University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

Darlene Lopez shares her inspiring journey in the business world, offering valuable insights into career growth, mentorship, and navigating the corporate landscape. Drawing from her experiences at Apple and TikTok, she discusses how these roles shaped her leadership style, approach to self-promotion, and the importance of setting boundaries. A central theme in the conversation is Lopez’s deep connection to Latin culture and music, which has profoundly influenced both her personal and professional life. She passionately speaks about the power of Latin artists and the growing influence of the Latinx community, particularly in music, and her mission to empower this community through her work in the arts. Series: "Career Channel" [Education] [Show ID: 40306]

Le Xu, Ph.D., examines the intricate processes underlying lung development and disease, with a focus on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Xu explores the roles of genetic and cellular mechanisms, including the hedgehog pathway, FGF signaling, and epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, in driving lung fibrosis. Xu also highlights links between congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and lung development, suggesting that both mechanical and genetic factors contribute to lung hypoplasia. The discussion includes the development of advanced mouse models that replicate key aspects of human IPF, offering insights into fibrosis progression. Xu's research ultimately seeks to identify the causes of lung tissue abnormalities and pave the way for targeted therapies. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 39460]

In late September 1941, tens of thousands of people were massacred over two days in a ravine known as Babyn Yar on the outskirts of Nazi-occupied Kyiv. Most of the victims were Jews, though Roma, Crimean Tatars, and Ukrainian and Russian Communists were also among those murdered. In her 2017 book of poems, “The Voices of Babyn Yar,” award-winning poet Marianna Kiyanovska engages with this tragedy as a Ukrainian who learned of the mass killings only as an adult. Kiyanovska is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, prose, and literary translations and her works have been translated into 18 languages. In this bilingual poetry reading, Kiyanovska shares poems in the original Ukrainian, including selections from “The Voices of Babyn Yar.” UC San Diego Professor of Literature Amelia Glaser will read the English translations. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40068]

Carrie Bearden, Ph.D., delves into how sleep patterns and brain activity influence memory and cognitive abilities in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Her research reveals that while these individuals tend to sleep longer, their brain activity shows unique differences, such as reduced slow-wave power, which may limit the cognitive benefits typically associated with sleep. Bearden also spotlights groundbreaking studies using advanced tools like stem cells and brain organoids to investigate how specific genes might drive these differences, offering hope for deeper insights and potential interventions. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40211]

At a global level, Homo sapiens have reshaped the planet Earth to such an extent that we now talk of a new geological age, the Anthropocene. But each of us shapes our own worlds, physically, symbolically, and in the worlds of imagination. This symposium focuses especially on one form of construction, the construction of buildings, while stressing that such construction is ever shaped by diverse factors from landscape to culture and the construction of history embodied in it - and more. After a brief look at birds building their nests as an example of variation on a species-specific Bauplan, we sample a broad sweep of cultural evolution and niche construction from the earliest stone tools of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens through the Neolithic and the rise of cities to the formal and informal architecture of the present day. Finally, we explore the ways artificial intelligence may further change how humans construct their mental and physical worlds. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40170]

David Hogg, co-founder of March For Our Lives and Leaders We Deserve, is a leading voice in the movement to end gun violence. After experiencing the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Hogg emerged from tragedy to become a national figure, advocating for morally just leadership and increased voter participation. As part of the Burke Lectureship, Hogg talks with Richard Madsen, Sociology Professor Emeritus at UC San Diego, about pushing for civic engagement, activism and social change for a safer, more equitable future. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40242]

The symbolic tools we use to design and construct our environments have been transformed by the so-called Cybernetic revolution and the innovations in materials technology that have accompanied them. The integration of computers, the Internet of Things, embedded robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) supports the development of intelligent/smart buildings where specific levels of automation can be tailored to every type of building use and occupancy. This talk will emphasize smart architecture as being based on insights into how buildings may affect human well-being whether or not novel technology is employed. This involves a critical assessment of when and where AI and related technologies should be incorporated into the built environment. A complementary concern is with how AI will affect the way humans see their place in their social and "natural" worlds when we can no longer see humans as the only possessors of "intelligence." Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40168]

This talk explores the needs of the poor and homeless around the world, charting the interplay between formal and informal settlements. The key example for this talk will be the favelas of Saõ Paulo in the context of a broader concern with Latin American urbanism and the role of individual initiative, social forces and politics as agencies of urban transformation. Built environments are to be seen not only as technological artifacts but also as providing a spatial politics for transforming where and how vulnerable communities immigrate to cities. Key questions arise concerning the relation of informal housing to the formal infrastructural systems of cities, including access to utilities. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40167]

An electrifying harmonizer, Lisa Sanders’ heartfelt songs are genuine with deep meaning and conviction. Her music conveys a style that can only be described as soulful country blues, integrating influences of folk-pop, gospel, rock, and jazz. Writing, singing, and producing from her heart in nearly every genre for over three decades, Sanders continues to make an impact in the musical world. Joining her from the Los Angeles band, Water Tower, will be Kenny Feinstein, on guitars, mandolin, bass, and violin and Tommy Drinkard on bass, percussion, guitars, and banjo. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40057]

An electrifying harmonizer, Lisa Sanders’ heartfelt songs are genuine with deep meaning and conviction. Her music conveys a style that can only be described as soulful country blues, integrating influences of folk-pop, gospel, rock, and jazz. Writing, singing, and producing from her heart in nearly every genre for over three decades, Sanders continues to make an impact in the musical world. Joining her from the Los Angeles band, Water Tower, will be Kenny Feinstein, on guitars, mandolin, bass, and violin and Tommy Drinkard on bass, percussion, guitars, and banjo. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40055]