Research Matters
The Research Matters podcast features candid conversations with Cornell University researchers who are tackling some of society’s most urgent challenges and finding solutions that make a difference. Hear from experts who are not just studying the world, but changing it, turning data into discoveries, and ideas into impact. Produced by Cornell University Relations. Read more at news.cornell.edu.
Episodes
20 episodes
Arthur Wheaton on the future of cars, travel and work - Research Matters S2E4
In this insightful episode of Research Matters, Arthur Wheaton, director of labor studies in the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, dives into the future of cars, travel and work – from tariffs and EV transitions to au...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 4
•
29:48
Dr. Glenn E. Simmons Jr. on how fats and inflammation can fuel cancer - Research Matters S2E3
In this episode of Research Matters, Dr. Glenn E. Simmons Jr., a Cornell biomedical scientist and assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, takes us inside his lab to reveal how fats and inflammation can fuel cancer – and why s...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 3
•
22:36
Jessica Salerno on what we get wrong with 911 calls - Research Matters S2E2
On this episode of Research Matters: Can the way you sound on a 911 call make you a suspect? Cornell psychologist Jessica Salerno, associate professor in the College of Human Ecology and associate member of the Cornell Law School faculty, revea...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 2
•
27:58
David Rand on how AI shapes our choices - Research Matters S2E1
In this eye-opening episode of Research Matters, David Rand, professor in the Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and the College of Arts and Sciences, reveals how AI actually swa...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 1
•
26:51
From earth to easel: Kirsten Kurtz paints with soil
Kirsten Kurtz, assistant director of the Cornell Soil Health Lab, discusses her practice of painting with soil, the need for creativity in science and why “the skin of the earth” is more than just dirt.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 19
•
40:40
Chloé Arson goes deep into the potential of geothermal heat
Chloé Arson, professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in Cornell Engineering, discusses her interest in rock mechanics and geothermal heat, addresses common misunderstandings about the technology and recounts the unexpected...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 18
•
38:06
Ariel Ortiz-Bobea on the need for increasing public investment in agricultural R&D
Climate change and flagging investment in research and development has U.S. agriculture facing its first productivity slowdown in decades. Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, associate professor in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 17
•
24:49
Itai Cohen on building microrobots, collaborating across disciplines and taming fear
Academia can be a very siloed place, but Itai Cohen, professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, has managed to work on an incredibly eclectic range of projects, from studying the neuroscience behind insect flight, to making origa...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 16
•
39:06
Gordon Pennycook on how to improve a ‘prebunking’ technique
As social media platforms deployed psychological “inoculation” on a large scale, hoping to help people spot techniques common to misinformation, Gordon Pennycook, associate professor and Himan Brown Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psycholog...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 15
•
18:25
Narrated story: Uris Library and its iconic tower undergo $7M restoration
A $7 million restoration of Cornell's McGraw Tower and Uris Library, underway since summer 2023 and expected to be completed in November, includes replacing roofs, repairing masonry and shoring up a century-old entryway.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 11
•
10:30
Narrated story: Deer hunters can switch to copper bullets to save eagles
New York state agencies are encouraging hunters to choose non-lead ammunition to benefit both wild animals and humans, with help from Cornell communication and wildlife experts.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 10
•
14:40
Narrated story: Warming and browning make NY lakes unlivable for cold-water fish
A new study found that only about 5% of Adirondack lakes may continue to maintain water that is cold and oxygenated enough to support cold-water species given current trends.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 9
•
5:54
Narrated story: How to ease teens' transition to high school
Providing teenagers opportunities to affirm positive aspects of their identities and values can help bolster their self-esteem and ease transitions to high school, new Cornell psychology research finds.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 8
•
5:29
Narrated story: Unique bond powers twin mechanical engineering students
Identical twins Ashley and Verena Padres ’26 fell in love with the idea of space exploration and working together at an early age – now they employ and enjoy that spirit of curiosity and collaboration at Cornell.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 7
•
7:37
Narrated story: Double Ups help food stamps go farther
Cornell researchers are part of an $8.08 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through which they’ll assess and improve New York’s Double Up Food Bucks program, which is piloting the first Double Up online shopping option in the...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 6
•
8:56
Narrated story: Frank Rosenblatt pioneered artificial intelligence in 1958
Frank Rosenblatt '50, associate professor of neurobiology and behavior in Cornell’s Division of Biological Sciences, created a machine capable of learning and understanding its surroundings without human control in 1958, but he was 60 years ahe...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 5
•
9:44
Narrated story: The shape of foxes' noses prevent snow injuries
When hunting for mice, foxes are known to plunge headfirst into snow. It's their sharp noses that protect them from injury, according to a new study.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 4
•
4:04
Narrated story: Lab of Ornithology staff member dedicates her free time to native bats
Victoria Campbell spends her free time caring for bats in need – setting tiny broken bones, feeding babies, treating illness and nursing native bats back to health so they can be released.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 3
•
5:15
