Things You Can't Live Without
All Episodes
3. Edward Burtynsky on using one camera tripod across 50 countries and 30 years
27:05||Season 2, Ep. 3Revered photographic artist Edward Burtynsky shares how his carbon-fibre camera tripod has become indispensable in his documentation of human impacts on the planet. He tells Dr Anna about his artistic approach to industrial landscapes, especially those affected by fuel production. They are joined by Rio Tinto’s Chief Decarbonisation Officer, Jonathon McCarthy, who shares progress on the mining industry’s move toward durable, efficient materials and energy sources. Listen to hear stories behind Edward’s photographs, learn about the developments in EV batteries, and how the crossover of art and science helps us communicate critical climate issues. Show Notes: To see Edward's photographs mentioned in this episode, visit his website here: https://www.edwardburtynsky.com/projects/photographs/shipbreaking2. Jon Lampley on blowing his trumpet, outdoor venues and the ethics of AI in music
24:26||Season 2, Ep. 2Renowned trumpeter Jon Lampley performs on national TV in the Stephen Colbert house band, to stadiums of people, and alone in his small home studio - but which does he prefer? Jon tells Dr Anna about the significance of his custom-built trumpet, his unique sound and his most memorable performances. They are also joined by Shawn Lyndon, Chief Digital Officer at Rio Tinto, to explore the balance between analogue authenticity and digital convenience. Shawn shares how digitization enhances their operations, from environmental preservation to making sites safer. Listen to find out about the positive impacts of AI on creativity as well as the ethical considerations surrounding its use, and how digital advancements might democratise creativity in the future.1. Dr Adam Rutherford on bodies, blue-sky projects and blue-blooded crabs
24:48||Season 2, Ep. 1Geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford relies on refrigeration to preserve the unique DNA samples that underpin his lab work. Furthermore, as he explains to Dr Anna, fridges are good for keeping his beer cold! In an episode all about research and development, Adam and Anna are joined by Marie-Pierre Paquin, Head of Science and Partnerships at Rio Tinto, to explore how a mix of curiosity, diligence and data leads to scientific breakthroughs. Listen to find out how many periodic table elements are in the human body, why some parts of the world are richer in DNA samples than others, and why certain crustaceans have blue blood.Get ready for Series 2
01:55||Season 2, Ep. 0Series 2 of Things You Can’t Live Without is coming soon. Here’s Dr Anna Ploszajski with a preview of what you can expect. Make sure you follow the show to hear new episodes as they launch.10. Hod Lipson’s Graphics Processing Unit: AI, robots eating robots and the unsung material that helps power our computers
24:45||Season 1, Ep. 10Hod Lipson - Columbia University professor and award-winning robotics researcher - shares with Dr. Anna the one item he can’t live without - his Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The conversation reveals how much GPUs underpin our electronic world, and how one somewhat unsung element - boron - is at the heart of making them work. Rio Tinto’s Chief Executive, Minerals, Sinead Kaufman, unpicks what boron is, how it’s extracted, and what needs to be done to keep us having the electronic devices so many of us rely on. We also look at how AI might have a role to play in the future of mining, why boron is “the WD-40 of the world” and what’s being done to help sustainability by “robots eating robots”!9. Dr. Leah Alconcel’s Lasers: Missions to Jupiter, space junk and the future of communications
25:48||Season 1, Ep. 9Spacecraft engineer Dr. Leah Alconcel joins Dr. Anna to tell her about the one item she can’t live without - her lasersFrom sending spacecraft to Saturn to the possibility of being able to watch TikTok in outer space, Dr. Leah shares the critical role that lasers have in her life. We are joined again by Rio’s Chief Scientist, Nigel Steward, who reveals how lasers are in fact a fundamental part of everyone’s daily lives and the role of the very small but powerful metals called Rare Earths which ironically (and thankfully) are not that rare.8. Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza’s Field Microscope: Boiling rivers, ancient Chinese water microscopes and working with communities to ensure ecosystems into the future
27:31||Season 1, Ep. 8Chemical biologist and explorer Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza shares with Dr. Anna the one item she can’t live without - her field microscope. Dr. Rosa takes us on an expedition to the Amazon as we understand how integral her microscope is to her day-to-day work searching for the tiniest creatures, from heat-loving microbes that exist in boiling rivers to the stingless bee native to Peru. Another exploration expert - Rio Tinto’s Managing Director of Studies, Alison Morley - joins us to share tales of following the clues found in the patterns in rocks and what these patterns tell us about our earth, before Dr. Anna asks both Dr. Rosa and Alison how we can ensure that these ecosystems being explored are protected for our future.7. Buddha Lo’s Salt: Thanksgiving turkeys, open-water swimming and a material fundamental to our survival
25:59||Season 1, Ep. 7Cooking sensation and two-time Top Chef winner Buddha Lo joins Dr. Anna to share the one item he can’t live without - salt.Buddha takes us to his kitchen in New York where he explains its critical role in food not just today, but throughout history. Rio Tinto’s Chief Advisor Process Development, Amy Lamb, joins the discussion to explain salt’s journey from the sea to the table and why you can’t eat the salt you use to grit the road, before Dr. Anna asks what lengths they’d go to to ensure that we didn’t have to live without this vital material.6. Alie Ward’s Insulated Flask: Nicknames, vacuums and the reality of low carbon steel
22:21||Season 1, Ep. 6Daytime Emmy Award-winning science communicator, podcaster, TV presenter, writer and food buff Alie Ward joins Dr. Anna to share her unquenchable love for the item she can’t live without - her insulated flask. As a self-confessed ice fiend, Alie shares the daily amazement her flask provides, which she tells Dr. Anna is akin to magic. To help unravel some of the mystery, chemist and broadcaster Andrea Sella helps lift the lid on the science of vacuums and we are joined again by Rio Tinto’s Chief Advisor of Discovery, Marie-Pierre Paquin, who delivers Alie the amazing news that a future of low carbon steel is coming.
loading...