and returned to Pittsburgh for his surgical training and minimally invasive fellowship at UPMC. Currently he practices in the division of colorectal surgery and specializes in minimally invasive inflammatory bowel disease surgery.

More than 75% of Dr. Watson's time is focused on healthcare thought leadership discussions, telemedicine and information technologies. Currently he is a Vice-President of the UPMC International and Commercial Services Division and is an Executive Director for Telemedicine.

Recorded at the Carnegie Science Center on Monday, November 11, 2013.

Illah Reza Nourbakhsh

The ambition of modern robotics goes beyond copying humans, beyond the effort to make walking, talking androids that are indistinguishable from people. Future robots will have superhuman abilities in both the physical and digital realms. They will be embedded in our physical spaces, with the ability to go where we cannot, and will have minds of their own, thanks to artificial intelligence. They will be fully connected to the digital world, far better at carrying out online tasks than we are.

In his new book Robot Futures, the Illah Reza Nourbakhsh considers how we will share our world with these creatures, and how our society could change as it incorporates a race of stronger, smarter beings.

Nourbakhsh imagines a future that includes adbots offering interactive custom messaging; robotic flying toys that operate by means of "gaze tracking"; robot-enabled multimodal, multicontinental telepresence; and even a way that nanorobots could allow us to assume different physical forms. In Robot Futures, Nourbakhsh follows each glimpse into the robotic future with an examination of the underlying technology and an exploration of the social consequences of the scenario.

Nourbakhsh is the director of the Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment (CREATE) lab and head of the Robotics Masters Program in The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. His current research projects explore community-based robotics, including educational and social robotics and ways to use robotic technology to empower individuals and communities. His other past projects include serving as a robotics group leader at NASA/Ames Research Center as well as the founder and chief scientist of Blue Pumpkin Software, Inc., which was acquired by Witness Systems, Inc. Nourbakhsh earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate in computer science at Stanford University and has been a faculty member of Carnegie Mellon since 1997.

Recorded at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA on September 9, 2013.