NSF’s Discovery Files Podcast
This is the Discovery Files Podcast from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Join us as we explore the latest breakthroughs in science, technology and engineering with the researchers making these discoveries. Learn how scientific innovation bolsters the U.S. economy, supports our Nation’s interests around the globe, and improves the lives of Americans.
Episodes
U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researcher Jonathan Zuegel discusses the future of high-powered laser research in the United States, the ambitious NSF Optical Parametric Amplifier Line (NSF OPAL) laser facility. NSF OPAL is designed to give researchers unprecedented capabilities to investigate open questions at the frontiers of science.
New and ambitious ideas lay the foundation for the next generation of technologies. NSF-supported researcher Ethan Secor discusses a specialized additive manufacturing technique, the materials involved, and the resulting circuits that can be customized for complex 3D surfaces.
U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researcher Louise Willingale discusses the most powerful laser in the United States, the NSF Zettawatt Equivalent Ultrashort Pulse Laser System, how it's being used to advance science, and how it will become even more powerful in the future.
From atoms and molecules to cells, understanding the building blocks of the natural world can lead to transformative technologies. NSF-supported researcher Torrey Rhyne-Carrigg discusses DNA initiators, using models for analysis, and her experience in the Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Coordinated action across disciplines can deliver transformative technologies. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researcher Rajesh Menon discusses his work combining optical systems with cutting-edge nanofabrication.
Scientific discovery can unlock innovations that develop into technologies with extraordinary properties. NSF-supported researcher Morteza Kayyalha discusses his work developing quantum-enabled materials and devices.
Solutions-oriented research is improving the lives of American people. NSF-supported researcher Jeremy Brown discusses his work developing interfaces with haptic feedback, including upper-limb prosthetics, rehabilitation tools, and surgical robotics.
Advanced technologies are transforming industry, society, and people's daily lives. Shelly Zhang, an NSF-supported researcher, discusses her work using additive manufacturing and topology optimization to create new structures, including a 3D thermal cloaking device.
Cutting-edge science and technology advancements are revolutionizing artificial intelligence systems. Mark Hersam an NSF-supported researcher, discusses nanoelectronic materials and how acerebellum-inspired approach may transform how AI performs in wearable devices.
Advances in materials science have delivered everything from nylon stockings to artificial joints. Chunlei Guo, an NSF-supported researcher, discusses his work using femtosecond lasers to design materials with highly functionalized purposes.
U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researchers are behind an educational effort to introduce artificial intelligence techniques to elementary school children. Educator Carrie Robledo discusses her project, "AI Insect Detectives," and experience as a 2026 Presidential AI Challenge national champion.
Tiffany Barnes, Shiyan Jiang and Xiaoyi Tian discuss their U.S. National Science Foundation-supported project "ElementaryAI," the challenges of introducing artificial intelligence concepts into elementary school curriculum and how the project led to a win in the inaugural Presidential AI Challenge.
NSF Noirlab's Robert Blum, director of operations for the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, discusses the observatory's signature mission, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, and how it will transform the way we study the universe.
As the 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time officially starts and the greatest cosmic movie ever made is captured, U.S. National Science Foundation Program Officer Edward Ajhar discusses the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory and how it will transform the way people study the universe.
An innovative new engineering approach may lead to denser, more powerful microchips and computing systems. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researcher Qing Cao discusses a new monolithic, 3D-integrated silicon microchip and how it might impact artificial intelligence systems.
New, lifesaving treatments can be found at the intersection of bioengineering and medicine. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported professor Neil Forbes discusses how the bacteria salmonella can be modified for treatment against some of the deadliest cancers.
U.S. National Science Foundation-supported professor and director of the NSF Center for Complex Particle Systems Nicholas Kotov discusses complex materials and the development of new fused silk materials with applications in security and communications.
Hypertension affects nearly half of U.S. adults, and 10% of those cases don’t respond well to treatment. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported professor Tao Zhou discusses the development of a new 3D-printed hydrogel-based bioelectronic device for hypertension treatment.
Secure information is essential in the digital exchanges of modern life. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported professor Vinod Vaikuntanathan discusses quantum cryptography and the future of encryption.
Advancements in science and technology impact the well-being of the American people. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported professor Payam Heydari discusses a breakthrough brain-computer interface that controls a robotic exoskeleton, technology that could transform the lives of people living with spinal cord injuries.
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