Happy Fourth of July from the Where What If Becomes What’s Next podcast team and Carnegie Mellon University.

As we celebrate independence and look towards the future, our host Randy Scott reflects on the spirit of innovation and forward-thinking embodied by Carnegie Mellon University. For generations, CMU has been a place for questions, like: What if we could teach computers to learn? What if we could create art with algorithms? What if we could build robots that transform industries? These weren't just questions; they were the sparks that ignited groundbreaking research, revolutionary technologies, and world-changing ideas.

But the Fourth of July isn't just about looking back; it's about looking forward. And for Carnegie Mellon, the journey from "What if?" is always evolving into "What's Next?" What's next for sustainable energy? What's next for personalized medicine? What's next for the human-AI frontier?

As you enjoy your celebrations, take a moment to appreciate the spirit of inquiry and the pursuit of progress. Because between the bold "What if?" and the exciting "What's Next?" – lives the spirit of independence and limitless possibilities!

What if instead of avoiding stress we actually leaned into it – and built resilience for next time?

In this episode, we speak with Dr. David Creswell, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Carnegie Mellon University, about reframing our relationship with stress. Creswell argues that modern "comfort culture" contributes to rising stress levels because we avoid discomfort that actually builds resilience. He advocates for "equanimity reps" – deliberately engaging with uncomfortable experiences through meditation, exercise, or journaling to train a more resilient brain. His research led to the creation of Equa, an AI-powered meditation app that uses smartphone sensors to track breathing patterns during sessions, providing personalized feedback on mindfulness skill development. Our conversation also explores the future of stress management, emphasizing the role of AI and technology in understanding and improving mental health.

Dr. David Creswell is the William S. Dietrich II Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University. He's also a co-founder of Equa Health.

In the second part of a special two-part episode on Game Theory, CMU’s Kevin Zollman discusses how the principles of Game Theory can be used for the betterment of humanity – including improving social interactions, addressing complex global challenges like hunger, and improving personal relationships. He emphasizes the importance of changing the game to create positive outcomes and explores the future of Game Theory in relation to AI, technology and social dynamics.

Kevin Zollman is the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Institute for Complex Social Dynamics at Carnegie Mellon University.

Have you ever been stuck in traffic and switched lanes, only to watch your old lane start moving faster? Or perhaps you've stood in a grocery line, debating whether to move to the shorter line, knowing others are thinking the same thing? Welcome to Game Theory in action.

In Part 1 of a two-part episode, we explore the fascinating world of Game Theory with Kevin Zollman, a leading game theorist and professor at Carnegie Mellon University. We discuss the fundamentals of Game Theory, its real-world applications, and how it influences various aspects of life, from parenting to business negotiations. The conversation delves into key concepts such as zero-sum games, the Nash Equilibrium, and the Prisoner's Dilemma, illustrating how these theories can help us understand strategic decision-making in everyday situations. We also touch on the future of Game Theory in scientific research – including the behavior of viruses – and its implications for social dynamics.

Kevin Zollman is the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Institute for Complex Social Dynamics at Carnegie Mellon University.

What if a small startup transformed the future of artificial intelligence in the blink of an algorithm?

This conversation explores the transformative impact of DeepSeek, a groundbreaking AI chatbot that has disrupted the AI landscape by offering competitive performance at a fraction of the cost of its counterparts. Plus, DeepSeek’s open source model offers transparency and crowdsourced improvements while providing greater access to AI technology for developers and even nations. Experts discuss the innovations behind DeepSeek, its implications for the future of AI, and the broader trends and challenges in AI development, including its role in scientific discovery, the potential for agentic AI and the possibility of a “zero click” future.

The conversation features insights from Param Vir Singh, the Associate Dean for Research and Carnegie Bosch Professor of Business Technologies and Marketing at CMU’s Tepper School of Business; and Graham Neubig, an Associate Professor at the CMU Language Technology Institute in the School of Computer Science.

What role should new technologies – such as robots, artificial intelligence and virtual reality – play in theatrical arts? And how are educators preparing their students for the future of this art form?

This episode explores the future of arts education, particularly in theater, focusing on how educators are preparing students for a tech-driven world. It discusses the importance of arts education for social-emotional learning, the challenges faced by theater programs, and the innovative ways technology is being integrated into the arts.

The conversation features insights from theater educators Kyle Haden the Senior Associate Head at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and Roshunda Jones-Koumba, Theatre Director at George Washington Carver Magnet School in Houston, and the recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Theater Education Tony Award, sponsored by CMU, highlighting the significance of empathy, collaboration, and the evolving landscape of theater education.

What if AI and an emerging new technology called quantum science could save millions of lives from diseases like cancer or pneumonia? In this second part on Healing with Intelligence – we're exploring how quantum science has the potential to transform healthcare by helping doctors to better diagnose, monitor, and treat illness.

We meet a pioneer in quantum science and health care – Sridhar Tayur - the Ford Distinguished Research Chair and University Professor of Operations Management at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. Sridhar explains how quantum science not only creates faster diagnoses and medical analysis by astronomical amounts – it can also create better results. He uses pneumonia diagnosis as a case in point. The discussion highlights the differences between quantum and classical computing, the speed and accuracy improvements in diagnostics, and the potential for future innovations in patient care, powered by quantum science and machine learning.

In today’s episode – the first of a two-parter on Healing with Intelligence – we're exploring how robots, artificial intelligence, and an emerging new technology called quantum science are transforming healthcare by helping doctors to better diagnose, monitor, and treat illness.

In part one, we provide a sampling of some of those new technologies – including a head-worn device that can command a robot to help those with limited motion perform daily tasks ranging from making dinner to scratching an itch.

And then we meet Justin Chan, an assistant professor at CMU in the School of Computer Science, who has invented several AI-powered healthcare devices, including a wearable AI-powered camera that can help clinicians avoid medication errors while reducing risks and improving patient care.

Justin discusses some of his other inventions that use AI to leverage ubiquitous smart devices to help diagnose conditions like ear infections and even predict heart attacks – technologies that not only save lives, but also bridge the gap in healthcare access, especially in underserved populations. The episode concludes with a look at the future of AI in public health and the importance of innovation in addressing global health challenges.