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What's Your Problem?
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…
Episodes
- What's Your Problem?
Every Cell in Your Body Has a Clock
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…
- What's Your Problem?
How a Bad Boss Kickstarted Silicon Valley... from Business History
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…
- What's Your Problem?
Solving the Trust Problem in AI Shopping
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…
What's Your Problem?Can a Robot Build Better, Cheaper Houses?
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…
What's Your Problem?Did AI Write This?
Celebrated novelists, countless students and at least one billionaire have recently been accused of using AI in their writing. The most commonly cited AI…
What's Your Problem?Blockers | A Preview of Michael Lewis's New Audiobook
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…
What's Your Problem?Can We Defeat Deepfakes?
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…
- What's Your Problem?
The Printing Press: The Invention Built on Debt and Sin… from Business History
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…
- What's Your Problem?
Should We Pause AI?
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…
- What's Your Problem?
Bonus: Planning for Your Financial Future
On this bonus episode of What’s Your Problem, Jacob talks to Christine Chase, a Vice President, Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments…
What's Your Problem?Can a Robot Kill Fish Humanely?
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…
What's Your Problem?Using Satellites to Prevent Famines
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…
What's Your Problem?The Quantum Shift in Biomedical Discovery from Smart Talks with IBM
When Dr. Lara Jehi began treating epilepsy patients in the 2000s, critical surgical decisions were driven more by clinician intuition and expertise than data…
What's Your Problem?Can We Slow Down Aging?
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…
What's Your Problem?Why Doctors Use Evidence but Managers (Mostly) Don’t
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…
What's Your Problem?The Job AI Was Supposed to Kill
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…
What's Your Problem?How China Won the Car Industry
After spending decades as marginal players in the global auto industry, Chinese carmakers have become the world’s biggest exporters of cars. Chinese cars…
What's Your Problem?Using Viruses to Fight Disease
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…
What's Your Problem?How AI Could Reduce Inequality
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…
What's Your Problem?Racing Wildfires to Warn the Public
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…
What's Your Problem?How AI Could Actually Make the World Better
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…
What's Your Problem?Finding Meaning (and Money) in the AI Age
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…
What's Your Problem?Using Pokémon Go to Map the World
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…
What's Your Problem?The Company Where Everyone Has Their Own AI Agent
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…
What's Your Problem?Inventing a Better Apple
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…
What's Your Problem?Building a Business on the Moon
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…
What's Your Problem?Building a Robot People Actually Want
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…
What's Your Problem?Turning Waste Wood Into Buildings
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…
- What's Your Problem?
The Great Fusion Debate: How Far Away Are We Really?
Investors are pouring billions of dollars into nuclear fusion companies. The dream: transform human civilization (and power AI data centers) by providing…
What's Your Problem?How SharkNinja Keeps Going Viral
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…
What's Your Problem?Growing New Livers to Save Lives
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…
What's Your Problem?Can the US Break China's Grip on Rare Earths?
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…
What's Your Problem?How Quantum Computers Could Change the World
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…
What's Your Problem?Fighting Wildfires from Space
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…
What's Your Problem?The Killer We Refused to See
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…
What's Your Problem?The Startup Run by AI Agents
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…
What's Your Problem?Can AI Help Solve Alzheimer’s?
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…
What's Your Problem?The New Science of Preventing Heart Attacks
In recent decades, medical research has fundamentally changed how we think about heart disease. This fresh understanding has opened up new ways to prevent…
What's Your Problem?From Solar Pumps to Everything: Building a Market from Scratch
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…
What's Your Problem?Mass-Producing Stem Cells to Cure Disease
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?…
What's Your Problem?Building a Self-Driving Tractor to Change the Future of Food
Please take our survey https://tinyurl.com/wyplistenersurvey about the show! Tell us what you want to hear, and what would make it better. Tim Bucher is a…
What's Your Problem?We’re Going to Need a Better Boat
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…
What's Your Problem?The App Where Strangers Lend Each Other Money
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…
What's Your Problem?Introducing Business History: The Edison Invention People Don't Talk About
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…
What's Your Problem?Using Sound Waves to Destroy Tumors
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…
- What's Your Problem?
From Desert Robots to Driverless Trucks
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…
- What's Your Problem?
Is the Future of Fresh Water Under the Sea?
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…
What's Your Problem?Could Home Batteries Save the Grid?
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…
What's Your Problem?Building a Better Public Bathroom
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?…
What's Your Problem?Could Autonomous Diggers Unleash a Building Boom?
Boris Sofman is the co-founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics. Boris' problem is this: How do you teach machines not just to drive, but also to work: to grade…
What's Your Problem?Growing Meat from Cells
Justin Kolbeck is the co-founder and CEO of Wildtype, a company making seafood without killing fish. Their first product is cultivated salmon, which is made…
What's Your Problem?The Ordinary Stuff Behind Technological Breakthroughs
Ed Conway is an economics journalist and author of the book “Material World: The Six Raw Materials that Shape Modern Civilization.” On…
- What's Your Problem?
Carbon Capture at Rock-Bottom Prices
Shashank Samala is the CEO and co-founder of Heirloom, a carbon capture start-up. His problem is this: Can you use crushed up rocks to permanently suck carbon…
- What's Your Problem?
Why Amazon Built a Spatula-Wielding Robot
Aaron Parness is a director of applied science at Amazon Robotics. His problem is this: How do you build a robot that can put stuff on shelves. Today on the…
- What's Your Problem?
Drilling Smarter Wells to Unleash Geothermal Energy
In many places on Earth, there’s steam just below the surface. We don’t know where those places are — but if we could figure it out, we could…
What's Your Problem?Inventing a Better Pain Pill
Dr. Stephen Waxman is a professor of neurology, neuroscience and pharmacology at Yale. His research on pain helped pave the way for a newly approved…
What's Your Problem?Mapping the Unmappable
Philipp Kandal is the chief product officer of Grab, an app that serves several countries across Southeast Asia. Two of Grab’s main businesses are…
What's Your Problem?Reinventing Blood
Dr. Allan Doctor is the co-founder and chief scientific officer at Kalocyte, a company that is developing dried red blood cells that can be rehydrated and used…
What's Your Problem?The AI Pioneer Developing New Kinds of Medicine
Jakob Uszkoreit is the CEO and co-founder of Inceptive, a biotech start-up. He’s also a co-author of “Attention is All You Need,” the paper…
What's Your Problem?A Billion-Dollar Bet on Carbon Removal
Nan Ransohoff is the head of climate at Stripe. The company is known mainly for facilitating online payments, but it’s become a key driver of the nascent…