Best Bridges And Bytes Podcasts (2025)

1
Grokking, Generalization Collapse, and the Dynamics of Training Deep Neural Networks with Charles Martin - #734 1:25:21

5d ago1:25:21

1:25:21

Today, we're joined by Charles Martin, founder of Calculation Consulting, to discuss Weight Watcher, an open-source tool for analyzing and improving Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) based on principles from theoretical physics. We explore the foundations of the Heavy-Tailed Self-Regularization (HTSR) theory that underpins it, which combines random matri…

1
BHT Bytes – Cutting Care: How Federal Cuts Threaten Mental Health Across America – Episode 381 24:14

3h ago24:14

24:14

Federal funding cuts aren’t just trimming budgets, they’re dismantling the lifelines millions depend on. In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Peter Fenger and Sharlee Dixon unpack the sweeping rollback of public health funding led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration. With a proposed $12 billion in cuts, i…

1
Google I/O 2025 Special Edition - #733 26:21

12d ago26:21

26:21

Today, I’m excited to share a special crossover edition of the podcast recorded live from Google I/O 2025! In this episode, I join Shawn Wang aka Swyx from the Latent Space Podcast, to interview Logan Kilpatrick and Shrestha Basu Mallick, PMs at Google DeepMind working on AI Studio and the Gemini API, along with Kwindla Kramer, CEO of Daily and cre…

1
Brushstrokes of Resilience: How Free Arts Heals Through Creativity & Connection with Matt Sandoval – Episode 380 40:38

7d ago40:38

40:38

Art is the doorway, mentorship is the key, and together, they unlock resilience. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon is joined by Matt Sandoval, CEO of Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, an organization transforming trauma into resilience through the healing power of art and mentoring relationships. With more than 15 years of experience in nonpro…

1
RAG Risks: Why Retrieval-Augmented LLMs are Not Safer with Sebastian Gehrmann - #732 57:09

19d ago57:09

57:09

Today, we're joined by Sebastian Gehrmann, head of responsible AI in the Office of the CTO at Bloomberg, to discuss AI safety in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems and generative AI in high-stakes domains like financial services. We explore how RAG, contrary to some expectations, can inadvertently degrade model safety. We cover examples o…

1
The Hunger Beneath: Food, Trauma & the Journey Back to Wholeness with Jillian Acosta, RD, LDN – Episode 379 36:50

14d ago36:50

36:50

We don’t just eat to nourish our bodies—we eat to soothe, to cope, to connect. True healing begins when we ask: what is the hunger really for? In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Jillian Acosta, a registered dietitian who specializes in functional medicine, the psychology of eating, and trauma-informed care. Jillian is the founder of The …

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From Prompts to Policies: How RL Builds Better AI Agents with Mahesh Sathiamoorthy - #731 1:01:25

27d ago1:01:25

1:01:25

Today, we're joined by Mahesh Sathiamoorthy, co-founder and CEO of Bespoke Labs, to discuss how reinforcement learning (RL) is reshaping the way we build custom agents on top of foundation models. Mahesh highlights the crucial role of data curation, evaluation, and error analysis in model performance, and explains why RL offers a more robust altern…

1
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Rethinking Mental Health in Education with Brandy Samuell – Episode 378 38:55

21d ago38:55

38:55

Every educator is a first responder to student behavior, let’s make sure they’re equipped to respond with confidence. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Brandy Samuell, a seasoned educator with over 30 years of experience spanning the classroom, district leadership, and crisis response. From teacher to assistant superintendent, Brandy h…

1
The Question Is the Bridge: How Curiosity Connects Us with Topaz Adizes – Episode 377 40:42

27d ago40:42

40:42

The quality of your life is shaped by the quality of your questions. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Topaz Adizes, an Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and experience design architect. Topaz is the founder and executive director of The Skin Deep, a studio known for its powerful explorations of human connection. A Sundance and Skoll…

1
Beyond Backup: Financing the Future of Data Centers 22:03

1M ago22:03

22:03

In this episode, host Ryan Karlin engages in a compelling conversation with Adam Brown, Senior Manager of Sales at Caterpillar Financial. They delve into the financial intricacies of the data center industry, highlighting key challenges such as extended lead times for grid connectivity and significant capital investments. Email us: [email protected]…

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How OpenAI Builds AI Agents That Think and Act with Josh Tobin - #730 1:07:27

1M ago1:07:27

1:07:27

Today, we're joined by Josh Tobin, member of technical staff at OpenAI, to discuss the company’s approach to building AI agents. We cover OpenAI's three agentic offerings—Deep Research for comprehensive web research, Operator for website navigation, and Codex CLI for local code execution. We explore OpenAI’s shift from simple LLM workflows to reaso…

1
Anniversary Special: Navigating the Roots of Suppressed Emotions with Bronwyn Schweigerdt, LMFT – Episode 376 45:23

1M ago45:23

45:23

In celebration of our fifth anniversary, we’re re-releasing one of our favorite episodes from the past year. Anger isn't the enemy—it's a warning light, signaling that something deeper needs attention. When we validate and express it constructively, we unlock empathy, self-awareness, and stronger relationships. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor sp…

1
Anniversary Special: Improvising Healing—Psychotherapy as Jazz, Not Jargon with Ross Ellenhorn – Episode 375 45:15

1M ago45:15

45:15

We don’t need more treatment manuals—we need more musicians. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor is joined by Ross Ellenhorn, a pioneering voice in mental health and addiction recovery. As the founder and CEO of Ellenhorn—the nation's most comprehensive community integration program—Ross has spent his career helping individuals heal and thrive withi…

1
Anniversary Special: Bridging Ancient Wisdom with Modern Mental Health Solutions with Dr. Ishan Shivanand – Episode 374 40:58

1M ago40:58

40:58

In celebration of our fifth anniversary, we’re re-releasing one of our favorite episodes from the past year. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor sits down with Dr. Ishan Shivanand. Ishan is a distinguished mental health researcher and professor specializing in non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive meditative modalities. As the Founder of Yoga of Immortal…

1
CTIBench: Evaluating LLMs in Cyber Threat Intelligence with Nidhi Rastogi - #729 56:18

1M ago56:18

56:18

Today, we're joined by Nidhi Rastogi, assistant professor at Rochester Institute of Technology to discuss Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), focusing on her recent project CTIBench—a benchmark for evaluating LLMs on real-world CTI tasks. Nidhi explains the evolution of AI in cybersecurity, from rule-based systems to LLMs that accelerate analysis by p…

1
Anniversary Special: The Joy-Success Cycle with Kevin Surace – Episode 373 45:08

1M ago45:08

45:08

Joy isn’t found — it’s built, one choice at a time. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Kevin Surace. Kevin is a Silicon Valley innovator, serial entrepreneur, and CEO, known as the father of the Virtual Assistant. With 94 worldwide patents, Kevin has led pioneering work in technology, including the first cellular data smartphone and huma…

1
Anniversary Special: Grandiose vs. Vulnerable Narcissism with Keith Campbell, PhD – Episode 372 37:55

1M ago37:55

37:55

In celebration of our fifth anniversary, we’re re-releasing one of our favorite episodes from the past year. In this episode, we dive into the intricate world of narcissism, examining how both grandiose and vulnerable traits influence self-esteem, relationships, and the impact of social media on these behaviors. Dr. Graham Taylor is joined by Dr. K…

1
Generative Benchmarking with Kelly Hong - #728 54:17

2M ago54:17

54:17

In this episode, Kelly Hong, a researcher at Chroma, joins us to discuss "Generative Benchmarking," a novel approach to evaluating retrieval systems, like RAG applications, using synthetic data. Kelly explains how traditional benchmarks like MTEB fail to represent real-world query patterns and how embedding models that perform well on public benchm…

1
BHT Bytes – Between the Headline & the Heart: How We Respond to the News – Episode 371 20:11

2M ago20:11

20:11

The news shapes our feelings more than our opinions—don’t let it choose your mood. In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Peter Fenger and Sharlee Dixon unpack something we all wrestle with: our relationship with the news. In a world flooded with headlines designed to spark outrage and steal our focus, it’s easy to feel emotionally hijacked without ev…

1
When Words Don’t Work: Art, Access, & the Fight Against Stigma with Manami Yamamoto, LMFT – Episode 370 32:14

2M ago32:14

32:14

Healing doesn’t start with a diagnosis—it starts with feeling safe enough to be seen. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Manami Yamamoto, MA, LMFT, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Founder of Blue Humming Therapy—a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting holistic mental health within diverse communities. With a comp…

1
Exploring the Biology of LLMs with Circuit Tracing with Emmanuel Ameisen - #727 1:34:06

2M ago1:34:06

1:34:06

In this episode, Emmanuel Ameisen, a research engineer at Anthropic, returns to discuss two recent papers: "Circuit Tracing: Revealing Language Model Computational Graphs" and "On the Biology of a Large Language Model." Emmanuel explains how his team developed mechanistic interpretability methods to understand the internal workings of Claude by rep…

1
Clinicians Series: Practicing Curiosity Without Judgment – The Gentle Power Behind Growth with Jon Steele, LMFT – Episode 369 44:36

2M ago44:36

44:36

Curiosity calms what judgment clenches. In this episode of the Clinicians Series, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Jon Steele, LMFT—a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in working with high performers, including athletes and professionals navigating intense pressure. Drawing from his own experience as a former collegiate athlete, J…

1
Teaching LLMs to Self-Reflect with Reinforcement Learning with Maohao Shen - #726 51:45

2M ago51:45

51:45

Today, we're joined by Maohao Shen, PhD student at MIT to discuss his paper, “Satori: Reinforcement Learning with Chain-of-Action-Thought Enhances LLM Reasoning via Autoregressive Search.” We dig into how Satori leverages reinforcement learning to improve language model reasoning—enabling model self-reflection, self-correction, and exploration of a…

1
Emma Keith (National Theatre) on NT Live, remote audiences, experimentation, learning, thinking about value, leadership, and the importance of pilots 56:27

2M ago56:27

56:27

A great chat with the National Theatre's outgoing Managing Director - Digital, Emma Keith. We talked about how digital practice has developed at the NT and how that differs from other performing arts organisations. The history of the NT Live programme, and the importance of pilots and testing ideas. The hidden value of digital infrastructure, remot…

1
Clinicians Series: Daoism & Ancient Wisdom – Reproductive Health, Vitality & Balance with Michelle Oravitz – Episode 368 36:43

2M ago36:43

36:43

Nature holds the key to balance—when we align with it, vitality follows. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor sits down with Michelle Oravitz, founder of The Wholesome Lotus. Michelle began her career as an architect but found her true calling in alternative medicine after acupuncture transformed her health and well-being. Inspired by this personal s…

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Waymo's Foundation Model for Autonomous Driving with Drago Anguelov - #725 1:09:07

2M ago1:09:07

1:09:07

Today, we're joined by Drago Anguelov, head of AI foundations at Waymo, for a deep dive into the role of foundation models in autonomous driving. Drago shares how Waymo is leveraging large-scale machine learning, including vision-language models and generative AI techniques to improve perception, planning, and simulation for its self-driving vehicl…

1
Aging, Mood & Memory: The Powerful Role of Neuropeptides with Dr. Jennifer Garrison – Episode 367 35:05

3M ago35:05

35:05

Your brain isn’t just wired—it’s mapped biochemically, and those signals may hold the key to longevity. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor sits down with Dr. Jennifer Garrison, a leading researcher at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and an adjunct assistant professor of gerontology. Dr. Garrison’s groundbreaking work focuses on neuropeptid…

1
Dynamic Token Merging for Efficient Byte-level Language Models with Julie Kallini - #724 50:32

3M ago50:32

50:32

Today, we're joined by Julie Kallini, PhD student at Stanford University to discuss her recent papers, “MrT5: Dynamic Token Merging for Efficient Byte-level Language Models” and “Mission: Impossible Language Models.” For the MrT5 paper, we explore the importance and failings of tokenization in large language models—including inefficient compression…

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BHT Bytes – The Rise of Charter Schools: Who Wins and Who Loses? – Episode 366 25:52

3M ago25:52

25:52

Innovation or Inequality? Charter schools bring fresh ideas—but at what cost to public education? In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Sharlee Dixon and Peter Fenger dive into a topic that impacts millions of families: the ongoing debate between public and charter schools. As charter schools rise in popularity, they spark critical questions about fu…

1
Scaling Up Test-Time Compute with Latent Reasoning with Jonas Geiping - #723 58:38

3M ago58:38

58:38

Today, we're joined by Jonas Geiping, research group leader at Ellis Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems to discuss his recent paper, “Scaling up Test-Time Compute with Latent Reasoning: A Recurrent Depth Approach.” This paper proposes a novel language model architecture which uses recurrent depth to enable “thinking in l…

1
Beks Leary (National Gallery) on the challenges & opportunities of working in larger vs smaller teams, different ways of thinking about audiences, and the value of building meaningful relationships with ... 31:35

3M ago31:35

31:35

A chat with Beks Leary, Senior Social Media and Content Lead at the National Gallery in London. We talked about Beks's career, which has encompassed working at a diverse range of organisations including the Bush Theatre, BBC, and National Theatre before Beks's current role at the National Gallery. Beks explained the opportunities and challenges tha…

1
Beyond Betrayal: Male Infidelity, Vulnerability & The Courage to Heal with Dr. Jeanne Michele– Episode 365 40:58

3M ago40:58

40:58

Infidelity isn’t the end—it’s a reckoning. True healing begins when blame gives way to understanding. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor sits down with Dr. Jeanne Michele, a trailblazer in personal development with over two decades of experience in teaching, modern philosophy, and coaching. Dr. Michele specializes in helping individuals, couples, a…

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Imagine while Reasoning in Space: Multimodal Visualization-of-Thought with Chengzu Li - #722 42:11

3M ago42:11

42:11

Today, we're joined by Chengzu Li, PhD student at the University of Cambridge to discuss his recent paper, “Imagine while Reasoning in Space: Multimodal Visualization-of-Thought.” We explore the motivations behind MVoT, its connection to prior work like TopViewRS, and its relation to cognitive science principles such as dual coding theory. We dig i…

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From Ending to Evolution: Transforming Divorce into Growth with Meghan Freed – Episode 364 38:58

3M ago38:58

38:58

Divorce isn’t just an ending—it’s an opportunity to redefine your future with clarity and strength. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor sits down with Meghan Freed, Managing Co-Partner of Freed Marcroft, a Connecticut law firm dedicated exclusively to divorce and family law. A nationally recognized thought leader in relationship dynamics and divorce…

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Inside s1: An o1-Style Reasoning Model That Cost Under $50 to Train with Niklas Muennighoff - #721 49:29

3M ago49:29

49:29

Today, we're joined by Niklas Muennighoff, a PhD student at Stanford University, to discuss his paper, “S1: Simple Test-Time Scaling.” We explore the motivations behind S1, as well as how it compares to OpenAI's O1 and DeepSeek's R1 models. We dig into the different approaches to test-time scaling, including parallel and sequential scaling, as well…

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BHT Bytes: From Connection to Crisis – How Social Media Shapes Youth Mental Health – Episode 363 24:43

3M ago24:43

24:43

Social media connects us, but at what cost? Depression, anxiety, and isolation are on the rise—especially for kids. In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Sharlee Dixon and Dr. Graham Taylor explore the profound impact of social media and technology on mental health, particularly among young people. With rising rates of depression, anxiety, and isolat…

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Accelerating AI Training and Inference with AWS Trainium2 with Ron Diamant - #720 1:07:05

4M ago1:07:05

1:07:05

Today, we're joined by Ron Diamant, chief architect for Trainium at Amazon Web Services, to discuss hardware acceleration for generative AI and the design and role of the recently released Trainium2 chip. We explore the architectural differences between Trainium and GPUs, highlighting its systolic array-based compute design, and how it balances per…

1
Clinicians Series: Unlocking Anger & Shame—From Suppression to Strength with Bronwyn Schweigerdt, LMFT – Episode 362 40:11

4M ago40:11

40:11

Your emotions aren’t the enemy—shame distorts, anger signals, and healing begins when you listen. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Bronwyn Schweigerdt, LMFT, a licensed psychotherapist, public speaker, author, and host of Angry at the Right Things. Known for her evocative therapeutic approach, Bronwyn specializes in helping clients ex…

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π0: A Foundation Model for Robotics with Sergey Levine - #719 52:30

4M ago52:30

52:30

Today, we're joined by Sergey Levine, associate professor at UC Berkeley and co-founder of Physical Intelligence, to discuss π0 (pi-zero), a general-purpose robotic foundation model. We dig into the model architecture, which pairs a vision language model (VLM) with a diffusion-based action expert, and the model training "recipe," emphasizing the ro…

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Transition, Truth, & Triumph: A Transgender Journey with Wendy Cole – Episode 361 47:02

4M ago47:02

47:02

The true transformation begins in the mind—own your truth, and everything else will follow. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon welcomes Wendy Cole, a transition mentor dedicated to guiding individuals through major life changes with a focus on self-acceptance and personal growth. After embarking on her own gender transition at the age of 67, Wendy brin…

1
Mike Keating (Art Fund) on the collaborative development of AI policy, balancing the priorities of being both a membership and sector support organisation, and the impact of COVID on Art Fund's digital ... 35:44

4M ago35:44

35:44

A conversation with Art Fund's Associate Director of Digital Experience, Mike Keating. Most of our chat focused on Mike's relatively recent work in developing Art Fund's first AI policy. The collaborative, open, and pragmatic approach that Mike and colleagues took to this work feels like a useful model that other cultural organisations could borrow…

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AI Trends 2025: AI Agents and Multi-Agent Systems with Victor Dibia - #718 1:44:59

4M ago1:44:59

1:44:59

Today we’re joined by Victor Dibia, principal research software engineer at Microsoft Research, to explore the key trends and advancements in AI agents and multi-agent systems shaping 2025 and beyond. In this episode, we discuss the unique abilities that set AI agents apart from traditional software systems–reasoning, acting, communicating, and ada…

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Unpacking Shame: Non-Monogamy, LGBTQ+ Identity, & Religious Trauma with Ann Russo, LCSW – Episode 360 48:56

4M ago48:56

48:56

Healing from religious trauma means separating doctrine from personal truth, allowing space for love, identity, and non-monogamy without judgment. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon welcomes Ann Russo, a licensed therapist and founder of AMR Therapy, which provides mental health care for the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, and those in non-tradition…

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Speculative Decoding and Efficient LLM Inference with Chris Lott - #717 1:16:30

4M ago1:16:30

1:16:30

Today, we're joined by Chris Lott, senior director of engineering at Qualcomm AI Research to discuss accelerating large language model inference. We explore the challenges presented by the LLM encoding and decoding (aka generation) and how these interact with various hardware constraints such as FLOPS, memory footprint and memory bandwidth to limit…

1
Ensuring Privacy for Any LLM with Patricia Thaine - #716 51:33

4M ago51:33

51:33

Today, we're joined by Patricia Thaine, co-founder and CEO of Private AI to discuss techniques for ensuring privacy, data minimization, and compliance when using 3rd-party large language models (LLMs) and other AI services. We explore the risks of data leakage from LLMs and embeddings, the complexities of identifying and redacting personal informat…

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Clinicians Series: Somatic Paths to Healing Grief with Amy Pickett-Williams, LCSW – Episode 359 40:15

4M ago40:15

40:15

Love, loss, and healing are deeply interconnected, and somatic practices offer a pathway to transform pain into resilience. In this episode of our Clinicians Series, where we explore the strategies and techniques shaping modern therapy, Dr. Graham Taylor welcomes back Amy Pickett-Williams, LCSW. With over 25 years of experience in grief, trauma, an…

1
BHT Bytes: Navigating Post-Presidential Election with Curiosity & Compassion – Episode 358 26:36

5M ago26:36

26:36

Polarization is not inevitable—it’s a tactic. The real challenge is learning to listen, seek understanding, and embrace the opportunity for growth that comes from different perspectives. In the first episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Dr. Graham Taylor and Sharlee Dixon explore how polarization is often a tactic designed to divide us, and how we can break…

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AI Engineering Pitfalls with Chip Huyen - #715 57:37

5M ago57:37

57:37

Today, we're joined by Chip Huyen, independent researcher and writer to discuss her new book, “AI Engineering.” We dig into the definition of AI engineering, its key differences from traditional machine learning engineering, the common pitfalls encountered in engineering AI systems, and strategies to overcome them. We also explore how Chip defines …

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The Hopeless Generation, Pt. 2: Rebuilding Connection & Resilience in a Disconnected World with Dr. Henry Venter – Episode 357 41:33

5M ago41:33

41:33

Today’s youth face a convergence of challenges: delayed milestones, societal pressures, and a deepening crisis of meaning and purpose. Yet, resilience may hold the key to navigating these turbulent waters. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor welcomes back Dr. Henry Venter, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology with over 25 yea…

1
Co-Pilots of Progress: Rethinking AI’s Role in Our Future with Ravi Bapna – Episode 356 45:49

5M ago45:49

45:49

From personalized learning tutors to real-time health insights, AI is revolutionizing how we live, work, and connect—not as a dystopian threat, but as a co-pilot for human progress. In this episode, Sharlee Dixonis joined by Ravi Bapna, chair of Business Analytics and Information Systems at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management…

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