Best Princeton Engineering Podcasts (2024)

1
Iris Berent, "The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason about Human Nature" (Oxford UP, 2020) 56:28

1h ago56:28

56:28

Do newborns think-do they know that 'three' is greater than 'two'? Do they prefer 'right' to 'wrong'? What about emotions--do newborns recognize happiness or anger? If they do, then how are our inborn thoughts and feelings encoded in our bodies? Could they persist after we die? Going all the way back to ancient Greece, human nature and the mind-bod…

1
Muscatine Power and Water GM Details Powering the Future Initiative, Customer Engagement 13:57

2h ago13:57

13:57

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Gage Huston, General Manager for Iowa public power utility Muscatine Power and Water, offers details on the utility’s multi-year Powering the Future initiative and discusses the ways in which the utility engages and communicates with its customers about the value of public power and how Muscatine Power and…

1
New CEO and Chief Engineer of LADWP Details Renewable Energy Efforts, Long-Term Goals 11:43

2h ago11:43

11:43

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Janisse Quiñones, the new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, provides an overview of the steps the utility is taking to meet its goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2035 and discusses her long-term goals for LADWP.…

1
Manitowoc Public Utilities GM Troy Adams Details Power Plant Boiler Refueling Project 25:03

7d ago25:03

25:03

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Troy Adams, General Manager for Wisconsin public power utility Manitowoc Public Utilities, details a power plant boiler refueling project being pursued by the utility and details how the utility’s customers will benefit from a utility community solar project.…

1
David Badre, "On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done" (Princeton UP, 2020) 42:29

1h ago42:29

42:29

On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done (Princeton UP, 2020) is a look at the extraordinary ways the brain turns thoughts into actions—and how this shapes our everyday lives. Why is it hard to text and drive at the same time? How do you resist eating that extra piece of cake? Why does staring at a tax form feel mentally exhausting? Why can your chi…

1
APPA’s Paul Zummo Provides Update on DEED Program; Deadline for Grant Applications is August 15 16:32

7d ago16:32

16:32

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Paul Zummo, Director for Research & Development at APPA, provides an update on activities related to APPA’s Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments program. The deadline to apply for DEED grants is fast approaching, with applications due no later than August 15.…

1
Enhanced Authority Allows NYPA to Take Ownership of Renewable Energy Projects 14:52

5d ago14:52

14:52

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Vennela Yadhati, Vice President of Renewables Development at the New York Power Authority, details how enhanced authority provided to NYPA will give it the opportunity to tie a number of elements together “in a cohesive way to bring more renewable capacity online,” as well as allow NYPA to take ownership o…

1
David J. Hand, "Dark Data: Why What You Don't Know Matters" (Princeton UP, 2020) 1:18:03

29d ago1:18:03

1:18:03

There is no shortage of books on the growing impact of data collection and analysis on our societies, our cultures, and our everyday lives. David Hand's new book Dark Data: Why What You Don't Know Matters (Princeton University Press, 2020) is unique in this genre for its focus on those data that aren't collected or don't get analyzed. More than an …

1
David J. Hand, "Dark Data: Why What You Don't Know Matters" (Princeton UP, 2020) 1:18:03

5d ago1:18:03

1:18:03

There is no shortage of books on the growing impact of data collection and analysis on our societies, our cultures, and our everyday lives. David Hand's new book Dark Data: Why What You Don't Know Matters (Princeton University Press, 2020) is unique in this genre for its focus on those data that aren't collected or don't get analyzed. More than an …

1
Alan Lightman, "Einstein's Dreams" (Vintage, 1992) 55:06

11d ago55:06

55:06

Einstein’s Dreams (Vintage, 1992) by Alan Lightman, set in Albert Einstein’s “miracle year” of 1905, is a novel about the cultural interconnection of time, relativity and life. As the young genius creates his theory of relativity, in a series of dreams, he imagines other worlds, each with a different conceptualization of time. In one, time is circu…

1
Pierre Sokolsky, "Clock in the Sun: How We Came to Understand Our Nearest Star" (Columbia UP, 2024) 29:03

28d ago29:03

29:03

On the surface of the Sun, spots appear and fade in a predictable cycle, like a great clock in the sky. In medieval Russia, China, and Korea, monks and court astronomers recorded the appearance of these dark shapes, interpreting them as omens of things to come. In Western Europe, by contrast, where a cosmology originating with Aristotle prevailed, …

1
Pandemics Perspectives 15: The Dynamic Nature of Science 1:16:31

11d ago1:16:31

1:16:31

In this Pandemic Perspectives Podcast, Ideas Roadshow founder and host Howard Burton talks to Michael Gordin, Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Princeton University, about the differences between science and pseudoscience and how the COVID-19 Pandemic showed that most people don't realize that science is highly dynamic. Go…

1
Seattle City Light GM and CEO Details Utility Transportation Electrification Planning Efforts 28:51

23d ago28:51

28:51

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Dawn Lindell, the new General Manager and CEO of public power utility Seattle City Light, details how the utility has been proactive when it comes to planning for the growth of transportation electrification and discusses what her immediate priorities have been as the new General Manager and CEO of the uti…

1
Gallatin Department of Electricity’s Mark Kimbell Details Substation Projects, Efforts to Keep Rates Low 16:22

19d ago16:22

16:22

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Mark Kimbell, General Manager for the Gallatin Department of Electricity in Tennessee, provides details on ongoing substation projects being pursued by the public power utility and discusses how the utility maintains fiscal responsibility and keeps rates low.…

1
Ann Johnson and Johannes Lenhard, "Cultures of Prediction: How Engineering and Science Evolve with Mathematical Tools" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:01:58

2M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

A probing examination of the dynamic history of predictive methods and values in science and engineering that helps us better understand today's cultures of prediction. The ability to make reliable predictions based on robust and replicable methods is a defining feature of the scientific endeavor, allowing engineers to determine whether a building …

1
Anna Abraham, "The Creative Brain: Myths and Truths" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:09:54

2M ago1:09:54

1:09:54

A nuanced, science-based understanding of the creative mind that dispels the pervasive myths we hold about the human brain—but also uncovers the truth at their cores. What is the relationship between creativity and madness? Creativity and intelligence? Do psychedelics truly enhance creativity? How should we understand the left and right hemispheres…

1
Ann Johnson and Johannes Lenhard, "Cultures of Prediction: How Engineering and Science Evolve with Mathematical Tools" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:01:58

1M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

A probing examination of the dynamic history of predictive methods and values in science and engineering that helps us better understand today's cultures of prediction. The ability to make reliable predictions based on robust and replicable methods is a defining feature of the scientific endeavor, allowing engineers to determine whether a building …

1
Paulina Rowinska, "Mapmatics: How We Navigate the World Through Numbers" (Pan Macmillan, 2024) 56:44

24d ago56:44

56:44

How does a delivery driver distribute hundreds of packages in a single working day? Why does remote Alaska have such a large airport? Where should we look for elusive serial killers? The answers lie in the crucial connection between maps and maths. In Mapmatics: How We Navigate the World Through Numbers (Pan Macmillan, 2024), Dr Paulina Rowinska em…

1
New GM of Burbank Water and Power Details Priorities, Benefits from Long-Duration Energy Storage System 17:17

26d ago17:17

17:17

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Mandip Samra, the new General Manager of California public power utility Burbank Water and Power, details her immediate priorities as the new General Manager of the utility and discusses the benefits that will flow from a recently commissioned long-duration energy storage system.…

1
Lisa M. P. Munoz, "Women in Science Now: Stories and Strategies for Achieving Equity" (Columbia UP, 2023) 36:44

27d ago36:44

36:44

Women working in the sciences face obstacles at virtually every step along their career paths. From subtle slights to blatant biases, deep systemic problems block women from advancing or push them out of science and technology entirely. Women in Science Now: Stories and Strategies for Achieving Equity (Columbia UP, 2023) examines solutions to this …

1
Tessa Hill and Eric Simons, "At Every Depth: Our Growing Knowledge of the Changing Oceans" (Columbia UP, 2024) 53:01

2M ago53:01

53:01

At Every Depth: Our Growing Knowledge of the Changing Oceans (Columbia UP, 2024) takes readers on a journey from California tidepools to Antarctic poles, showcasing myriad efforts to research and protect marine environments. Through insightful interviews, oceanographer Tessa Hill and science journalist Eric Simons offer a compelling exploration of …

1
Duana Fullwiley, "Tabula Raza: Mapping Race and Human Diversity in American Genome Science" (U California Press, 2024) 1:16:20

1M ago1:16:20

1:16:20

In Tabula Raza: Mapping Race and Human Diversity in American Genome Science (University of California Press, 2024), Duana Fullwiley has penned an intimate chronicle of laboratory life in the genomic age. She presents many of the influential scientists at the forefront of genetics who have redefined how we practice medicine and law and understand an…

1
Benefits, Features of APPA’s New eSafety Tracker are Detailed by LUS, APPA Officials 11:38

1M ago11:38

11:38

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Patrick Hart, APPA’s Senior Director for Resilience Programs, and Tori Leger, Employee Development Coordinator at Louisiana public power utility Lafayette Utilities System, detail the features and benefits of APPA’s newly released eSafety Tracker. Details about the eSafety tracker are available on APPA’s w…

1
The Reality of Scientific Research: A Discussion with John W. Cave 45:04

2M ago45:04

45:04

In this episode we speak with Dr. John W. Cave, a scientist and thought leader who has been in the research world for over 20 years. Dr. Cave has worked at a variety of elite research institutions at the intersection of biochemistry, neurology, and brain injury and has long history of mentoring younger scientists. Listen to our conversation for his…

1
Transformation of Princeton Public Power Utilities Spurred by Operational Efficiency, Transparency and Community Outreach 18:08

1M ago18:08

18:08

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Keith Butcher, General Manager of Minnesota public power utility Princeton Public Utilities, provides an update on the utility’s electric capital improvements plan and details how the utility has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last five years by placing a strong emphasis on operational effi…

1
Bruce Watson, "Light: A Radiant History from Creation to the Quantum Age" (Bloombury, 2016) 22:27

2M ago22:27

22:27

From early myths to the latest LEDs, light has been "the magician of the cosmos." But what is light? Is it God? Truth? Particle or wave? This "radiant history" sees light through the eyes of mystics, sages, artists, poets, and scientists. Like the Nobel-winning physicist who studied light "because it's so much fun," Bruce Watson enjoys taking reade…

1
David S. Richeson, "Tales of Impossibility: The 2000-Year Quest to Solve the Mathematical Problems of Antiquity" (Princeton UP, 2019) 54:24

2M ago54:24

54:24

David S. Richeson's book Tales of Impossibility: The 2000-Year Quest to Solve the Mathematical Problems of Antiquity (Princeton University Press, 2019) is the fascinating story of the 2000 year quest to solve four of the most perplexing problems of antiquity: squaring the circle, duplicating the cube, trisecting the angle, and constructing regular …

1
Steps Taken to Boost Reliability Detailed by New Smyrna Beach Utilities CEO and GM Joseph Bunch 13:21

3M ago13:21

13:21

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Joseph Bunch, General Manager and CEO for Florida public power utility New Smyrna Beach Utilities, details the steps the utility has taken in recent years to improve reliability. He also discusses how the utility benefits from being a member of the Florida Municipal Power Agency and the Florida Municipal E…

1
Austin Energy Utilizes Artificial Intelligence Technology to Address Threat of Wildfires 17:30

3M ago17:30

17:30

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Chris Vetromile, Wildfire Manager for Texas public power utility Austin Energy, details how Austin Energy is proactively working to mitigate the threat of wildfires including utilizing artificial intelligence technology.By American Public Power Association

1
Mona Simion, "Resistance to Evidence" (Cambridge UP, 2024) 57:09

2M ago57:09

57:09

We have increasingly sophisticated ways of acquiring and communicating knowledge, but efforts to spread this knowledge often encounter resistance to evidence. The phenomenon of resistance to evidence, while subject to thorough investigation in social psychology, is acutely under-theorised in the philosophical literature. Mona Simion's Resistance to…

1
At Every Depth: Our Growing Knowledge of the Changing Oceans 49:35

3M ago49:35

49:35

Today’s book is: At Every Depth: Our Growing Knowledge of the Changing Oceans (Columbia UP, 2024), by Tessa Hill and Eric Simons, which takes readers beneath the waves and along the coasts, to explore how climate change and environmental degradation have spurred the most radical transformations in human history. The world’s oceans are changing at a…

1
Benefits of Mass. Grid-Scale Storage Program Detailed by MMWEC, Lightshift Energy 18:23

3M ago18:23

18:23

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Rory Jones, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Lightshift Energy, and Jason Viadero, Director of Engineering and Generation Assets at Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, discuss a recently announced program under which MMWEC has selected Lightshift as its exclusive partner to deploy the sta…

1
Thomas A. Garrity, "All the Math You Missed (But Need to Know for Graduate School)" (Cambridge UP, 2021) 50:35

3M ago50:35

50:35

Beginning graduate students in mathematical sciences and related areas in physical and computer sciences and engineering are expected to be familiar with a daunting breadth of mathematics, but few have such a background. This bestselling book helps students fill in the gaps in their knowledge. Thomas A. Garrity explains the basic points and a few k…

1
Carl Zimmer, "Life's Edge: The Search For What it Means to be Alive" (Dutton, 2022) 36:28

3M ago36:28

36:28

Carl Zimmer investigates one of the biggest questions of all: What is life? The answer seems obvious until you try to seriously answer it. Is the apple sitting on your kitchen counter alive, or is only the apple tree it came from deserving of the word? If we can’t answer that question here on Earth, how will we know when and if we discover alien li…

1
Thomas A. Garrity, "All the Math You Missed (But Need to Know for Graduate School)" (Cambridge UP, 2021) 50:35

3M ago50:35

50:35

Graduate students in many programs besides mathematics will need to be familiar with the methods and results of a variety of mathematical topics. Just as importantly, these students will need to develop a level of mathematical maturity—how to think in broad strokes about the subject, how to study it, and even how to communicate their work. The gap …

1
The Scientific Attitude 47:56

3M ago47:56

47:56

Listen to this interview of Lee McIntyre, Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science (Boston University) and Senior Advisor for Public Trust in Science (Aspen Institute). We talk about his book The Scientific Attitude: Defending Science from Denial, Fraud, and Pseudoscience (MIT Press, 2019). Lee McIntyre : "Scientists have…

1
Lansing Board of Water and Light GM Details New Demand Response Program 5:54

3M ago5:54

5:54

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Dick Peffley, General Manager for Michigan public power utility Lansing Board of Water and Light, details a new utility demand response program called “Peak Power Partner” for its residential electric customers and provides an update on the utility’s plan to provide 50 percent clean energy by 2030 and achi…

1
Christian Hansel, "Memory Makes the Brain: The Biological Machinery That Uses Experiences To Shape Individual Brains" (World Scientific, 2021) 1:10:41

3M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

If you're interested in memory, you'll find a lot in Memory Makes the Brain: The Biological Machinery That Uses Experiences To Shape Individual Brains (World Scientific, 2021), from cellular processes to unique and interesting perspectives on autism. Detailed descriptions of cellular processes involved in forming a memory. Connecting those cellular…

1
OPPD Officials Detail Training Available Through New Substation Simulator 18:10

3M ago18:10

18:10

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Aaron Rasmussen, Principal Engineer, Grid Automation, at Omaha Public Power District, and Rick Stava, Manager of Protection and Automation Engineering, at OPPD, detail a new OPPD substation simulator. Among other things, the OPPD officials discuss the training that is available through the substation simul…

1
Charan Ranganath, "Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters" (Doubleday, 2024) 1:02:11

4M ago1:02:11

1:02:11

A new understanding of memory is emerging from the latest scientific research. In Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters (Doubleday, 2024), pioneering neuroscientist and psychologist Charan Ranganath radically reframes the way we think about the everyday act of remembering. Combining accessible language with cutting-ed…

1
Amy Zubaly Details How FMEA and Florida Public Power Utilities are Preparing for Hurricane Season 15:41

4M ago15:41

15:41

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Amy Zubaly, Executive Director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association, discusses the upcoming hurricane season and details how FMEA and public power utilities in Florida are preparing for the 2024 hurricane season.By American Public Power Association

1
Bobby Cherayil, "The Logic of Immunity: Deciphering an Enigma" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2024) 1:07:16

4M ago1:07:16

1:07:16

Most of us appreciate the importance of the immune system yet have very little knowledge about how it actually works. If you fall into this camp and are curious to learn more about this intricate system, Bobby Cherayil's book is an excellent resource. The Logic of Immunity: Deciphering an Enigma was published in January 2024 by John Hopkins Univers…

1
Benefits of Solar Plus Storage Project in Aztec, N.M., Include Resiliency, Cost Savings 9:28

4M ago9:28

9:28

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Denver DeWees, Electric Department Director for the City of Aztec, New Mexico, details how a 2-megawatt solar PV plus 4-megawatt-hour battery energy storage project will benefit the city’s utility and customers. Specifically, he said that energy produced by the solar farm will have a fixed cost with a lowe…

1
Kevin Lambert, "Symbols and Things: Material Mathematics in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries" (U Pittsburgh Press, 2021) 1:20:03

4M ago1:20:03

1:20:03

The stereotype of the solitary mathematician is widespread, but practicing users and producers of mathematics know well that our work depends heavily on our historical and contemporary fellow travelers. Yet we may not appreciate how our work also extends beyond us into our physical and societal environments. Kevin Lambert takes what might be a firs…

1
Rasmus Winther, "Our Genes: A Philosophical Perspective on Human Evolutionary Genomics" (Cambridge UP, 2023) 1:09:11

4M ago1:09:11

1:09:11

Situated at the intersection of natural science and philosophy, Our Genes: A Philosophical Perspective on Human Evolutionary Genomics (Cambridge University Press, 2023) explores historical practices, investigates current trends, and imagines future work in genetic research to answer persistent, political questions about human diversity. Readers are…

1
Developing Strategic Plan Included Among Goals for McMinnville Electric System GM and CEO Elect 13:55

4M ago13:55

13:55

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Brittany Davis, the General Manager and CEO Elect for Tennessee public power utility McMinnville Electric System, notes that included among her long-term goals is the development of a strategic plan for the utility. She also details the ways in which she has introduced herself to the McMinnville community …

1
Guru Madhavan on Wicked Problems and Engineering a Better World 1:09:21

4M ago1:09:21

1:09:21

Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, talks with Guru Madhavan, Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and Senior Director of Programs at the National Academy of Engineering, about his recent book, Wicked Problems: How to Engineer a Better World (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024). In Wicked Problems, Madhavan draws on a rich body of literature from the humani…

1
Benefits of Iron Flow Battery Storage Technology Detailed by Burbank Water and Power’s Mandip Samra 9:17

4M ago9:17

9:17

Burbank Water and Power on April 5 is scheduled to hold a ribbon cutting for a new iron flow battery storage project. Among the benefits of iron flow battery storage technology is the useful life of the battery, which is expected to be 25 years, as compared with 10 years for other types of storage technology, said Mandip Samra, Assistant General Ma…

1
Claudia de Rham, "The Beauty of Falling: A Life in Pursuit of Gravity" (Princeton UP, 2024) 50:36

4M ago50:36

50:36

Claudia de Rham has been playing with gravity her entire life. As a diver, experimenting with her body's buoyancy in the Indian Ocean. As a pilot, soaring over Canadian waterfalls on dark mornings before beginning her daily scientific research. As an astronaut candidate, dreaming of the experience of flying free from Earth's pull. And as a physicis…

1
Max Bennett, "A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, Ai, and the Five Breakthroughs That Made Our Brains" (Mariner Books, 2023) 1:09:08

4M ago1:09:08

1:09:08

A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, Ai, and the Five Breakthroughs That Made Our Brains (Mariner Books, 2023) tells two fascinating stories. One is the evolution of nervous systems. It started 600 million years ago, when the first brains evolved in tiny worms. The other one is humans' quest to create more and more intelligent systems. This …

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