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
37 episodes
How does that manure get in our water? - Research Matters S2E5
That green scum on the lake in August? There's a real chance it started on a farm. Kirsten Workman, Cornell's Nutrient Management and Environmental Sustainability Specialist, joins Research Matters to explain how manure — a valuable nutrient pa...
Who will take care of us when we're old? - Research Matters S2E4
America is aging faster than its systems are prepared for. In this two-guest conversation, Jenna Wells and Adriana Reyes bring their research to bear on the realities of eldercare today: who provides it, who pays for it, and what happens when b...
What if buildings were made to be remade? - Research Matters S2E3
What if the building coming down next door could become the one going up down the street? Felix Heisel joins Research Matters to explain circular construction — the practice of designing buildings to be disassembled, reused and reborn instead o...
Who gets to decide where free speech ends? - Research Matters S2E2
Free speech feels simple until you're the one drawing the lines. In this episode of Research Matters, Cornell's Gautam Hans unpacks the messy, high-stakes reality of civil liberties in America today, from campus speech fights to the digital pla...
Why don't we do the things we know we should? - Research Matters S2E1
Why do smart, capable people still blow off health screenings, hoard a bottle of wine "for a special occasion" and keep a box of college notebooks they'll never open again? Cornell behavioral economist Suzanne Shu — a former electrical engineer...
Gordon Pennycook on why smart people believe dumb things - Research Matters S1E16
In this episode of Research Matters, psychologist Gordon Pennycook dives into the surprisingly relatable science of why smart people believe dumb things, from conspiracy theories to “deep” nonsense that only sounds profound. Blending humor with...
Corrie Moreau on how studying ant microbiomes helps us understand ourselves - Research Matters S1E15
In this episode of Research Matters, Corrie Moreau, a leading evolutionary biologist and entomologist, explores the hidden world of insects, revealing how ants and their microbial partners can illuminate evolution, biodiversity and ecosystem he...
Gavin Sacks on the extraordinary science of aluminum cans - Research Matters S1E14
This week, Research Matters reveals the hidden chemistry inside aluminum cans. Food scientist Gavin Sacks, Ph.D. ’05, unpacks how subtle reactions affect the flavor, safety and shelf life of popular beverages – and the innovative fixes now in d...
Elisha Frye on zoonotic diseases and how veterinary diagnostics protect animals and humans - Research Matters S1E13
In this week’s episode of Research Matters, Dr. Elisha Frye, D.V.M. ’10, associate professor of practice, explains how Cornell’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center works at the front lines of detecting and preventing diseases that can jump between...
Phillip Milner on using sunlight to capture carbon - Research Matters S1E12
In this episode of Research Matters, Cornell chemist Phillip Milner explains a breakthrough carbon-capture system that uses sunlight — rather than fossil-fuel energy — to both capture and release carbon dioxide, potentially transforming how we ...
Adam Hoffman on how to help teens become successful adults - Research Matters S1E11
On this week's episode of Research Matters, psychologist Adam Hoffman discusses research showing that even simple exercises — like asking teens to reflect on identities they value — can help them navigate stressful transitions. The conversation...
Christophe Duplais on what scent can communicate - Research Matters S1E10
In this episode of Research Matters, entomologist Christophe Duplais explains how scent molecules can identify stressed plants, help farmers detect crop problems early and even offer clues about human and animal health. Decoding these airborne ...
Claire Wardle on how misinformation spreads - Research Matters S1E9
In this episode of Research Matters, we speak with misinformation expert Claire Wardle about how misleading and emotionally charged content spreads faster than facts. Wardle explains why misinformation is not just a media problem but a societal...
Robert Shepherd on the future of robotics - Research Matters S1E8
In this episode of Research Matters, Cornell University mechanical engineering professor Robert Shepherd explores a radically reimagined future of robotics – one where sustainable, self-repairing machines partner with biology rather than imitat...
Casey Dillman on the planet's most overlooked creatures - Research Matters S1E7
In this episode of Research Matters, we talk with Casey Dillman, curator of fishes, amphibians and reptiles at the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates, about how studying some of the planet’s most overlooked creatures can reveal the health...
Sriramya Duddukuri Nair on green concrete and 3D printed buildings - Research Matters S1E6
In this episode of Research Matters, we speak with Sriramya Duddukuri Nair, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, about the enormous — and often invisible — impact of construc...
Chris Barrett on why food prices remain stubbornly high - Research Matters S1E5
In this episode of Research Matters, economist Chris Barrett, the Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Busines...
Arthur Wheaton on the future of cars, travel and work - Research Matters S1E4
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...
Dr. Glenn E. Simmons Jr. on how fats and inflammation can fuel cancer - Research Matters S1E3
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...
Jessica Salerno on what we get wrong with 911 calls - Research Matters S1E2
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...
David Rand on how AI shapes our choices - Research Matters S1E1
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
