University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

Steven DenBaars is a Professor of Materials, Electrical & Computer Engineering at UC Santa Barbara. His research interests include growth of wide-bandgap (GaN based) semiconductors and their application to blue LEDs as well as laser and high power electronic devices. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36795]

William Wang is the Director of UC Santa Barbara's Natural Language Processing group and Center for Responsible Machine Learning. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36800]

Four former Secretaries of Homeland Security discuss current issues in homeland security, the overlap between security and politics, and how our country can move forward by embracing the challenges—and opportunities—the Biden-Harris administration will face in their first year. Panelists: Michael Chertoff (2005-2009), Jeh Johnson (2013-2017), Janet Napolitano (2009-2013), Tom Ridge (2003-2005). Moderator: Doug Wilson. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36811]

The People’s Republic of China has become a major investor, lender and actor across the energy sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. Indeed, loans and investments from China have financed an impressive array of projects in infrastructure, energy and mining. Cecilia Aguillon, Energy Transition Initiative Director and Jeremy M. Martin, Vice President, Energy & Sustainability at the Institute of the Americas present an overview of the Energy & Sustainability program’s report followed by a discussion with Matt Ferchen, Head of Global China Research at Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) and Michael Davidson, Assistant Professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) at UCSD. Series: "Hemisphere in Transition" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36789]

Screenwriter and actress Guinevere Turner discusses her experience working on the groundbreaking 1994 film, Go Fish. In a conversation with Assatu Wisseh, Turner recounts how she and director Rose Troche developed their unique story of romance and friendship in a lesbian community in Chicago. A low-budget, independent romantic comedy, Go Fish tells a girl-meets-girl love story that subverts the conventions of the Hollywood romance and the male-centric narratives of New Queer Cinema alike. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36816]

The rise in antibiotic resistance poses one of the greatest challenges to public health and modern medicine. The roots of the dilemma are many - overzealous use of antibiotics clinical and agricultural settings, the departure of major pharmaceutical companies from antibiotic development ,and simple Darwinian evolution of microbes. Can we lift ourselves out of the hole that we have dug? Many ethical dilemmas must be acknowledged and confronted, such as balancing restrictions on individual liberty for the protection of the public health and the well being of future generations. We must also consider just and sustainable use of this precious resource tailored to the markedly differing economic and epidemiological situations across the globe with diverse health systems and variable antibiotic markets. Victor Nizet, MD describes the current challenges and potential paths forward. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 36634]

Business needs to be understood in the context of the broader social and environmental realities of today. Jeffrey Thies shares how engaging students in conversation with ethical and sustainable businesses helps create not only a deeper understanding of economics but a real world connection to critical business ethics concepts. Series: "Education Channel" [Business] [Education] [Show ID: 36363]

A panel of experts discuss the practical scientific challenges of publishing during COVID-19, the current landscape of medical writing, as well as new and emerging career opportunities in the field. [Education] [Show ID: 36618]

Ehren Tool is the ceramics studio manager in the Department of Art Practice at UC Berkeley. In his off-time, he makes clay cups that he hopes start conversations about war. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 36762]

Launched in 2018, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe spacecraft, with instruments developed and built by UC Berkeley, has now traveled closer to the sun than any other mission in history, actually penetrating the sun’s atmosphere, to investigate highly charged magnetic field. Now, that data has allowed solar physicists to map the source of a major component of the solar wind that continually peppers Earth’s atmosphere, while revealing strange magnetic field reversals that could be accelerating these particles toward our planet. These accelerated particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field, generating the colorful northern and southern lights but also potentially damaging the electrical grid and telecommunications networks on the surface, threatening orbiting satellites and perhaps endangering astronauts in space. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Science] [Show ID: 36760]