University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

Yale Strom’s Hot Pstromi is a U.S.-based klezmer ensemble. Much of the repertoire comes from Strom's many years of ethnographic research he has conducted in Eastern Europe. Many of the melodies and Yiddish songs come from Jews and Roma who played before and after the Holocaust and that Strom interviewed and with whom he performed. The band’s New York-based lineup includes: Peter Stan, Norbert Stachel, Elizabeth Schwartz, Sprocket and Klezmatics co-founder David Licht. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39282]

The human genome contains segments of DNA with non-human origins. This introgressed genetic material is remnants of mating events between early modern humans and their archaic contemporaries (e.g., Neanderthals and Denisovans). In this talk, Andrew Schork will review the evidence for such genetic material, its consequences on phenotypic diversity in modern humans, and discuss if this process - archaic introgression - is typical among other great ape species. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 39273]

After founding four companies and working at top firms in venture capital and private equity, where fast growth and maximum profits rule, David Whorton, Founder and CEO of the Tugboat Institute, has spent the last decade exploring and developing the concept of the evergreen company—one built to last privately over 100 years. The evergreen company stands in contrast to those that are being built to flip to generate wealth for a small few. Instead, evergreen companies are being built with very long planning horizons and the commitment to share their success with their employees and their communities. Whorton argues evergreen companies are incredibly important to our society, but overlooked and under-appreciated relative to venture capitalists, private equity and public companies that represent the de facto growth company models.

Since the dot.com boom, the de facto growth model for venture capitalists has been get-big-fast. It later evolved to growth-at-all-costs with the advent of cheap money under loose Fed policies. This play book led to numerous excesses, including the manic pursuit of ever larger and higher valuation rounds in hot companies. In the same period, private equity has risen dramatically, unwisely seen by many as a safer asset class than public stocks; an industry sits on over a trillion dollars of dry powder to invest, matched with a couple trillion of debt, giving the private equity firms purchasing power over $3 trillion dollars. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Business] [Show ID: 39235]

Researchers used to define objectives for artificial intelligence (AI) agents by hand, but with progress in optimization and reinforcement learning, it became obvious that it's too difficult to think of everything ahead of time and write it down. Instead, these days the objective is viewed as a hidden part of the state on which researchers can receive feedback or observations from humans — how they act and react, how they compare options, what they say. In this talk, Anca Dragan, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, discusses what this transition has achieved, what open challenges researchers still face and ideas for mitigating them. Dragan discusses applications in robotics and how the lessons there apply to virtual agents like large language models. Series: "Data Science Channel" [Science] [Show ID: 39350]

In 2002, a UC Santa Cruz college with the theme of social justice and community opened with distinguished professors, politically engaged students, and a number for a name: College Ten.

That changed for good, and for better, in 2023 when College Ten was named for John R. Lewis, the late American civil rights leader and politician who stood up to Jim Crow–era segregation in the 1960s. He was one of the key organizers of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

The son of Alabama sharecroppers, Lewis went on to become a longstanding congressman. He was elected in 1986 to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Georgia’s fifth congressional district. He held his post until his death in 2020.

The naming endowment will allow the college to advance its mission of justice and social equity with a number of potential projects including the Good Trouble Academy, social justice internships and support, and expansion of programs geared toward the graduates of historically black colleges. Series: "UC Santa Cruz News" [Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 39283]

Eric Courchesne, Ph.D., explores autism, highlighting its complexity beyond the brain and its connection to genetics and brain development. He focuses on the "temporal cortex," a crucial area in autism research associated with gene regulation and social processing. Courchesne also shares how his personal journey with polio has informed his thinking on neurodiversity, research, and beating the odds.

Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 39171]

Do scientists in the fields of genomics, materials research and other areas deemed important to society have an obligation to educate the general community about their research? Fleet Science Center's Scientist Engagement Manager Andrea Decker discusses the idea of broader impact, and how it affects a researcher's project to benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Science] [Show ID: 39264]

Based on co-authored research, this talk shows how historical framing--drawing parallels between past and present events or actors--can mobilize protesters and keep them politically engaged in the face of unpopular policies and violent repression. Nicaraguan and Chilean activists and citizens saw their presidents and security forces as repeating reviled dictatorships’ behavior, making clear the importance of protesting against them. Using a survey experiment, we also demonstrate that historical framing can remain useful after protests have subsided, increasing Chilean respondents’ support for police reform a year later, though frames must be carefully targeted to be most effective. Series: "GRIT Talks" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 39333]

Experts discuss the immense potential of conducting experiments and manufacturing goods in space. They explore how this could enhance our understanding of health issues, unveil new discoveries, and produce innovative technology for use on Earth. The conversation encompasses collaborations between various industries and scientists, aiming to explore the distinct conditions in space to enhance life for all.

Featuring:

Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D.

UC San Diego

Jana Stoudemire, M.Bio.

Axiom Space

Alain Berinstain, Ph.D.

Space Tango

Marc Giulianotti, Ph.D.

Sierra Space

Kevin Engelbert, M.S.F.

NASA

Michael Roberts, Ph.D.

CASIS

Arun Sharma, Ph.D.

Cedars Sinai

Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 39072]

The most complex organizations in the living world beside those of humans are the colonies of ants. Mark Moffett will argue that points of comparison between sharply different organisms like ants and humans are exceptionally valuable to science, and indeed that modern humans are in many ways much more like certain ants than we are to our nearest relatives, the chimpanzees. He considers such issues as the role of individuality and group identity in ant societies; the advantages to ants of flat organizations without leaders or hierarchies; and what we can learn from ants with respect to direct and indirect communication, self-organization, job specialization, labor coordination, and global domination. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 39272]