Research Matters

That green scum on the lake in August? There's a real chance it started on a farm. Kirsten Workman, Cornell's Nutrient Management and Environmental Sustainability Specialist, joins Research Matters to explain how manure — a valuable nutrient package when it stays put — becomes a public health hazard when it doesn't. From phosphorus indexes to injection versus spraying to the runoff forecast tool she built, this is a close look at the unglamorous, high-stakes science of keeping farm nutrients where they belong: in the soil, not the water supply.

America is aging faster than its systems are prepared for. In this two-guest conversation, Jenna Wells and Adriana Reyes bring their research to bear on the realities of eldercare today: who provides it, who pays for it, and what happens when both run short. It's a grounded, research-backed look at one of the biggest quiet crises facing families right now.

What if the building coming down next door could become the one going up down the street? Felix Heisel joins Research Matters to explain circular construction — the practice of designing buildings to be disassembled, reused and reborn instead of landfilled. It's a rethink of how we build, one that could turn the construction industry's waste problem into its next resource.

Free speech feels simple until you're the one drawing the lines. In this episode of Research Matters, Cornell's Gautam Hans unpacks the messy, high-stakes reality of civil liberties in America today, from campus speech fights to the digital platforms reshaping what "free expression" even means. It's a clear-eyed look at a right everyone claims to understand and almost no one agrees on.

Why do smart, capable people still blow off health screenings, hoard a bottle of wine "for a special occasion" and keep a box of college notebooks they'll never open again? Cornell behavioral economist Suzanne Shu — a former electrical engineer turned behavioral economist — breaks down the psychology behind procrastination, overspending and our strange attachment to stuff. It's a funny, sharply researched look at why willpower isn't really the problem, and what actually helps.

In this episode of Research Matters, psychologist Gordon Pennycook dives into the surprisingly relatable science of why smart people believe dumb things, from conspiracy theories to “deep” nonsense that only sounds profound. Blending humor with research, the conversation reveals how our fast, distracted brains and overconfidence make us easy targets for misinformation, and why the real fix might be as simple (and as hard) as pausing to think. Watch here.

In this episode of Research Matters, Corrie Moreau, a leading evolutionary biologist and entomologist, explores the hidden world of insects, revealing how ants and their microbial partners can illuminate evolution, biodiversity and ecosystem health. The conversation spans cutting-edge genomic research, the discovery of vast new viral diversity, and the global importance of the Cornell University Insect Collection as a living archive of life on Earth. Watch here.

This week, Research Matters reveals the hidden chemistry inside aluminum cans. Food scientist Gavin Sacks, Ph.D. ’05, unpacks how subtle reactions affect the flavor, safety and shelf life of popular beverages – and the innovative fixes now in development. Watch here.

In this week’s episode of Research Matters, Dr. Elisha Frye, D.V.M. ’10, associate professor of practice, explains how Cornell’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center works at the front lines of detecting and preventing diseases that can jump between animals and humans. How are climate change and new technologies reshaping disease surveillance — and what can we do to help stop outbreaks before they start?

In this episode of Research Matters, Cornell chemist Phillip Milner explains a breakthrough carbon-capture system that uses sunlight — rather than fossil-fuel energy — to both capture and release carbon dioxide, potentially transforming how we tackle emissions. The conversation explores why carbon capture remains essential, how the technology works in real-world conditions, and what it could mean for the cost and scalability of climate solutions. Watch here.