Innovation Uncovered

Lux Machina, a company in Los Angeles specializing in film production, display technology and in-camera VFX, uses LEDs to create immersive movie sets designed to make people feel a part of the story. By producing shots interactively, Lux is speeding up production while reducing costs and its carbon footprint. This week Kristen Meinzer sits down with Phil Galler, co-CEO of Lux Machina, which builds believable realities for movies, v...

Xenobots are very tiny robots composed of organic cellular material. According to researchers, the programmable living things are made of frog stem cells. They can swim in fluid, join forces to act collectively and move small objects, which in the future could make them useful for monitoring radioactivity, diseases and pollutants. This week Kristen Meinzer sits down with Josh Bongard, Veinott Professor of Computer Science, Universi...

Endless West creates award-winning whiskeys and spirits using a process that breaks down the alcoholic beverages to the molecular level. A fine whiskey typically requires 10 years to age, but this tech startup recreates spirits in less than a day. This week Kristen Meinzer talks to Alec Lee, CEO of San Francisco-based Endless West, to learn how it’s using a fraction of the resources to make environmentally friendly liquor in a lab....

Interplay Learning is breathing new life into the workforce by bringing skilled trades, like HVAC, plumbing and electrical, into the digital world. The company is closing the skills gap by helping more than 75,000 people build key technical skills. This week Kristen Meinzer sits down with Doug Donovan, CEO of Austin, Texas-based Interplay Learning, to discuss how his team is modernizing the labor market. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Take Two Foods is changing the game for milk lovers everywhere by creating milk made out of barley. The company is encouraging less waste and a healthier planet by upcycling spent grain into a nutrient-rich plant-based protein. This week, Kristen Meinzer talks to Jerek Theo Lovey, co-founder and C.E.O. of Portland, Ore.-based Take Two Foods, about the company’s plans to create circular solutions with a positive impact on the food s...

Aquagenuity tracks water quality in real time using a business intelligence tool that allows consumers to search their ZIP code to learn exactly what’s in their local water supply. By digitizing water quality data using predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and data science, people can make more informed decisions for the long-term health of their communities. This week, Kristen Meinzer talks to Doll Avant, founder and C.E....

Gold Rush Vinyl is revolutionizing vinyl record production by producing albums nearly three times faster than the industry standard. Its success lies in producing and hand-inspecting vinyl in house, allowing the company to deliver high-quality records quicker and more efficiently. This week, Kristen Meinzer talks to Caren Kelleher, founder of Austin, Texas, Gold Rush Vinyl. We’ll learn how the pressing plant implements lean product...

Starkey is reinventing hearing aids with artificial intelligence that tracks brain and body health and translates languages in real time. The innovation was deemed impossible a decade ago. Now the high-tech company is transforming how people communicate around the world. This week, Kristen Meinzer sits down with Achin Bhowmik, the chief technology officer and executive vice president of engineering at Minneapolis-based Starkey, to ...

At 5 a.m. across college football fields nationwide, receivers are catching balls with uncanny athleticism. Instead of starting QBs initiating the action, however, it’s the Seeker, the world’s first robotic quarterback that passes, punts and kicks. Using software, sensors and motors to track movement, it can hit every route imaginable. By increasing efficiency, reducing risk of injury and enhancing practice time, this innovation is...

Some of the most groundbreaking ideas and discoveries are happening around us, transforming how we play, connect, what we consume and more. Join the culture critic Kristen Meinzer for a new season of “Innovation Uncovered.” This season, Meinzer explores new approaches to business and technology with agents of innovation whose work is reshaping our world in extraordinary ways — from a pair of young entrepreneurs who invented a robot...

What do rocket science and basketball have in common? Hosts Corey S. Powell and Kristen Meinzer explore how the data revolution has fundamentally altered modern basketball, both on and off the court. Technology used to track missiles is now being adapted to track passes and three-point shots, inform coaches’ calls and help amateur players perfect their practice. Episode Guests: Ivana Seric, Data Analyst for Professional Basketball ...

Can special effects in film make reality more … real? Hosts Corey S. Powell and Kristen Meinzer enter the world of movie magic and investigate how it’s changing our perception of reality. Popular films use special effects to alter the appearance of actors, blurring the line between reality and special effects. And especially now when actors and camera crews can’t be in close proximity to one another, innovations in visual effects t...

Can V.R. help older people feel more connected to the world — and those who love them? Hosts Corey S. Powell and Kristen Meinzer dive into the new V.R. technology that’s helping seniors feel less isolated. Being lonely and isolated can worsen health conditions when you’re older, studies show, but innovations in virtual travel can provide a tangible sense of connection and love that can mitigate those stressors. Episode Guests: Isaa...

Can artificial intelligence write pop songs? Hosts Corey S. Powell and Kristen Meinzer discuss how A.I. and algorithms are changing how music is created and shared — and how musicians are adapting. Concerts are happening virtually. Apps are curating playlists that match the speed of your run. And A.I. is helping artists compose song. Episode Guests: Holly Herndon, composer, performer and sound artist and Lars Rasmussen, Co-Founder ...

A focus on nature is breathing new life into how we design our homes — even our cities. Hosts Corey S. Powell and Kristen Meinzer explore the principles of biophilia: the foundation of a design practice that incorporates the living patterns of the outdoor world into the places where we live and work. Human beings gravitate to nature, studies show, and “natureful” designs improve our mood and wellbeing — a necessity with people spen...

What does innovation mean right now, in light of everything that’s changed — and is still changing? Some of the most groundbreaking ideas and discoveries are unfolding close to home, shifting how we play, what we consume, how we connect. Join science journalist Corey S. Powell and culture critic Kristen Meinzer as they explore what innovation looks like today — and where we’re headed in the future. “Innovation Uncovered” is a new p...