Innovation Hub

How well do you remember your past? Dr. Julia Shaw explains why your memory isn't nearly as good as you think it is.

This week, we're gifting you I-Hub a few days early. Just another thing to be thankful for. There are a lot of lessons one can learn from the election. But one of the most vital is how important place is; how where you live can shape your worldview and how your worldview can shape the place you live. This episode, we’re exploring the idea of place.

Helping refugees - and others - generally means giving them things like blankets, clothes, and food. Radha Rajkotia thinks we should try handing out cash. Plus, Jessica Tracy explains why one of the seven deadly sins could be a good thing, after all. And finally, advances in genetic engineering have allowed scientists to make decisions that could affect millions of people. Kevin Esvelt thinks the public should have a voice in those decisions.

Do we know what refugees need better than they do? Radha Rajkotia of the International Rescue Committee tells us why giving cash, rather than food and other supplies, could be a better model for foreign aid to refugees.

Gene technology is becoming more and more powerful… and could affect more and more people. MIT researcher Kevin Esvelt tells us why he thinks the public needs to have a say in how we use it.

Pride isn’t just for cheating athletes or bullies. Psychology professor Jessica Tracy explains why pride is a key emotion in human civilization.

Ezra Cornell was fired from his job due to after the Panic of 1837… then helped create our modern communication network.

Surprised by the election? Us too. Psychologist Mahzarin Banaji thinks our unconscious biases might explain the difference between the public’s expectations and the results.

Trump promised to bring back jobs from China and Mexico. But, according to MIT researcher Andrew McAfee, not only are those jobs not coming back - they don’t even exist anymore. No matter who you voted for, you were probably surprised by Trump’s triumph. Psychology professor Mahzarin Banaji thinks implicit bias might help us understand the difference between the polls and the actual results. A former reality TV star will be the 45th president of the United States. Columbia Law School’s Tim Wu explains how Donald Trump was able to capture our attention.

How exactly was Donald Trump able to captivate us on his path to the White House? Columbia University Professor Tim Wu explains.

America's manufacturing industry has been hollowed out by globalization and automation. Donald Trump promises he can revive it. MIT researcher Andrew McAfee says that’s not possible.

There are things you should be very afraid of. According to security expert Juliette Kayyem, terrorism isn’t one of them. But science writer Annalee Newitz tells us that mass extinction is. Plus, our seeds are becoming less diverse. Conservationist Cary Fowler says this is something you should care about, if you consider eating crucial to your health.

It’s very unlikely that you will be killed by a far-off terrorist group. So why do we worry about it so much? National security expert Juliette Kayyem explains what we should - and shouldn’t - be afraid of.

Cary Fowler thinks we might be in trouble. But he’s got a solution. A tiny, tiny solution.

Afraid of the apocalypse? Well, maybe you shouldn’t worry too much. The Earth has already gone through at least five.

Think glancing at Facebook isn’t a big deal? Well, Cal Newport says it can significantly derail your train of thought for about 10 minutes.

Robert Propst was a brilliant inventor who wanted to make a better office. Instead, he created something he hated.

According to researcher Brittany Solomon, there’s one personality trait in a husband or wife that can predict success for their spouse: conscientiousness.

How do money and happiness intersect when it comes to finding a job? Economist Robert Frank thinks he might have the answer.

That quick glance at Facebook… it’s kind of a big deal. Professor Cal Newport says it can significantly derail your train of thought for about 10 minutes. Plus, Immigration may be a contentious issue in this election, but immigrants are absolutely essential to our economic success. Cabinet member Maria Contreras-Sweet explains. And finally, economist Robert Frank talks love, money, and happiness.

Do you remember your first job? Odds are, it was with a local small business. One of President Obama’s cabinet members talks small businesses, immigration, and jobs.

Are you really, really tired of this election? Well, maybe democracy isn’t the best form of government. Plus, teenagers are… hard to understand. Neurology professor Frances Jensen says it’s all because of their still-developing brains. And finally, what if campaigns aren’t as important as you thought?

Thinking about this election kinda makes you wonder: is there a better system than democracy? Jason Brennan thinks there should be.

It seems like every election is a high-wire race whose outcome is always in doubt. But what if campaigns weren’t as important as you thought?

Why can’t you get your teen out of bed in the morning? Why are they so impulsive? Frances Jensen says their still-developing brains are to blame.

Healthcare in our society needs a band-aid. Here are a few of our favorite conversations about the big challenges in health – and how we might fix them.

Even if you don’t know an Allen wrench from an isosceles triangle, we’ve got a show for you. From why high school math is overrated to why you aren’t able to repair your iPhone, here are some of our best conversations about the fun side of our technical world.

There was a battle for the soul of Silicon Valley, and the libertarians won. Investing legend Roger McNamee talks about how the tech world has changed - and why that could slow future progress. Then, Sasha Issenberg tells us how campaigns are using data to make sure their candidate wins. And finally, Pokemon Go may or may not be a fad… but augmented reality will change the way we see the world.