Where What If Becomes What's Next

What if AI could help emergency responders make split-second decisions that save lives during disasters? And what if that same technology could be used in healthcare to identify which patients desper…

What if robots could pick apples without bruising them, detect diseases in tomatoes before farmers can see them, or even help prevent catastrophic wildfires?

In this episode, host Randy Scott speaks w…

Imagine a telescope so powerful it could give us a whole new picture of the cosmos and help answer some of the biggest questions about the universe–if we can handle the data.

From a mountaintop in Chi…

The sound of someone chewing can be annoying. But what if only one specific person's chewing bothered you? And what if it went beyond annoyance to actual pain?

In this the second of a two-part episode…

We live in an increasingly noisy world. Our cities are louder than ever. Our devices can pump dangerous levels of sound directly into our ears. One in eight kids has permanent hearing damage.  And wh…

Happy Fourth of July from the Where What If Becomes What’s Next podcast team and Carnegie Mellon University.  

As we celebrate independence and look towards the future, our host Randy Scott reflects o…

What if instead of avoiding stress we actually leaned into it – and built resilience for next time?

In this episode, we speak with Dr. David Creswell, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Carneg…

In the second part of a special two-part episode on Game Theory, CMU’s Kevin Zollman discusses how the principles of Game Theory can be used for the betterment of humanity – including improving socia…

Have you ever been stuck in traffic and switched lanes, only to watch your old lane start moving faster? Or perhaps you've stood in a grocery line, debating whether to move to the shorter line, knowi…

What if a small startup transformed the future of artificial intelligence in the blink of an algorithm?

This conversation explores the transformative impact of DeepSeek, a groundbreaking AI chatbot th…

What role should new technologies – such as robots, artificial intelligence and virtual reality – play in theatrical arts? And how are educators preparing their students for the future of this art fo…

What if AI and an emerging new technology called quantum science could save millions of lives from diseases like cancer or pneumonia? In this second part on Healing with Intelligence  –  we're explor…

In today’s episode – the first of a two-parter on Healing with Intelligence –  we're exploring how robots, artificial intelligence, and an emerging new technology called quantum science are transform…

Welcome to Season 2 of Where What If Becomes What's Next, a podcast from Carnegie Mellon University where we ask the bold questions that will become innovations for the betterment of humanity. You'll…

While we’re working on Season 2 of Where What If Becomes What’s Next, we’d like to introduce you to a new Carnegie Mellon University podcast - DOES COMPUTE — from our School of Computer Science – whe…

Artificial intelligence is already revolutionizing almost every aspect of society.  But what additional advancements will we see in the near future?  And what ethical issues should we address along t…

If you think that Artificial Intelligence was recently invented, think again. The roots of AI go back decades, centuries, even to ancient mythology.  So how did AI go from myth to reality?

In this, …

What if paleontologists could create robot replicas of dinosaurs to better understand them – and how they moved – and in turn learn more about us?

In this episode, we’re talking about the intersecti…

What if a robot could be a compassionate companion - an antidote to loneliness as we age – and in some cases – help those suffering from dementia?

Loneliness among the elderly has become something o…

Robots and artificial intelligence are transforming the healthcare industry, from drug development to surgical procedures to personalized healthcare plans. 

In this, the first of a two-part episode,…