Best Dna Computing Podcasts (2025)

1
How did an Australian team make the biggest video game in the world today? 30:04

Play Pause

22m ago30:04

30:04

This week, an Australian video game called Hollow Knight: Silksong is the biggest video game in the world. It’s made by a small team out of Adelaide and has already sold millions of copies worldwide. What could this mean for our quietly successful games industry here in Australia? And why do we still have so much trouble seeing video games as a for…

1
The AI revolution is underhyped | Eric Schmidt 29:51

18m ago29:51

29:51

The arrival of non-human intelligence is a very big deal, says former Google CEO and chairman Eric Schmidt. In a wide-ranging interview with technologist Bilawal Sidhu, Schmidt makes the case that AI is wildly underhyped, as near-constant breakthroughs give rise to systems capable of doing even the most complex tasks on their own. He explores the s…

1
STORYTELLING with John Bucher 25:05

1h ago25:05

25:05

Fairy tales. Fables. Heroes’ journeys. Star Wars. Disney princesses. And yes, some ancient Greek and Roman myths. Professional mythologist and screenwriting consultant John Bucher spins some yarns and unravels some mysteries behind what makes a good story and why we need them. Also: why we are always re-booting old tales and what dreams have to do …

1
Why is Australia spending a billion dollars on a quantum computer that doesn't exist yet? 29:57

5d ago29:57

29:57

2025 is the 'International Year of Quantum Science and Technology', but what actually is quantum science? IBM and AMD are teaming up to champion 'quantum-centric supercomputing' – but what's the difference between a supercomputer and a regular computer? Will we ever see a supercomputer show up in our own homes? And why is Australia making a billion…

1
The future of finding love with Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd | ReThinking with Adam Grant 36:29

4d ago36:29

36:29

What will dating look like in the age of AI? Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and CEO of Bumble, the popular dating app that has helped millions of people meet their match. In this episode, Whitney chats with Adam about her vision for the future of dating online and offline, her decision to take a break from leading Bumble, and the importance of p…

1
CARNIVORES with Rae Wynn-Grant 25:11

5d ago25:11

25:11

Ah, charismatic megafauna! Teeth, claws, fur, poop, hibernation, hiking, nature preserves, and living your childhood dreams with Alie’s longtime -ologist crush, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. The large carnivore ecologist, researcher and TV presenter tells us all about her field work, what it’s like to stuff a baby bear in your coat, carnivore microbiomes, ho…

1
Wimbledon broke 148 years of tradition to replace 300 line judges with AI -- will it be worth it? 30:02

11d ago30:02

30:02

How much is human adjudication in sport worth, and how much more accurate is Wimbledon's new system? Plus, the CSIRO and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) have joined forces to research how AI can be used ethically and efficiently in sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
A concrete plan for sustainable cement | Ryan Gilliam 10:43

11d ago10:43

10:43

Cement is one of the most-consumed materials on Earth — second only to water — and it accounts for a whopping eight percent of the world's carbon pollution. What if we could turn this climate villain into a hero? Clean tech innovator and serial entrepreneur Ryan Gilliam reveals his company's surprisingly simple process for transforming waste from t…

1
POSTCARDS with Donna Braden 25:01

12d ago25:01

25:01

Why were postcards invented and why do they still exist? Why do we fib about our vacations and say they’re better than they are? Alie stopped into the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan and talked to curator of 40+ years, Donna Braden, about her work with the postcard collections -- as well as her musings about how we create our stories about …

1
How do you protect yourself against AI voice scams? 30:06

18d ago30:06

30:06

When 1 in 5 people have been the victim of cybercrime and AI voice scams are on the rise, how do we protect ourselves online? Plus Google may soon be the default browser on Android phones in Australia and say 'hello!' to your new best friend, with new AI-powered kids toys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
A survival guide for musicians in the age of AI | Harvey Mason jr. 15:36

18d ago15:36

15:36

Artificial intelligence can write a song in seconds, but does that mean human songwriters will become obsolete? Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. doesn’t think so. A songwriter himself, he offers a four-step “survival guide” for human creators to endure the age of AI, urging musicians to embrace technology while preserving the emotional essenc…

1
PROTEINS & DNA with Raven “The Science Maven” Baxter 25:14

19d ago25:14

25:14

This one’s got it all: teeny tiny cellular factories, mitochondrial relevancy, what big smelly vats of poop have to do with curing cancer, how many trips to the sun your unravelled DNA could make, and mysteries of the brain. Dr. Raven The Science Maven has a background in molecular biology and a Ph.D in Science Communication, which she puts to work…

1
How will ICE's deportation teams use iris scanning technology? 30:02

25d ago30:02

30:02

America’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a notice they intend to purchase an iris scanning technology that can identify "suspects and inmates who try to hide their identity". Unsurprisingly, it’s raised some red flags. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy ABC listen

1
Why your phone battery gets worse over time | George Zaidan 9:47

25d ago9:47

9:47

Almost all batteries, even single-use batteries, are theoretically rechargeable. That's because the metals and other chemicals are still there in the battery. So chemically speaking, a dead battery is actually not that different from a fresh one. Then why do batteries die in the first place? And what should you do with them once they're spent? Geor…

1
The Decline of the Primate Handyman 46:18

26d ago46:18

46:18

Tim and Syma talk to Professor Dora Biro about animal behaviour and cognition. Want to know why your kitten behaves differently from you, or discover that chimps become less competent at using tools as they age? This is the podcast episode for you. You can read Dora’s recent paper on tool use in chimps here: https://elifesciences.org/articles/10541…

1
BUTTERFLIES with Phil Torres 25:59

27d ago25:59

25:59

Butterflies are… gross. Yes they are delightful and beautiful and part of any idyllic picnic-scape, but lepidopterologist, TV host and jungle explorer Phil Torres is here to gossip about how shamelessly disgusting our favorite bugs actually are. Learn their secrets, their feasting habits, how they turn themselves into goo and then into another crea…

1
EP 20 - 7 Cybersecurity Steps Every Organization Should Take Today 5:21

1M ago5:21

5:21

Is your organization doing enough to stay secure in today’s threat landscape? In this episode, John Paladino shares 7 actionable steps every company can take to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. From implementing multi-factor authentication to building partnerships with cybersecurity firms and practicing NIST-aligned exercises, these simple…

1
Would Cyberbrothel be more ethical than a traditional brothel? 30:04

1M ago30:04

30:04

A sex doll brothel in Berlin is offering a combination of new VR and AI technologies in their plastic playmates. But the Cyberbrothel business falls outside traditional brothel regulations, raising questions how consent, sex work, and tech intersect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
Will AI make humans extinct? | Yoshua Bengio 15:42

1M ago15:42

15:42

Yoshua Bengio — the world's most-cited computer scientist and a "godfather" of artificial intelligence — is deadly concerned about the current trajectory of the technology. As AI models race toward full-blown agency, Bengio warns that they've already learned to deceive, cheat, self-preserve and slip out of our control. Drawing on his groundbreaking…

1
Waspish Behaviour 42:32

1M ago42:32

42:32

In this weeks episode, Tim and Syma get the run down on wasps, courtesy of Seirian Sumner, entomologist and behavioural ecologist. Will Syma now forgive the wasps, following a recent encounter? Seirian's book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Endless-Forms-Secret-World-Wasps/dp/0008394512/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0 Our sponsor for this episode is Grace and Garbo!…

1
EYEGLASSES with Jenny Benjamin & Nadia Sledge 29:11

1M ago29:11

29:11

When were glasses invented? What happened back then if your horse stepped on them? How is the digital age changing adults’ and kids’ vision? The first half of this special episode about Optical Technology features the charmingly hilarious director of the Museum of the Eye in San Francisco, Jenny Benjamin. Then we bop over to Houston, Texas for the …

1
Is Snapchat’s My AI a safe space or a slippery slope for teens? 30:07

1M ago30:07

30:07

Snapchat’s AI chatbot, My AI, is raising concerns among teens and parents — with questions about how it's used, what it says, and whether the platform is doing enough to keep young users safe. While there are parental controls available through Snapchat’s Family Centre, many parents may not know they can restrict access to the bot altogether. So, i…

1
Is AI your next hire? | Fixable 30:45

1M ago30:45

30:45

What do you do when there’s too much work but not enough people to do it? Bring in some support! This week, Anne and Frances talk to a listener whose expert sales team can no longer keep up with everything the company offers. Together, Anne and Frances outline ways to simplify work for a stressed out team—including the use of AI to reduce complexit…

1
Planet Hunters: Secrets of the Exoplanet Boom 40:27

1M ago40:27

40:27

Tim and Syma talk to Ray Pirrehumbert, author of Planetary Systems: A Very Short Introduction, about planets orbiting far away stars. They learn how these distant objects that we will never visit are detect, a little bit about a few of them, and how we might detect life on a far-away planet. If you are interested where aliens might live, this is th…

1
FEATHERS with Allison Shultz 25:30

1M ago25:30

25:30

Plumage! Dance battles! Possible holographic disco birds? Natural History Museum of LA ornithology curator Dr. Allison Shultz is a professional plumologist aka feather expert. We visit the museum’s collection of rare specimens and chat about everything from fossilized dinosaur feathers to peacock tails, the fanciest roosters, quill pens, pigments, …

51
ID, please? China’s new internet rules and what they could mean for us 30:05

2M ago30:05

30:05

Big Brother is getting new powers in China with a digital ID system eerily similar to that being proposed in the upcoming teen social media ban. What are the privacy risks involved in needing your government ID to use any old website on the internet? And could this tech be seen in Australia anytime soon? Teachers have been struggling to manage stud…

1
Why AI is our ultimate test and greatest invitation | Tristan Harris 18:40

2M ago18:40

18:40

Technologist Tristan Harris has an urgent question: What if the way we’re deploying the world’s most powerful technology — artificial intelligence — isn’t inevitable, but a choice? In this eye-opening talk, he calls on us to learn from the mistakes of social media’s catastrophic rollout and confront the predictable dangers of reckless AI developmen…

1
The Madness of the Silicon Valley Ultra-rich 45:32

2M ago45:32

45:32

Tim and Syma talk to Adam Becker about his stunning new book, "More Everything Forever". They explore how the philosophy of effective altruism aligns with flawed scientific ideas about how humanity can create super-intelligent AI before colonizing the galaxy. The philosophy is as flawed as the science. Your likes and subscriptions are really import…

1
FUN with Catherine Price 24:58

2M ago24:58

24:58

What exactly is “fun?” How will you know when you’re having it? What’s a fun magnet? Catherine Price is an award-winning journalist and author who spent years researching the science of fun for her book “The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again.” She let me lob many questions at her including: what’s the difference between happiness and laughter a…

51
How do we tell what's real and what's not, when the internet is flooded with AI slop? 29:35

2M ago29:35

29:35

Do you think you can tell the difference between what's real and what's made by AI? What about writing? Or even music? More AI-generated content is making its way into what we hear, read, and write and it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference. And when we can't tell who's making the things we consume, we can't tell their intentions beh…

1
Are we cooked? How social media shapes your language | Adam Aleksic 16:18

2M ago16:18

16:18

Gen Z slang is rife with new words like "unalive," "skibidi" and "rizz." Where do these words come from — and how do they get popular so fast? Linguist Adam Aleksic explores how the forces of social media algorithms are reshaping the way people talk and view their very own identities. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search…

1
Fossils and Feathers: Rethinking What We Know About Dinosaurs 36:48

2M ago36:48

36:48

Tim and Syma talk to dinosaur expert, Roger Benson, from the American Museum of Natural History. They learn why there were no small dinosaurs, how the animals lived their lives, and why they are relevant today. Interested in #T.Rex #Diplodocus or #Velociraptor? This is the episode for you. Our sponsor for this episode is Grace and Garbo! Thank you.…

1
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING with Iddris Sandu 25:04

2M ago25:04

25:04

At just 22, Iddris Sandu’s life story was already legendary. This Architectural Technologist learned to program at the age of 11 and has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Nipsey Hussle to Space X. In this episode from 2020 we talk coding, holograms, what ancient flutes have to do with computers, how programming works and why it's important. T…

1
Molecular Programming Decadal Flightplan: Panel on collaboration, part 1 1:05:32

2M ago1:05:32

1:05:32

Our sister organization, the Molecular Programming Society, is organizing a "Decadal Flightplan Initiative", gathering researchers from across molecular programming in Seattle next week to sketch out what the next 10 years of the field could look like. They'll be thinking about what types of research should be done, what technology we need to devel…

1
Molecular Programming Decadal Flightplan: Panel on collaboration, part 2 47:02

2M ago47:02

47:02

Our sister organization, the Molecular Programming Society, is organizing a Decadal Flightplan Initiative, gathering researchers from across molecular programming in Seattle next week to sketch out what the next 10 years of the field could look like. They'll be thinking about what types of research should be done, what technology we need to develop…

1
EP 19 - Why Most Companies Fail at Cybersecurity in 2025: AI, Phishing & Human Error Explained 4:48

2M ago4:48

4:48

Modern threats are evolving faster than many organizations can adapt. In this opening episode, John Paladino outlines why security fundamentals like 2FA are still being overlooked — and how that leaves businesses vulnerable. Learn how AI, human error, and global risk are changing the threat landscape, and why traditional approaches like phishing …

1
With 9,000 new layoffs at Microsoft, is AI set to change the gaming industry forever? 29:36

2M ago29:36

29:36

In recent years, like many other big technology firms, Microsoft has refocused its business towards developing AI, and this week the firm has announced it's slashing 9,000 jobs. A large chunk of these jobs are coming from its Xbox video gaming unit, with successful and longstanding titles like Elder Scrolls and Forza Motorport in the firing line. W…

1
The best way to lower Earth’s temperature — fast | Daniel Zavala-Araiza 13:04

2M ago13:04

13:04

There's an invisible super-pollutant heating up the planet — but it's surprisingly easy to reduce, if we try. Revealing how methane contributes (way) more in the short term to global warming than carbon dioxide, chemical engineer Daniel Zavala-Araiza highlights the emerging technologies and bold new policies that are part of a worldwide effort to h…

1
New antibiotics are needed to change the game. 21:45

2M ago21:45

21:45

Syma gives the second annual Ibn Sina lecture in Bradford City Hall. The event was hosted by the Muslim Institute and the Lord Mayor of Bradford. She discusses her work on using computer simulations to understand how harmful bacteria protect themselves. It is important we understand how they do this, so we can thwart them with new antibiotics. To v…

1
SHARKS with Chris Lowe 25:15

2M ago25:15

25:15

SHAAAARKS. Leading shark researcher Dr. Chris Lowe dishes about why sharks get a bad rap, antibiotic mucus, 120 year old teenagers, eye lasers, and how to snooze when you’ve got to keep swimming. Alie learns that sharks are not the ocean's bad guys but true evolutionary marvels who suffer from sensationalized reputations and sometimes inside-out bu…

1
An expert has quit over the government's planned social media ban, what now? 29:35

2M ago29:35

29:35

This week on Download This Show, we're getting up to speed with what on Earth is going on with the teen social media ban. From new standards being announced to experts quitting in protest -- it's proving to be a busy time for the people making decisions about what our teens get to see online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc…

1
Are we still human if robots help raise our babies? | Sarah Blaffer Hrdy (Kelly Corrigan takeover) 24:43

2M ago24:43

24:43

AI is transforming the way we work — could it also reshape what makes us human? In this quick and insightful talk, evolutionary anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy explores how the human brain was shaped by millions of years of shared childcare and mutually supportive communities, asking a provocative question: If robots help raise the next generatio…

1
Jonathan Amos The Voice Behind BBC Science A Day in the Life 35:42

2M ago35:42

35:42

In This episode Tim & Syma talk to Jonathan Amos - recently retired science correspondent at the BBC. Jon talks us through his fascinating journey falling in love science through exposure to it via journalism and then going to study it more formally. From setting up the BBC website to breaking some of the big science stories - Jon tells his story h…

1
SCORPIONS with Lauren Esposito 25:19

2M ago25:19

25:19

Scorpions: the victims of undue shade. A handful of people on planet Earth have a PhD in scorpions and Dr. Lauren Esposito is one of them. She spills the beans on how venom works, what's up with the blacklight glow effect, how dangerous they *really* are, what all the movies get wrong, the best names for scorpions, where she's traveled to look unde…

1
How are online tools being used to resist fascism across the globe? 36:43

2M ago36:43

36:43

The apps and online tools that are being used in international political action, Tesla drama and the future of autonomous vehicles, what's going on with AI search engine overviews, and the story behind 40,000 cameras being exposed to the internet. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
Can AI companions help heal loneliness? | Eugenia Kuyda 14:48

2M ago14:48

14:48

AI companions could either be the cure to our loneliness epidemic … or humanity’s final downfall, says Eugenia Kuyda, creator of Replika — an app that allows you to create AI friends. She explores the potential of this technology to either exacerbate isolation or encourage connection, advocating for an AI whose success is driven not by clicks and s…

1
Life’s Left Turn: The Strange Science Behind Molecular Asymmetry 34:11

3M ago34:11

34:11

Some biological molecules can be left handed or right handed - the sugars that are found in nucleic acids are right handed, whereas 19 of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins are left handed. And intriguingly samples of amino acids found on meteorites such as those brought back from the OSIRIX-REx missing from Bennu were present in mixtures con…

1
ISLANDS with Andy Kraemer 25:03

3M ago25:03

25:03

What IS an island? How do birds and plants and mammals GET there? What happens when they stay? Dr. Andy Kraemer studies how life populates and survives on hunks of remote rock and chats all about the Galapagos Islands -- where he does his research. We address the smallest island in the world, the largest, some bananas biological adaptations, Darwin…

1
Could a new copyright lawsuit from Disney change the way we use AI? 29:36

3M ago29:36

29:36

A lawsuit from the house of mouse, Apple being forced to let you download apps outside the app store, a huge hole in Gmail's data security, plus a world where generative AI is doing critical computer coding. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
Why are we sending critical metals to the dump? | Jeff More 8:35

3M ago8:35

8:35

The world is heading toward a massive copper shortage that could derail the clean energy transition, says mining expert Jeff More. He shows how advanced sensing technology could get us back on the right track, drastically cutting down on the wasted materials from traditional mining and helping meet the growing demand for essential metals. For a cha…