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Every week on What's Your Problem?, former Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein talks with entrepreneurs and engineers tackling the biggest challenges at the forefront of technology. How do you make a trip to space as routine as a plane flight? How do you turn solar energy into clean fuel? How do you use AI to stop deadly infections before they spread? We hear a lot these days about how the world is getting worse. What's Your Problem? learns from the thinkers and doers trying to make our future better.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
Throughout the next few weeks, every Monday we'll be sharing some of our favorite episodes from Jacob's other show Business History. We hope you enjoy them and if you want to hear more, subscriber to Business History on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
With the news of Warren Buffett stepping down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, we are revisiting an episode from our two-part series on Buffet.
Warren Buffett rose from obscurity to become the richest person in the world - and he did it in a unique way. As a boy in Omaha he collected information obsessively - writing down car license numbers and hoarding bottle caps. As a young man, Buffett turned his focus on scouring business accounts to find companies that had hidden value no one else could spot.
We tell the story of young Warren Buffett as he quietly worked building up the expertise and accumulating the wealth that would allow him to become the most famous investor of our age.
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Circadian rhythm isn’t just controlled by your brain. Every cell in your body runs on a 24-hour cycle, including your muscle cells.
Karyn Esser is the chair of the department of physiology and aging at the University of Florida, and she’s a leading expert on circadian rhythm in muscle cells. Karyn's problem is this: How does the circadian rhythm in muscle cells change as we age, and how does exercise help keep our system in sync?
In this episode, Karyn explains:
How every cell in your body has a clock in it How muscle clocks prepare cells for work and schedule recovery during rest How age affects these clocks’ ability to regulate effectively Why exercise can improve clock function Why jet lag and late-night eating can put your body clocks out of syncConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Throughout the next few weeks, every Monday we'll be sharing some of our favorite episodes from Jacob's other show Business History. We hope you enjoy them and if you want to hear more, subscriber to Business History on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
William Shockley was an electronics genius - he even won a Nobel Prize - but he was an awful boss. Shockley was a cruel, paranoid micromanager. And this annoyed the staff of brilliant young engineers he'd assembled in a quiet town in Northern California. In fact, they quit and set up a company of their own inventing silicon chips.
Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore and the rest of "The Traitorous Eight" transformed computing, but also blazed a trail for the tech founders who would flock to Silicon Valley and change the world. Members of "The Traitorous Eight" set up Intel and AMD, while also funding businesses such as Google and Slack.
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Note: Today’s show is sponsored by PayPal.
Kartik Hosanagar is a professor at the Wharton School. The problems he studies include: What will it take for people to trust AI agents to buy stuff for them? And how should businesses prepare for a world where their customers include AI agents?
In this episode, Kartik explains:
Why trust in agentic shopping will arrive category by category, not all at once How a single old Reddit post erased a thriving brand from ChatGPT’s recommendations Why someone needs to take on the liability risk when purchases go wrong How treating AI as just another sales channel is the mistake the movie studios made with Netflix How to get a language model to pay attention to your brandConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jason Ballard is the co-founder and CEO of ICON. Jason's problem is this: Can you use 3-D printing to build houses that are cheaper, better and more interesting than the houses we build now?
In this episode, Jason explains:
Why construction methods are so slow to change How 3D printing opens up new designs for houses How building on the Moon shaped the way Icon builds on Earth The challenge of scaling to printing thousands of housesConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Celebrated novelists, countless students and at least one billionaire have recently been accused of using AI in their writing. The most commonly cited AI detector in these cases is called Pangram.
Max Spero is the co-founder and CEO of Pangram. His problem is this: Can you build tools that reliably detect AI-generated text and images? And a few years from now, will anybody care?
In this episode, Max explains:
Why AI prose so often sounds the same How often Pangram makes mistakes How detectors like Pangram compete with humanizer tools Why the big AI companies may not be interested in detection The shifting norms around AI-generated writingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I'm here with a preview of Blockers, a new audiobook from Michael Lewis, the author of Liars Poker, Moneyball, The Big Short and more. In Blockers, Lewis tells the story of a handful of people who dedicated their careers to public service—until the Department of Government Efficiency decided they were a problem. These were people who believed they had a calling—people who kept American's sensitive tax data out of the wrong hands, made sure that politicians and civil servants played by the rules, and figured out how to stop wildfires from destroying suburban neighborhoods—and then discovered they were no longer wanted.
Here's an excerpt from the audiobook. You can buy the audiobook exclusively at blockers.fm.
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We’ve all heard that nothing ever gets deleted from the internet. Luke Arrigoni says that just isn’t true. His company deletes thousands of deepfakes every day.
Luke is the founder and CEO of Loti, and his problem is this: How do you turn the Internet into a place where people have more control over their name, image and likeness?
Tens of thousands of famous people pay Loti to scour the internet and take down deepfakes and unapproved endorsements. But in Luke's telling, this is just the beginning. The company will soon allow celebrities to license their likeness for use in AI videos, and it also plans to start offering its services to ordinary people.
In this episode, Luke explains:
The harm that online deepfakes and impersonations can cause How Loti automates tens of thousands of takedowns per day Why the law may soon make it easier to fight deepfakes Why celebrities are beginning to license their likenesses to AI platforms AI’s role in the future of human creativityConnect with us:
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Before 1450, books were written out by hand. It was slow and expensive. But Johannes Gutenberg borrowed a ton of money to create a printing press that could crank out Bibles and pamphlets and documents in huge numbers. Science, politics and philosophy were all up-ended.
For example, the Catholic Church seized on the invention to sell special certificates absolving people of their sins – a move that made money, but caused a permanent schism in Christianity.
And Gutenberg too found himself in trouble – when a financier sued the inventor to reclaim his loan, plus interest.
Enjoy this episode from Business History, another Pushkin podcast.
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Everybody’s worried about the risks of AI. So we called up one of the most insightful writers we know on the subject: Zvi Mowshowitz. Zvi writes about AI and AI risks at his substack, Don’t Worry About the Vase. Zvi’s problem is this: How do we prevent artificial intelligence from killing everyone?
In this episode, Zvi explains:
Why it’s often useful to anthropomorphize AI What this summer’s Hugging Face attack tells us about the nature of AI What increasing AI capability means for cybersecurity risk Whether and when we should pause AI development Why powerful pen-weight models may remove the last reliable points of controlConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this bonus episode of What’s Your Problem, Jacob talks to Christine Chase, a Vice President, Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments. Christine’s problem is this: How do you help clients build a plan to achieve their financial goals? Today’s show is sponsored by Fidelity Investments.
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The fish we eat usually die slowly, suffocating after they’re pulled out of the water. Saif Khawaja is the co-founder and CEO of a company called Shinkei. Saif's problem is this: Can he build a machine to efficiently kill fish in a way that is more humane?
In this episode, Saif explains:
How he came to believe that our current fishing practices are inhumane How he adapted the Japanese technique of ikijime for use at scale Why Shinkei’s process results in better texture and longer shelf life than commodity fish. Why Shinkei is doing its own technology development, fish processing, and consumer branding.Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Catherine Nakalembe is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland and the head of the Africa program at NASA Harvest, which uses satellite images to track agriculture around the world. Catherine’s problem is this: How do you predict when a famine is coming – and how do you convince leaders to act in time?
In this episode, Catherine explains:
How satellite data can predict crop failure months in advance Why phots can convince decision-makers faster than maps or statistics Why imaging systems developed for US farmland often don’t work in Africa Why a half-page memo moves food trucks faster than a scientific paperConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Dr. Lara Jehi began treating epilepsy patients in the 2000s, critical surgical decisions were driven more by clinician intuition and expertise than data. Today, she is a leader of IBM and Cleveland Clinic’s Discovery Accelerator, using advanced AI and quantum computing to transform how researchers analyze data, simulate molecules, accelerate drug discovery, and develop more precise treatments. Malcolm Gladwell talks with Dr. Jehi about how quantum computing is changing biomedical research, and what these breakthroughs could mean for the future of healthcare and life sciences.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.
Visit us at https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/smart-talks
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Nir Barzilai is a physician and a researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where he runs the Institute for Geroscience. Nir’s problem is this: How can we use lifestyle changes and drugs to slow the process of aging?
In this episode, Nir explains:
The search for biological markers of aging The existing drugs that might reduce the risk of diseases associated with aging The four key lifestyle factors that every researcher in the field agrees on What he learned by studying the genes of people who lived to 100 What “geroscience” means, and why it doesn’t have a Wikipedia pageConnect with us:
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Helen Pearson is the author of the book “Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works.” Helen's problem is this: How do you get people to make important decisions based on high-quality evidence, instead of on hunches or habits?
In this episode, Helen explains:
How a doctor's fatal mistake sparked the evidence-based medicine movement Why management is so resistant to evidence-based practices How systematic reviews changed the way she works as a science journalist Why global trust in science remains high – outside the US What a randomized trial of pint glasses revealed about preventing violent injuries.Check out Helen’s book here.
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In 2016, Geoffrey Hinton, one of the inventors of modern AI, predicted that AI would replace radiologists within years. Ten years later, we have a shortage of radiologists. AI has yet to revolutionize the field. What happened, and what does the story of AI and radiology tell us about AI and the future of work?
Saurabh Jha is a radiologist at the University of Pennsylvania. He's written about how he uses AI in his practice, and why radiologists have been slow to adopt AI. Saurabh has also traveled to India and Nepal to understand the very different ways AI is being adopted for radiology in the developing world.
In this episode, Saurabh explains:
Why AI still hasn't made radiologists faster or more productive The risks of novice radiologists using AI versus the benefits to experts Why a successful AI model would need to be nearly perfect How AI is being used to spot tuberculosis in India Why diagnosing a normal scan is harder than diagnosing diseaseConnect with us:
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After spending decades as marginal players in the global auto industry, Chinese carmakers have become the world’s biggest exporters of cars. Chinese cars are some of the best cars on the planet, and they’re available almost everywhere – except in the US.
Michael Dunne is the CEO of Dunne Insights, a company that consults on the future of cars. Michael has been working with the Chinese auto industry since 1990. I talked with Michael about how China did it. The problem we discussed was: How can the United States catch up with the Chinese auto industry?
In this episode, Michael explains:
How China went from making terrible cars in 1990 to dominating global exports today Why China bet big on electric vehicles when nobody wanted them How Tesla's arrival in China revolutionized their EV industry Why losing the car industry would be a national security problem for the US Why the future of a successful American auto industry is on the West CoastConnect with us:
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Phages are viruses that attack bacteria. People have been using phages to treat infections for over a hundred years, but in most cases they just don't work as well as antibiotics.
Paul Garofolo is the co-founder and CEO of Locus Biosciences. His problem is this: How do you genetically engineer phages to be more effective at curing disease?
In this episode, Paul explains:
Why wild phages never completely wipe out a bacterial infection How to engineer phages with CRISPR to kill bacteria more effectively The clinical trial testing phage therapy for chronic, recurrent UTIs Why persistent bacteria may contribute to autoimmune conditions like Crohn's disease How to use robots and AI to create phage cocktails from wastewaterConnect with us:
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David Autor is a labor economist at MIT. He has written about how the arrival of personal computers increased inequality among American workers. But when it comes to AI, David thinks there could be a different outcome.
Read David’s article about AI in Noema Magazine.
In this episode, David explains:
How computers increased the wage gap between college and non-college educated workers Why AI’s ability to supplement expertise may open up expert fields to more people How AI could make healthcare and legal services cheaper What fields will still experience rapid devaluation of skills due to AI The “no regrets” policies that the US could enact to help ease the impact of AIConnect with us:
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John Mills is the CEO and co-founder of a nonprofit called Watch Duty. His problem is this: How do you build an app to warn people when they are in immediate danger from a natural disaster? Watch Duty has millions of users and played a key role in the Los Angeles fires of 2025. In the show, John talks about how he built his app with the help of an army of volunteers, and why the government hadn’t already built something like Watch Duty.
In this episode, John explains:
Why one-quarter of Los Angeles residents downloaded Watch Duty during the 2025 fires Why the all-clear message matters almost as much as the initial warning How they are expanding into flood warnings How to decode firefighter’s radio chatter, and his favorite bit of jargonConnect with us:
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Josh Tyrangiel is the author of “AI for Good: How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter.” On today’s show, Josh talks about some of these real people and the problems they’re working on: a professor trying to understand her nonverbal son, a general who delivered millions of Covid vaccines in 2021, and a hospital CEO trying to reduce the rate of deadly infections.
In this episode, Josh explains:
Where AI is helping to reduce hospital infections (and where it’s struggling) Why distributing the Covid vaccine was almost as hard as creating it Why convincing people to use AI is often the hardest problem to solve Why we should use nuclear weapons as a model for regulating AIConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Betsey Stevenson is a labor economist at the University of Michigan, and she was an economic adviser to President Obama. Betsey’s problem is this: How can we create a world where the benefits of AI are broadly shared?
Betsey draws on history – including how the invention of household appliances created a crisis of meaning for American women – to understand how we should respond to the challenge of AI. And she suggests policies to help spread the wealth AI could bring.
In this episode, Betsey explains:
How Engels’ Pause serves as a warning for workers How 20th century women adapted to automation How AI has changed life for college students The argument for taxing AI firms and distributing the proceeds to the publicConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Maps have gotten much better over the past few decades. But they're still mostly two dimensional, and they struggle to keep up with a world that is always changing. Brian McClendon is the Chief Technology Officer of Niantic Spatial, a spinout of the company that makes Pokémon Go. Brian's problem is this: How do you build a three-dimensional map of the world that both robots and humans can use to find their way?
In this episode, Brian explains:
What he learned building Google Earth How Pokémon Go players helped build the foundation for robot navigation What it will take to teach AI to understand the physical world. Why GPS is so bad in cities Why trees are such a big problem for digital mapmakersConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dan Shipper is the co-founder and CEO of Every, a company that publishes newsletters about AI, develops AI-related software, and helps other companies use AI. Dan has two problems. One, how do you build a company where almost everybody has their own AI agent? And two, how do you use AI as a tool to improve your writing, rather than as a replacement for writing?
In this episode, Dan explains:
Why managing agents will be a core skill of the future Why AI agents won’t replace you anytime soon How writers learn faster than AI models How to give AI the social skills to work in group settings How AI can help you better understand yourselfCheck out Every at their website: https://every.to/
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The apples you can buy at the grocery store have gotten profoundly better over the past few decades. It’s a kind of everyday, hiding-in-plain sight innovation. Kate Evans is an apple breeder and professor at Washington State University. Kate's problem is this: How do you invent a better apple?
With her team, Kate has in fact invented a new kind of apple called the Sunflare. It’s arriving in stores in a few years. She also helped to invent the Cosmic Crisp, which is out already.
In this episode, Kate explains:
Why grocery-store apples have gotten so much better Why some of the most delicious apples never make it into stores Why it takes decades to invent a new kind of apple How much more we have to learn about apple genetics How the apple industry is adapting to climate changeConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rob Meyerson is the co-founder and CEO of Interlune. Rob's problem is this: How do you help build an economy on the moon? Eventually, Rob hopes Interlune will help build a moon base. For now, he is focused on bringing a gas called helium-3 back from the moon to sell on earth.
Earlier in his career, Rob was the president of Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos.
In this episode, Rob explains:
Why reusable rockets are only the first step for going back to the moon What it's going to take to actually manufacture things in space How to build a business by sifting through moon dirt How nuclear fusion and quantum computing could rely on mining the moonConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aaron Edsinger left his job as director of robotics at Google to start a company called Hello Robot. Aaron’s problem is this: How do you build an affordable robot that people can use to solve real problems at home? The result is a robot that looks nothing like a person. In fact, it’s closer to a Roomba with an arm.
In this episode, Aaron explains:
Why home robots have barely progressed since the Roomba Why simpler robots can be more useful than complex humanoids Why the physical world is so much harder for AI than language How robot safety is fundamentally a physics problemConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ben Christensen is the co-founder and CEO of Cambium, the largest seller of salvaged wood in America. Ben's problem is this: How can we turn the trees that are falling to the ground all around us, into usable wood?
In this episode, Ben explains:
Why so much wood goes unused Why Cambium created demand before building the supply chain How building a data layer across the fragmented lumber industry reduces waste Why salvaged wood can compete on price with conventional lumber The best mantra to use 80 miles into an ultramarathonConnect with us:
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Investors are pouring billions of dollars into nuclear fusion companies. The dream: transform human civilization (and power AI data centers) by providing cheap, abundant energy. But nobody’s figured out how to make it work yet.
What will it take to make fusion work at scale – and how will the world be different if it does? To answer this question, Jacob recently hosted a conversation at SXSW between Greg Piefer of SHINE Technologies, Melanie Windridge of Fusion Energy Insights, and Luke Ward of investment firm Baillie Gifford.
In this episode, the guests explain:
The incredible promise of fusion What it will take to realize that promise How the AI boom and the demand for power is shaping the fusion industry Why having a ton of money flowing into the field is not necessarily a good thingConnect with us:
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Mark Barrocas is the CEO of SharkNinja, a company that sells everything from vacuums, to blenders, to beauty products. Mark’s problem is this: How do you invent new products that people want to rave about on social media?
In this episode, Mark explains:
How SharkNinja finds product ideas The tradeoffs at the heart of product development How the Ninja Creami became a viral hit Why some products fail and others succeed.Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michael Hufford is the co-founder and CEO of LyGenesis, a company working on a new treatment for end stage liver disease. Michael’s problem is this: How do grow a new liver inside the body of a sick patient?
In this episode, Michael explains:
The liver's unique power of regeneration The organ transplant crisis and how regeneration can help The science behind using lymph nodes to grow new organs The status of LyGenesis’ human trials The future of regenerative medicineLearn more:
Check out LyGenesis’ websiteConnect with us:
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Rare earth elements are inside pretty much everything with an on-off switch: Phones, laptops, cars. Even missiles. And China controls the world’s supply of components made from rare earths.
David Abraham is the author of the book “The Elements of Power: Gadgets, Guns, and the Struggle for a Sustainable Future in the Rare Metal Age.” David’s problem is this: What should the US do about China's chokehold on the rare earth supply chain?
According to Abraham, the current US strategy could wind up costing billions of dollars without solving the problem. And he has a big idea for what we should do instead.
In this episode, David explains:
How China quietly built a monopoly on rare earth materials Why the 2010 Japan crisis was a preview of today's trade war China’s export restriction strategy Why the problem goes deeper than billions in spending can solve Why electric vehicles are the key to reinvigorating the U.S. rare earth industryLearn more:
Find David at his website Buy the Elements of Power Check out David’s article in the new RepublicConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business HistoryTo listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+
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Ben Bloom is the co-founder and CEO of Atom Computing, a company building quantum computers out of individual atoms. Ben’s problem is this: How do you build a quantum computer that is actually useful for everything from discovering new medicines to building better batteries?
In this episode, Ben explains:
The practical applications of quantum computers Atom Computing’s approach using individual neutral atoms as qubits The key engineering challenge of scaling while maintaining accuracy The playbook for commercializing quantum computingConnect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, (00:21:23) Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jonny Dyer is the founder and CEO of a satellite company called Muon Space. The company’s first big project is a satellite constellation called FireSat.
Jonny’s problem is this: How do you capture data from space to help manage wildfires around the world in near-real time?
In this episode, Jonny explains:
How smartphone tech inspired smaller, cheaper satellites. Why fighting wildfires is still shockingly primitive. Why China does not distinguish between commercial and military satellites. Why data centers in space might arrive by 2035.Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram Email us at [email protected] Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After bacteria were discovered, it took scientists 200 years to figure out that they cause disease. If scientists had made the link sooner, hundreds of millions of lives could have been saved.
In his recent book So Very Small, Tom Levenson, a professor of science writing at MIT, tells the amazing story of germ theory, and argues that our worldview can prevent us from seeing what is right in front of us – even when lives are at stake.
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Evan Ratliff co-founded a publishing startup in 2011. Now he hosts a podcast called Shell Game. In the latest season of the show, Evan creates a company run by AI agents. The project is absurdly funny – Evan calls it an office satire – but it also illuminates the power and limits of AI agents.
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Patrick Hsu is the co-founder of Arc Institute, which is integrating AI models and biological research. Patrick’s problem is this: How can you use AI to make biological research more efficient – and ultimately to find cures for Alzheimer’s and other complex diseases?
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In recent decades, medical research has fundamentally changed how we think about heart disease. This fresh understanding has opened up new ways to prevent heart attacks. Eric Topol is a cardiologist and the founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego. Eric’s problem is this: How can doctors use recent technological developments to do a better job at preventing heart attacks?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Samir Ibrahim is the co-founder and CEO of SunCulture. When he started the company, he thought he was solving a simple problem: How do you sell solar-powered pumps to help poor farmers irrigate their land? It turned out, he was working on something much bigger: How do you help poor farmers get richer, and create a giant new market from scratch?
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Nabiha Saklayen is the co-founder and CEO of Cellino. Nabiha’s problem is this: How can you make personalized stem cell therapies quickly and cheaply?
Induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPSCs, have shown tremendous promise as treatments for illnesses like Parkinson’s, leukemia, and heart disease.
On today’s show, Nabiha explains why IPSC manufacturing is still mostly done by hand, how her background in physics and lasers led her into biology, and what it takes to try and build tiny, automated cell factories.
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Tim Bucher is a farmer, and the founder and CEO of Agtonomy. Tim's problem is this: How do you build an autonomous tractor that can work for specialty crops like grapes, olives, apples, and almonds?
On today’s show, Tim explains what makes certain farming processes so difficult to automate, and how autonomy may soon change how we eat.
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Mitch Lee is the co-founder and CEO of Arc Boats. Mitch's problem is this: How do you build competitively priced electric boats?
On today’s show, Mitch explains why water makes electrification so hard, the techno-economic puzzle of building giant battery packs, and how Arc’s high-end wake sport boat opened the door for a new generation of hybrid-electric tugboats.
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Nina Mohanty is the founder and CEO of Bloom Money. Nina’s problem is this: How do you build an app to help immigrants manage their money?
On today’s show, Nina talks about bringing a saving and lending practice into the 21st century, navigating regulators who’ve never seen anything like it, and what global traditions can teach us about the future of money.
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What's Your Problem? host Jacob Goldstein has a new show: Business History.
How did Hitler’s favorite car become synonymous with hippies? What got Thomas Edison tangled up with the electric chair? Did someone murder the guy who invented the movies? On Business History, Jacob and fellow former Planet Money host Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small and find out what you can learn from those who founded them.
In this episode: The inventor that transformed America and the world. Thomas Alva Edison registered over one thousand patents before he died in 1931—and we can thank him for advances in electric power, communications technology, music recording and even the movies. But his biggest breakthrough doesn't get nearly enough attention. In many ways, Edison invented modern inventing. Jacob and Robert they trace the life story of a scrappy young boy with bad hearing who almost singlehandedly invented R&D. This is the first of a three part series on Edison—if you want to hear the full series, ad-free, right now, join Pushkin+ on the Business History show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.
Find Business History (00:10) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get podcasts.
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Mike Blue is the CEO of HistoSonics. The company recently developed a device that uses ultrasound to destroy tumors.
On today’s show, Mike talks about how a garage-built prototype became an FDA-approved machine; changing the company’s story after a failed clinical trial; and why he loves being a salesman but hates most sales pitches.
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Chris Urmson is the co-founder and CEO of Aurora, a company trying to bring autonomous driving to commercial trucking.
Chris led a team at the 2004 DARPA challenge that launched the autonomous vehicle industry. Then he held a senior role at Google’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo.
On the show today, he talks about the long arc of autonomous driving, why he left Google, and the future of autonomous trucking.
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Michael Porter is the Chief Technology Officer of OceanWell.
Michael's problem is this: How can you desalinate water at the bottom of the ocean – and deliver it to land at a cost that’s competitive with other sources of fresh water?
On today’s show, Michael explains how he built OceanWell’s prototype in his kitchen, what it takes to make a system that’s less disruptive to marine life, and why innovations from the oil and gas industry are making his work possible.
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Justin Lopas is the COO and co-founder of Base Power, a battery and power company based in Texas.
Justin’s problem is this: How can you deliver more energy to more people without having to build so much more grid?
On today’s show, Justin explains why the grid needs a major upgrade, and how putting batteries next to homes could help. Also: what Texas’ embrace of renewable energy could mean for the future of power in the U.S.
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Fletcher Wilson is the CEO and co-founder of Throne Labs.
Fletcher’s problem is this: How can you create public toilets that people actually want to use?
On today’s show, Fletcher explains how his company is trying to make public bathrooms cleaner, safer and more accessible. The conversation also points to a bigger idea: why it’s so hard for cities to build and maintain pretty much anything.
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