The Future of Everything

Host Russ Altman, a professor of bioengineering, genetics, and medicine at Stanford, is your guide to the latest science and engineering breakthroughs. Join Russ and his guests as they explore cutting-edge advances that are shaping the future of everything from AI to health and renewable energy. Along the way, “The Future of Everything” delves into ethical implications to give listeners a well-rounded understanding of how new technologies and discoveries will impact society. Whether you’re a researcher, a student, or simply curious about what’s on the horizon, tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments that are transforming our world.

The Future of Everything is a health podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 394 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Future of Everything, a health show with 394 episodes published.

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  The Future of Everything

  Special episode: Think Fast, Talk Smart

  Sep 18, 202626 min

  Hi everyone, it's your host Russ. As summer winds down and everyone heads into a new season, I wanted to share something a little different. Recently, I sat down with Matt Abrahams, host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart and a lecturer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. We traded seats and I took the guest chair while Matt interviewed me about the future of communication in the age of AI. We’re excited to re-run this episode today and whether you're writing a pitch, prepping for a tough conversation, or just curious how AI is changing the way we talk to each other, this one's a great listen. 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 thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Russ Altman | Matt Abrahams Learn more about Think Fast Talk Smart Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces this feed-drop episode from Think Fast, Talk Smart, where he joins Matt Abrahams to discuss communication in the age of AI. (00:01:41) The Future of Communication Why AI may amplify strong communication rather than replace authentic human messages. (00:03:23) Using AI as a Communication Tool How AI can help adjust language for different audiences, flag jargon, and improve clarity. (00:04:00) AI as a Pre-Editor How Russ uses large language models to critique and strengthen his writing before sharing it with colleagues. (00:05:04) Structuring a Strong Proposal How to align with your audience’s mission, define the problem, and clearly show the path forward. (00:07:06) Making Complex Ideas Accessible Why stories, analogies, and audience awareness help make technical information easier to understand. (00:09:41) Preparing for Tough Moments Why anticipating difficult concepts, questions, and conversations can make communication more effective. (00:11:57) Asking Better Questions Why specificity and strong follow-up questions can guide more meaningful conversations. (00:12:51) Questions as Opportunities How questions can communicate curiosity, engagement, and respect rather than criticism. (00:15:01) Building Effective Teams How shared goals, relationships, diversity, and clear roles support collaboration. (00:17:55) Productive Conflict How leaders can encourage rigorous disagreement without damaging trust. (00:19:37) Finding People’s Passion What hosting The Future of Everything taught Russ about understanding what motivates people. (00:21:00) Looking to the Future Why young people give Russ hope about what comes next. (00:22:13) A Communicator to Admire Why Russ credits his father with shaping his own approach to communication. (00:23:06) Three Ingredients for Better Communication Know your audience, be specific, and bring a sense of joy to the conversation. (00:24:07) Conclusion     Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  The Future of Everything

  The future of gut health

  Sep 11, 202634 min

  Microbiologist Justin Sonnenburg wants you to know that you – and all humans, really – are not alone. Inside each of us live uncountable bacteria without whom we could not survive. Nowhere is this symbiosis more vital, Sonnenburg says, than in the digestive tract – the gut – where trillions of bacterial collaborators help digest the foods that nourish us. Sonnenburg studies what makes this complex relationship work and how modern life is altering this important chemistry. He says the gut microbiome should be thought of as another organ. When it drifts out of balance, the effects ripple through our metabolism, our immune systems, and our nervous systems. Sonnenburg goes on to explain how dietary choices – like eating more fermented foods and fiber – can rebuild the microbiome, and why the field’s next frontier could help alleviate chronic disease. “It really is a full-body impact that our microbes are having,” Sonnenburg 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 thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Justin Sonnenburg Learn more about the Sonnenburg Lab Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Justin Sonnenburg, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University. (00:03:08) Path into Microbiome Research How Sonnenburg became interested in the friendly microbes that live in and on the body. (00:04:26) Bacteria as Partners What are gut bacteria and how do they function in our bodies? (00:06:23) Full-Body Effects How gut microbes affect metabolism, immunity, and the brain. (00:08:27) Industrialized Microbiomes What does it mean that the gut microbiome has been “industrialized”? (00:12:08) Feeding the Microbiome Why is fiber important for gut health? (00:15:59) Fiber Response Study results from Stanford reflecting individual responses to fiber. (00:17:14) Fermented Foods How foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha can support microbiome diversity. (00:20:36) Microbiome Therapeutics How diet and microbial interventions could improve health. (00:23:00) Food, Equity, and Access Why microbiome health may require practical tools that work beyond major diet changes. (00:24:02) Sharing Microbes How social environments, diet, and exposure may influence the microbes people acquire. (00:25:30) Precision Health How the microbiome could help tune immunity, metabolism, and disease treatment. (00:27:32) Women’s Health Why reproductive health and women’s health are promising areas for microbiome research. (00:28:33) Stanford Microbiome Research How Stanford researchers are building interdisciplinary tools, tests, and therapies for microbiome science. (00:30:36) Future In a Minute Rapid-fire Q&A: microbiome health, daily decisions, and reversing Western disease trends. (00:33:04) Conclusion Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  The Future of Everything

  Best of: The future of language learning

  Sep 4, 202631 min

  As kids head back to school this month, we're re-releasing a conversation with cognitive scientist Michael Frank on the future of language learning. Michael studies the similarities and differences in how children and AI systems learn language. He’s working to understand what accounts for the “data gap” between how efficiently children learn language from relatively little input, compared to how much data AI systems need. His goal is to build better scientific models of human language acquisition and to inform how AI systems might learn in more human-like ways. Whether you’re parenting an infant or toddler who is learning to talk or you're simply curious about how language learning unfolds for people across languages and cultures, this one's a great listen. 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 thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Michael Frank Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces this episode with Michael Frank, a professor of biology, psychology and linguistics at Stanford University. (00:02:05) AI and Child Language Learning How AI language learning and child language learning differ. (00:05:23) WordBank and Big Data How large language databases are helping researchers study child language development across cultures. (00:08:04) Learning Across Languages How children learn many different languages through broadly similar developmental processes. (00:08:57) Babbling and Early Speech How babies begin exploring the sounds and signs of their language. (00:10:04) Multimodal Learning How SAYCam & BabyView capture multimodal language learning  (00:13:12) Language as a Social Tool How social cues help children break the code of language. (00:15:12) Learning from Others How children track uncertainty and seek help from social partners. (00:18:05) ManyBabies How a global research consortium studies child development across cultures and communities. (00:20:11) Global Development Research Why large-scale international collaboration is valuable but difficult to fund. (00:21:36) Pragmatics How children learn to infer meaning beyond the literal words people say. (00:23:21) AI, Intent, and Common Sense Why pragmatics matters for building AI systems that understand human intent. (00:24:21) Reading to Children Why books can support language learning through shared attention and rich social interaction. (00:26:38) Early Language Exposure Why it is never too early to interact with babies through language. (00:27:53) Multilingual Children How children can learn multiple languages with few negative consequences. (00:30:35) Conclusion Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  The Future of Everything

  The future of cities

  Aug 28, 202630 min

  Jackelyn Hwang is an expert on the social dynamics of cities. In one line of research, she combines AI and Google Street View to measure quality-of-life factors – such as trash, blight, new construction, and the pace of recovery from climate disasters – to analyze gentrification, racial equity, and overall resident well-being. Her work has shown, for instance, that predominantly Black neighborhoods are last and slowest to gentrify and that displaced Black residents often end up in worse neighborhoods. She recently worked with policymakers at the housing department of Oakland, California, on anti-displacement and anti-homelessness programs and is now working with policymakers across the Bay Area to strengthen neighborhoods. We are clearing a path to more stable communities for everyone, Hwang 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 thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Jackelyn Hwang Learn more about Jackie's work on housing instability in Oakland Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Jackie Hwang, a professor of sociology at Stanford University. (00:02:53) Path into Urban Sociology How Hwang’s experiences near Philadelphia shaped her interest in cities, inequality, and neighborhood change. (00:04:56) The 21st-Century American City How gentrification, immigration, crime, education, housing, and climate change are reshaping cities. (00:08:03) Defining Gentrification How sociologists understand gentrification as a class-based transformation of neighborhoods. (00:10:02) Studying Gentrification Why race, segregation, and neighborhood inequality complicate simple stories of urban renewal. (00:11:50) Displacement and Instability Why gentrification does not always increase moving rates, but still affects where people end up. (00:14:48) Policy and Anti-Displacement How Hwang’s research informs local policy, housing strategy, and homelessness prevention. (00:18:10) Measuring Neighborhood Change How technology can help researchers study changing neighborhoods at scale. (00:18:55) Google Street View and Cities How Street View opened new ways to observe gentrification and neighborhood conditions. (00:20:36) Computer Vision for Urban Research How AI and computer vision are being used to analyze neighborhood conditions. (00:21:53) What Neighborhoods Reveal How visible signs like trash, blight, vacant lots, and construction signal neighborhood change. (00:23:10) Eye Tracking and Perception How researchers study what people notice in neighborhoods and how those cues affect stress. (00:24:09) Climate Change and Recovery How disasters can widen neighborhood inequality through uneven rebuilding and abandonment. (00:26:14) Neighborhoods and Wellbeing How better measurements of neighborhood conditions could guide interventions for safer, more stable communities. (00:28:00) Future In a Minute Rapid-fire Q&A: affordable housing, neighborhood change, and better urban data. (00:29:32) Conclusion     Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  The Future of Everything

  Best of: The future of addiction

  Aug 21, 202630 min

  Today, we're re-releasing my conversation with psychiatrist Anna Lembke on the future of addiction. Whether its substances, screens, or work itself, addiction in some form touches nearly all of our lives either directly or through someone we care about. Anna breaks down the dopamine mechanisms behind addiction of all kinds, from opioids to social media to, in her own case, romance novels, and shares what actually works in recovery, including exercise and structured abstinence. Whether you're thinking about screen habits, substance use, or just how to build healthier routines, this one's well worth another listen. 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 thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Anna Lembke Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces Anna Lembke, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. (00:01:52) Defining Addiction Why addiction involves compulsive use despite harm, even when the behavior seems ordinary. (00:03:31) Romance Novels and Harm How Lembke’s own reading habit became a case study in subtle addiction. (00:05:49) Dopamine and the Addicted Brain What repeated dopamine spikes do to reward pathways and withdrawal symptoms. (00:08:34) Seeing the Problem How naming a compulsive habit can make it visible and open the door to change. (00:10:34) Addiction Medicine Today How the opioid epidemic changed medical training and addiction awareness. (00:12:48) Russ Altman’s “Addictions” Russ details his own dopamine habits for the audience. (00:14:37) Exercise and Hormesis Why movement, effort, and discomfort can help restore healthier dopamine patterns. (00:17:22) Dopamine Fasting The self-intervention Dr. Lembke used & her potential cross-addictions. (00:21:22) Vulnerability to Addiction Why genetic risk, family history, and drug of choice shape addiction vulnerability. (00:22:53) The Opioid Epidemic How prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl shaped three waves of crisis. (00:24:51) Fentanyl and Overdose Risk Why counterfeit pills and fentanyl exposure can be lethal even for new users. (00:26:28) Treating Opioid Addiction Why medications like methadone and buprenorphine help restore stability. (00:28:17) The Future of Addiction Why Lembke sees addiction as a long-term challenge across drugs, media, and food. (00:29:22) Conclusion Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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