University of California Video Podcasts (Video)

As part of a special series celebrating the legacy of humanist and professor Walter H. Capps, this program examines Capps’ scholarly contributions and the study of religion today, featuring renowned scholars of religion who were Walter’s graduate students: Tomoko Masuzawa, Professor Emerita of History and Comparative Literature, University of Michigan, Julie Ingersoll, Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Florida, and Sarah McFarland Taylor, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Northwestern University. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 39707]

The discovery of Lucy, a fossil from the 1970s, changed paleoanthropology. Before Lucy, scientists saw human ancestors as rough guides, not distinct species. This mindset dominated the interpretation of fossils. Lucy's discovery, representing a new species called Australopithecus afarensis, showed the need to define species clearly. The clash of old and new views was seen in a 1981 debate between Richard Leakey and Donald Johanson. Leakey's refusal to offer an alternative emphasized flaws in traditional practices. This marked a shift towards a better understanding of human origins and diversity, despite some scientists holding onto old ways. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 39816]

Can we live not only longer but healthier lives? Robert A.J. Signer and Shiri Gur-Cohen explore how stem cell research may unlock the secrets of longevity. Signer discusses the critical role stem cells play in combating aging-related diseases, such as cancer and immune system decline, by boosting their regenerative abilities. His work on hematopoietic stem cells and “super stem cells,” which better manage cellular waste, shows promise for delaying aging and preventing disease. Dr. Shiri Gur-Cohen examines how vascular and lymphatic systems support stem cell health, revealing new strategies for enhancing longevity and reversing the effects of aging. Don’t miss this in-depth look at the future of aging and human health. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 39869]

As part of a special series celebrating the legacy of humanist and professor Walter H. Capps, this program examines Capps’ scholarly contributions and the study of religion today, featuring renowned scholars of religion who were Walter’s graduate students: Edward Linenthal, Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University Bloomington and Wendy M. Wright, Professor Emerita of Theology, Creighton University. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 39706]

Andrew Yoo, Ph.D., provides insight into the ongoing research on neurodegeneration and neuronal reprogramming, highlighting the complexities and challenges in modeling and understanding these processes. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 39454]

Filmmaker/curator Márton Orosz joins moderator George Legrady (Media Arts & Technology, UCSB) for a discussion of György Kepes: Interthinking Art + Science. They discuss the career of György Kepes and his groundbreaking work at MIT, and presenting his life onscreen. They also explore the development of the field of art and technology in the twentieth century, as well as Kepes’ continued significance and legacy in the present day. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39735]

Nobel Laureate and biochemist Katalin Karikó's groundbreaking work on COVID-19 vaccines earned her the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023, alongside co-collaborator Drew Weissman. She's also the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's 2023 recipient of the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest. Karikó, an adjunct professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania, is best known for her research on messenger RNA — the genetic material that tells our bodies how to make proteins — and the development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Karikó and Weissman invented the modified mRNA technology used in Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infection. In this program, Karikó talks about the progress and development of mRNA over the past six decades. Karikó will discuss the journey from the discovery of mRNA in 1961 to its groundbreaking milestone as the first FDA-approved mRNA product in the form of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in 2021. Series: "Science in the Public Interest" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 39337]

In this program, Robin D. G. Kelley, Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA, examines how police in the neoliberal era–in tandem with other state and corporate entities—have become engines of capital accumulation, government revenue, gentrification, the municipal bond market, the tech and private security industry—in a phrase, the profits of death. Kelley argues the police don’t just take lives; they make life and living less viable for the communities they occupy. The growth of police power has also fundamentally weakened democracy and strengthened “thanatocracy”—rule by death– especially with respect to Black communities.

Kelley says these same communities have produced a new abolition democracy, organizing to advance a different future, without oppression and exploitation, war, poverty, prisons, police, borders, the constraints of imposed gender, sexual, and ableist norms, and an economic system that destroys the planet while generating obscene inequality. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 39780]

Yian Ma, an assistant professor in the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute at UC San Diego talks about his research using scalable inference methods for credible machine learning. This involves designing Bayesian inference methods to quantify uncertainty in the predictions of complex models; understanding computational and statistical guarantees of inference algorithms; and leveraging these scalable algorithms to learn from time series data and perform sequential decision making tasks. Series: "Science Like Me" [Science] [Show ID: 39710]

Enjoy "Sounds of the Sideway," an original, award-winning song written and performed by San Diego-based Voices of Our City Choir, amplifying the stories and voices of people impacted by homelessness through music and arts. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39876]