Tree of Knowledge

What does it take to become an opera singer on the world stage?  Joining me is Rainelle Krause, a professional Soprano who is just breaking out and performing in major venues across the world.  From the music halls of Indiana University's world famous conservatory, Rainelle details her journey and breaks down what it takes to become a performer in some of Europe's most prestigious opera houses.  

When Alfred Nobel established the prize bearing his name, he hoped it would help foster global prosperity.  He was haunted by the legacy of his invention of dynamite.  While earning him a fortune, he had also earned the monicker of "merchant of death" due to the widespread military uses for dynamite.  His envisioned a future where groundbreaking scientific discoveries would be vehicles for global peace.  How well has that vision lived up to reality?  Tune in to find out. 

The invention of vaccines marked a turning point in human history. On this episode of the Tree of Knowledge Podcast, I explore the technological advances in vaccines from the days of Edward Jenner to the cutting edge breakthroughs that may lead to the development of a vaccine for the Coronavirus.

Thalidomide was the cause of one of the biggest disasters in modern medicine.  Primarily known for causing birth defects in over 10,000 babies born between 1957-1962, it's being used as a treatment for leprosy and multiple myeloma.  But if not for a lucky break its potential to treat other disease may not have been realized.  In this episode, I look at the history of Thalidomide and also examine cutting edge technologies that researchers are using to repurpose existing drugs as treatments for other diseases.  

Smart windows that can change transparency were once only a gimmick in sci-fi movies.  Today, they are at the cusp of becoming mainstream features in office buildings and homes.  Join me for a conversation with Howard Turner, co-founder and CTO of Kinestral Technologies, a market leader in smart glass devices.  Find out what it takes to grow a lab scale device into a multi-billion dollar product. Youtube video: link here

The handicap principle offers an explanation for the emergence of unusual traits found in certain animals.  For instance, the peacock's tail would appear to be detrimental to the survivability of the peacock in the wild.  The colorful tail certainly plays a role in sexual selection, but it will also attract the unwanted attention of predators.  According to the handicap principle, nature can parlay these "handicaps" into signals about the animal's quality and worth.  Businesses also use handicap style signaling in order to convey information about their competitive advantages.  So what does a peacock's tail have in common with Tesla's decision to make their rechargeable battery IP available to competitors?  Tune into my discussion with Professor Ryan Krause, a business professor at Texas Christian University, to find out.  Youtube video:  link here

Join me on this week's episode of the Tree of Knowledge Podcast as I go down a scientific rabbit hole and explore developments in how scientists can look at the brain to determine skill level in bimanual (two handed) tasks.  What can the color of blood reveal about muscle memory?  Tune in to find out. I made a video about the concept of bimanual interference, a phenomenon that occurs when you try to perform independent movements with each hand.  You can check out the video using this link.