ASU KEDtalks are the bridge between your curiosity and what ASU researchers are exploring and discovering. KEDtalks spark ideas, indulge curiosity and inspire action. They connect you to others like you – people who care and want to know more.
Helping humans and robots work as teams, disarming disinformation, fighting cancer with our own immune systems — these are just a few of the big ideas that ASU researchers are exploring. Learn about their work and what drives them in our latest season of ASU KEDtalks.
There’s something in the water — plastic. An unfathomable amount of plastic has made its way into our oceans, but Charlie Rolsky believes we can make small changes in our lives to turn the tide of plastic pollution for a cleaner world and healthier ecosystems.
No stranger to resistance, Regents’ Professor Aditi Chattopadhyay has forged her own path in aerospace engineering to design resilient materials capable of withstanding the rigors of the world.
Robots and artificial intelligence are growing more and more autonomous. But they still need to work smoothly with humans to be effective. ASU Professor Nancy Cooke explores how humans, robots and AI can best work together as a team.
There's an insidious threat that seeks to divide the nation and undermine our faith in democracy — disinformation. ASU researcher Scott Ruston offers tips on how to defend yourself.
Could unleashing the body’s immune system cure cancer? Karen Anderson reveals how a scientific breakthrough that empowers the body’s own cancer-killing T cells offers new hope.
Mark Naufel launched Luminosity with moonshot ideas in mind. Now, interdisciplinary teams of students with bright ideas are designing, building and deploying innovations that positively impact society.
For Meli'sa Crawford, talking about poop isn’t gross or impolite — it’s an important part of a day’s work. She studies poop to learn about the microbiome, or gut bacteria, and to understand how gut bacteria affect your health.
The Interstate 10 spans the U.S. and offers a living laboratory for exploring the biggest issues of our time. Duke Reiter explains how ASU’s Ten Across (10X) initiative is using this transect to plan a resilient future.
Is innovation always good? And is more always better? Not without "soul work," says Gaymon Bennett. He explains what soul work, shadow and spirituality have to do with our fixation on innovation in a new KEDtalk format with bonus podcast.
ASU geologist Christy Till explains how tiny crystals that form in magma could one day help us build an early warning system for volcanic eruptions — and how she made a grand leap from ballet to science.
Paulo Shakarian tells us how mining the dark web can throw light on cybercriminals and thwart their impending attacks. He likens his research strategy to that of a soldier running reconnaissance on the enemy.
Craig Hardgrove tells us how the first self-propelled, shoebox-sized spacecraft could reveal the whereabouts of water on the moon and what that means to Earthlings. He also explains why small spacecraft allow us to take bigger risks.
In many parts of the world, locust swarms devastate crops and communities. Arianne Cease is trying to change that.
By revealing what is hidden in plain sight, Chris Wharton illuminates a path to health, wealth, happiness and sustainability.
Water is cheap. It falls from the sky. But the infrastructure to store, transport and clean it is expensive. Michael Hanemann brings the true cost to the surface and explains why it’s going to get higher.
Like throwing trash into the street, each year we pump tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Klaus Lackner has developed technology poised to collect and reuse our carbon while cleaning the air.
In our modern sharing economy, apps let us catch a ride or find a place to stay – for a price. Amber Wutich says we’ve lost something vital in commodifying what we used to share. Find out what we’re missing and how to get it back.
Ariel Anbar spent years studying our planet’s past. Then a simple question inspired him to consider our role in designing Earth’s future for the better.
Some soaps leave a residue that reaches far beyond your shower door. Rolf Halden tells us about the unexpected consequences of our obsession with antimicrobials and where we go from here.
Lots of people think dogs are unique in their intelligence. Clive Wynne, director of ASU’s Canine Science Collaboratory, says that’s not true. But he knows what makes dogs truly special.
We’ve portioned out more of the Colorado River’s water than it can deliver. How do we navigate the rapids of water management without capsizing under growing demand? Dave White of ASU’s Decision Center for a Desert City explains how to stay afloat.
Gazing at the night sky conjures deep questions about the universe. Meenakshi Wadhwa, professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration and director of the Center for Meteorite Studies, invites us to look at the planetary ‘Rosetta stones’ right here on Earth that can give us answers.
Most people don't like talking about risk. Andrew Maynard of ASU's Risk Innovation Lab does it for a living. Learn how he thinks we can all tackle risk challenges by framing them as values.
Is a weekend on the moon just around the corner? ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration Professor Jim Bell makes the case for why deep space is the new economic frontier and what that will mean for humanity.
As director of ASU’s Global Security Initiative, Nadya Bliss is tackling seemingly-unsolvable “wicked” problems ranging from information security to the spread of infectious disease. She says we need to embrace complexity—not try to remove it out of fear of failure—if we are to face these challenges successfully.
ASU Professor Lindy Elkins-Tanton discusses what we can learn from her NASA mission to Psyche, and her unorthodox path to a career in space exploration.
Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan shares examples of ASU’s approach and global impact as a knowledge enterprise.
