Joshua Bennett is a professor of literature and distinguished chair of the humanities at MIT. Additionally, he is an accomplished spoken word artist, and author of several books. Here, he speaks with MIT President Sally Kornbluth about the power of words, the beauty of quiet things, and about the value in learning for its own sake. Plus, we hear him perform his poetry.

Links:

• drjoshuabennett.com
• Tamara's Opus
• Reading Poetry: Social Poetics
• African Diaspora Studies program

Timestamps:

(08:38) - On AI

(13:40) - The benefits and joy of learning for its own sake

(20:01) - The distinction between poetry on the page and on the stage

Show notes and transcript:

https://news.mit.edu/podcast/podcast-curiosity-unbounded-episode-5-beyond-words

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Fadel Adib is an associate professor at the MIT Media Lab and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. His work pushes the limits of wireless sensing: to monitor climate change in the oceans; to impact food production, health, and space exploration; and to see through walls.

In this episode, MIT President Sally Kornbluth talks with Adib about his work and how he’s inspired to solve pressing global issues. Along the way, they discuss his belief in the importance of inspiring others and democratizing advanced tools and technologies, as well as his early life in Lebanon and his family-held belief that education has the power to change lives.

Links:

• Fadel Adib
• The Big Bang Theory episode
• Emerald Innovations
• Signal Kinetics group
• Cartesian Systems
• MIT 100k Entrepreneurship Competition
• Sensea

Timestamps:

(01:38) - The superpower question

(07:48) - Detecting emotions through walls and The Big Bang Theory episode

(09:00) - Ocean work and implications for aquaculture, climate change, and space exploration

(17:50) - Early life in Lebanon

(21:10) - Democratization of technology

(25:52) - Family and the importance of education

(28:26) - Local impact

(29:24) - Public education through videos

Show notes and transcript:

https://news.mit.edu/podcast/podcast-curiosity-unbounded-episode-4-build-your-own-superpower-then-share-it-world

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Greg Fournier is an associate professor of geobiology at MIT. Greg’s work focuses on the microbial world, and by studying the evolution of microbes, he and his team further our understanding of the history of life on Earth.

In this episode, MIT President Sally Kornbluth and Fournier discuss fine-tuning our understanding of evolution; lab life and how research surprises often lead to new discoveries; and advice for those just beginning a career in science.

Links:

• Greg Fournier
• Fournier Lab
• Craters of the Moon
• Wind Cave
• Permian–Triassic mass extinction
• Purgatory Chasm
• NASA postdoctoral fellowship
• Course 1
• EAPS (Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences)

Show notes and transcript:

https://news.mit.edu/podcast/podcast-curiosity-unbounded-episode-3-decoding-tree-life

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In this episode, MIT President Sally Kornbluth sits down with associate professor of political science and faculty co-director of MIT-Africa, Mai Hassan. Her work looks at bureaucracy, public administration, and the state in Africa, and more recently, how people mobilize against repressive dictatorships.

Links:

• Mai Hassan
• MIT-Africa
• Regime Threats and State Solutions

Show notes and transcript:

https://news.mit.edu/podcast/podcast-curiosity-unbounded-episode-2-bureaucracies-dictatorships-and-power-africas-people

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In this episode, MIT President Sally Kornbluth sits down with newly tenured associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, Desirée Plata. Her work focuses on making industrial processes more environmentally friendly, and removing methane (a key factor in global warming) from the air.

Links:

• Desirée Plata
• Woods Hole Oceanographic
• Plata Lab
• Global Methane Pledge
• 2.00b Toy Product Design

Show notes and transcript:

https://news.mit.edu/podcast/podcast-curiosity-unbounded-episode-1-how-free-range-kid-maine-helping-green-industrial

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