The Future of Everything

Candace Thille is an authority in learning science, educational technology, and AI-enabled learning environments. She is closing the two-way gap between the science of learning research and the hands-on practice of instruction to help students learn better. Timely and targeted feedback with the opportunity to apply that feedback is critical to learning, Thille says, and this is an area where AI supporting humans excels. She imagines a day in the not-too-distant future when human educators and AI-enabled assistants unite to help students learn faster and better than ever before. Learning is not a spectator sport, and AI can help us engage with learners – and educators – in new ways, Thille tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].

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Stanford Profile: Candace Thille

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Candace Thille, a professor of education at Stanford University.

(00:03:16) Path into Learning Science

How Candace became interested in improving how people learn.

(00:03:47) The Science of Learning

An overview of the field and why it’s still developing.

(00:04:42) Training Educators

How learning science is applied in teacher education.

(00:05:17) The Research to Practice Gap

Why insights from classrooms rarely feed back into research.

(00:06:43) Technology Supporting Teachers

Using AI and other technological tools to enhance teaching.

(00:09:00) The Open Learning Initiative (OLI)

The origins of one of the first large-scale digital learning systems.

(00:11:08) Learning with OLI

How feedback and structured practice improved student outcomes.

(00:13:14) Building OLI Across Disciplines

The collaboration between researchers, instructors, and engineers.

(00:14:36) The Accelerated Learning Study

Evidence that students can learn faster without sacrificing outcomes.

(00:18:02) Learning Science at Amazon

Applying learning science research to workplace education.

(00:22:29) Research as a Feedback Loop

Why teaching practice should continuously inform research.

(00:24:49) The Importance of Infrastructure

Using captured learning data to improve instruction at scale.

(00:25:37) Predictive AI for Learning Science

The applications of older AI models in learning science research.

(00:28:22) Generative AI as a Learning Interface

How generative AI can make education more accessible.

(00:31:01) The Myth of Learning Styles

The misconception that most people have different learning styles.

(00:33:30) Future In a Minute

Rapid-fire Q&A: new tools, data infrastructure, and supporting learners.

(00:35:24) Conclusion

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Legal expert Richard Ford studies the intersection of dress codes and the law. Clothing and hairstyles communicate power, identity, and social status, he says. Legal restrictions on dress stretch at least to the Middle Ages when “sumptuary laws” stipulated what one could wear by rank. Today, written rules have given way to unwritten codes that are in many ways more powerful culturally. Fashion is not trivial, he says, and no less worthy of study than high art or music. Clothing shapes everything, Ford tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].

Episode Reference Links:

Stanford Profile: Richard Thompson Ford | Stanford Law School

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Rich Ford, a professor of law at Stanford University.

(00:02:21) From Law to Fashion

Rich Ford explains the legal roots of dress code disputes.

(00:03:42) The Origins of Dress Codes

Sumptuary laws and how clothing signaled social hierarchy.

(00:05:06) Formal vs. Informal Dress Codes

The shift from written laws to social norms and cultural expectations.

(00:06:28) Teenagers & Self-Expression

How people push boundaries within strict dress codes.

(00:08:01) Masculine Renunciation

Why men abandoned flashy fashion in the 1700s.

(00:09:42) The Feminization of Fashion

The gender shift in clothing and style expectations.

(00:10:57) Controlling Dress Codes

The effectiveness and consequences of imposed dress standards.

(00:12:44) Hair, Identity, & Regulation

The cultural and legal significance of hairstyles in dress codes.

(00:14:40) Civil Rights & Clothing

How dress became a tool for dignity and resistance.

(00:18:29) Dressing for Respect

How lived experience shaped Rich’s interest in fashion

(00:20:40) Reverse Snobbery

Why dressing casually can function as a marker of social standing

(00:22:28) Gender Inequality in Fashion

How clothing has historically limited women.

(00:24:46) The “Midtown Uniform”

How informal norms create uniformity even in the absence of rules.

(00:26:03) Uniforms & Social Equality

The benefits and limitations of uniforms in educational settings

(00:27:44) The Future of Dress Codes

Why fashion won’t disappear but is becoming more casual.

(00:28:49) Future In a Minute

Rapid-fire Q&A: young people, time, and studying tailoring.

(00:30:10) Conclusion

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Epidemiologist Yvonne “Bonnie” Maldonado is an expert in vaccine research and public health. Look back centuries, and the story is always the same, she says: Death rates from viruses have plummeted, especially in children and the elderly. And yet, millions of children die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccines need a return of public confidence, and that starts with better messaging and greater support of nongovernmental messengers like herself. The bottom line is that vaccines are safe, she says. Vaccines work and we have saved many lives because of them, Maldonado reminds host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].

Episode Reference Links:

Stanford Profile: Yvonne Maldonado

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Yvonne “Bonnie” Maldonado, a professor of pediatrics, epidemiology and population health at Stanford University.

(00:03:01) Career in Vaccines

Bonnie shares what led to her career in vaccine research.

(00:04:53) How Vaccines Work

How vaccines train the immune system to recognize and fight pathogens.

(00:06:46) Why Vaccine Responses Vary

The variability in immune responses and breakthrough infections.

(00:09:22) Risk vs. Benefit in Vaccines

How researchers evaluate side effects versus disease severity.

(00:11:53) How Viruses Evolve

The evolutionary dynamics that shape viral behavior.

(00:13:59) Vaccine Boosters

Why some vaccines last for life while others require multiple doses.

(00:17:14) Herd Immunity

How community protection works and why vaccination rates matter.

(00:21:22) Vaccine Controversy

The controversy surrounding vaccines and what led to it.

(00:24:27) Global Vaccine Hesitancy

How declining trust and past outbreaks influence vaccination globally.

(00:27:07) The Future of Vaccines

Why vaccines are essential and how outbreaks shape public response.

(00:29:08) Preparing for Future Pandemics

How healthcare systems prepare for new threats after COVID-19.

(00:30:43) Future In a Minute

Rapid-fire Q&A: hope, public trust, and the future of health.

(00:32:54) Conclusion

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For many of us, this coming weekend marks the start of Daylight Saving Time, when we “spring forward” and move our clocks ahead by an hour. While the extra evening daylight can be one of the joys of the summer months, the time change has been known to disrupt our sleep. 

Last year we sat down with neurobiologist Jamie Zeitzer, a leading expert on sleep, to talk about practical strategies for getting a better night’s rest. As we approach this transition, it’s the perfect time to revisit that conversation. We hope you’ll add this episode to your podcast queue and give it another listen this weekend.

Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].

Episode Reference Links:

Stanford Profile: Jamie Zeitzer

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Jamie Zeitzer, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University.

(00:02:01) Understanding Circadian Rhythms

How the biological clock regulates sleep and other body functions.

(00:03:45) The Mystery of Sleep’s Purpose

What is still unknown about the fundamental need for sleep.

(00:04:49) Light & the Circadian Clock

The impact light exposure has on the body’s internal sleep timing.

(00:07:02) Day & Night Light Contrast

The importance of creating a light-dark contrast for healthy rhythms.

(00:10:06) Phones, Screens, & the Blue Light

Whether blue light from screen use affects sleep quality.

(00:12:37) Defining & Diagnosing Sleep Problems

How stress and over-focus on sleep quality worsen insomnia.

(00:14:50) Sleep Anxiety & Wearables

The psychological downsides of sleep data from tracking devices.

(00:16:03) CBT-I & Rethinking Insomnia

Mentally reframing sleep with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia

(00:19:50) Desynchronized Sleep Patterns

Studying student sleep patterns to separate circadian vs. sleep effects.

(00:22:37) Shift Work & Circadian Misalignment

The difficulty of re-aligning circadian clocks in rotating shifts.

(00:25:14) Effectiveness of Sleep Medications

The various drugs used to promote sleep and their pros and cons.

(00:28:34) Circadian “Sleep Cliff” & Melatonin

The brain’s “wake zone” before sleep and the limited effects of melatonin.

(00:31:41) Do’s & Don’ts for Better Sleep

Advice for those who want to improve their sleep quality.

(00:33:44) Alcohol and Caffeine Effects

How metabolism influences the effects of alcohol and caffeine on sleep.

(00:36:13) Conclusion

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Heart disease should be treated just like cancer, says guest Mike McConnell, an author and expert in preventive cardiology at Stanford: Detect and stage early, then treat aggressively. In his practice, McConnell focuses on using low-dose CT imaging for detecting early coronary artery disease. He also helped pioneer the use of AI to infer cardiovascular risk from retinal scans. Such non-invasive, consumer-friendly tools could expand prevention, personalize therapy, and cut heart attacks and strokes across the board, he says. “Everybody also deserves a proactive preventive cardiologist in their phone,” McConnell tells host Russ Altman of the latest approaches to heart disease on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].

Episode Reference Links:

Stanford Profile: Michael V. McConnell, MD, MSEE

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Michael McConnell, a professor of cardiology at Stanford University.

(00:03:02) Reframing Heart Disease

Why coronary disease should be approached the same as cancer.

(00:05:46) Core Risk Factors

The key drivers of cardiovascular disease, and life’s essential eight.

(00:07:18) Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring

How low-dose CT scanning detects disease before symptoms develop.

(00:08:57) The Limits of Stress Testing

Why traditional stress tests often miss early coronary disease.

(00:10:18) AI in Cardiac Imaging

Using AI to identify hidden risks in routine chest scans.

(00:11:30) Retinal Imaging

How AI analysis of retinal blood vessels can predict heart disease risk.

(00:14:55) Detecting Risk Before Symptoms

Why retinal and vascular changes occur long before clinical signs appear.

(00:15:58) Staging Coronary Disease

Using calcium scores to stage coronary disease and personalize treatment.

(00:19:36) Direct-to-Consumer Prevention

The rise of mobile health records, wearable devices, and AI tools.

(00:22:23) Opportunities & System Challenges

Balancing accessibility, guideline-based care, and healthcare system capacity.

(00:25:26) AI-Powered Health Record Analysis

The potential of automated reviews to identify silent risk factors.

(00:27:41) Physician Adoption & System Friction

Barriers to integrating early detection tools into clinical practice.

(00:30:12) Advances in Treatment

Overview of current cholesterol therapies and plaque stabilization.

(00:33:31) Future In a Minute

Rapid-fire Q&A: prevention, implementation science, and future hopes.

(00:35:38) Conclusion

Connect With Us:
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