Rephonic
Artwork for Where What If Becomes What's Next

Where What If Becomes What's Next

Carnegie Mellon University
Artificial Intelligence
Robotics
Agriculture
Future Of Work
Carnegie Mellon University
Job Market
Audio Technology
Economy
Workers
Black Holes
Astrophysics
Ethical Use Of AI
Data Analysis
Space Exploration
Automation
Nitrogen Sensing
Crop Management
Drones
Music Production
Bridges

Welcome to Season 3 of WHERE WHAT IF BECOMES WHAT’S NEXT. As Carnegie Mellon University celebrates its 125th anniversary, we’re spotlighting 15 CMU inventions that changed the world. From the origins of AI and robotics to innovations in the arts and sciences, join us as we trace the journey from “what if” to “what’s next.” With host Randy Scott, every other Thursday we’re going behind the scenes w... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes39Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsTech News

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Where What If Becomes What's Next

Latest Episodes

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is now operational, and humanity's view of the universe will never be the same.

In this episode, we return to Carnegie Mellon University’s Rachel Mandelbaum, professor and head of the physics department – and ... more

YouTube

In 2007, an unused key on the phone keypad became the internet's most powerful organizing tool. In this episode, we sit down with Chris Messina, the Carnegie Mellon University alumnus who invented the hashtag – now used more than three billion times ... more

YouTube

The smiley face in your last text, the Kevlar protecting first responders, and the Wi-Fi signal connecting us all—where did they actually come from?

Welcome to Season 3 of Where What If Becomes What's Next, where we take you on a journey through 125... more

YouTube

What if machines could reason like humans? We're racing toward that reality. It's called artificial general intelligence. The question is, can we build it safely?

In the second part of our conversation with Dr. Zico Kolter, head of Carnegie Mellon U... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Hidden Brain
Hidden BrainHidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Chasing Life
Chasing LifeCNN Podcasts
Prof G Markets
Prof G MarketsVox Media Podcast Network

Recent Guests

Chris Messina
Silicon Valley technologist, product designer, venture capital investor; inventor of the hashtag
Independent/CMU alumnus
Episode: The Birth of the Hashtag: How a Simple Symbol Changed the World
Zico Kolter
Head of the Machine Learning Department at Carnegie Mellon University and newly appointed board member at OpenAI
OpenAI
Episode: Guiding a Safe Future for AI – Part 1
Andreas Pfenning
Associate professor in the Computational Biology Department and School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, focusing on AI-powered methods for disease detection and treatment.
Carnegie Mellon University
Episode: Unlocking the Future of Gene Therapy
Aarti Singh
Professor in the Machine Learning Department at Carnegie Mellon University and director of the National Science Foundation's AI Institute for Societal Decision Making
Carnegie Mellon University
Episode: Critical Choices: AI in Disaster Management and Healthcare
George Kantor
Research professor in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Episode: Farm to Future: How Robotics and AI are Revolutionizing Agriculture
Rachel Mandelbaum
Interim head of Carnegie Mellon's Department of Physics and CMU's lead for the LINCC Initiative
Carnegie Mellon University
Episode: Cracking the Cosmic Code: How Software Powers the Rubin Observatory
Jeremy Kubica
Director of Engineering for the LINCC Frameworks
Carnegie Mellon University
Episode: Cracking the Cosmic Code: How Software Powers the Rubin Observatory
Laurie Heller
Professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Episode: The Science of Sound - Part 2
Professor Laurie Heller
A professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, running the Auditory Perception and Cognition Lab.
Carnegie Mellon University
Episode: The Science of Sound - Part 1

Host

Randy Scott
Host of Where What If Becomes What's Next

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings
  • Thought provoking podcast

    Some great episodes on how AI is rocking our world. Thought-provoking.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Robster 7
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners likely value informed, expert-led discussions and practical takeaways for business and policy.
Thought provoking podcast plots thoughtful examinations of how AI is evolving and impacting society.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#132
Italy/News/Tech News
Apple Podcasts
#73
India/News/Tech News
Apple Podcasts
#115
Saudi Arabia/News/Tech News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Watching the Universe Change: A New Era in Astronomy Begins
Q: What is CMU's broader role in training the next generation of scientists for Rubin-era astronomy?
CMU emphasizes interdisciplinary training across computer science, physics, statistics, and ML, teaching students data science and AI-assisted software development so they can work effectively with Rubin's datasets.
Watching the Universe Change: A New Era in Astronomy Begins
Q: What makes the LINCC Frameworks approach essential for handling Rubin's data deluge?
LINCC Frameworks reduces computational cost and makes analysis scalable by providing efficient data storage formats and fast data access. This enables researchers to run complex machine-learning classifiers on billions of light curves, democratizing access to Rubin data.
Watching the Universe Change: A New Era in Astronomy Begins
Q: Can you walk us through how CMU got involved with Rubin Observatory and the LINCC Frameworks collaboration?
CMU joined a longstanding consortium (LSST Discovery Alliance) and has contributed to fundraising and leadership, with a sharp focus on software infrastructure. The LINCC Frameworks team develops data formats and access tools so scientists can run advanced analyses—like light-curve classifications—on enormous datasets without needing bespoke software for every researcher.
The Birth of the Hashtag: How a Simple Symbol Changed the World
Q: What lasting impact do you see for hashtags in an AI-driven world?
Messina argues that hashtags are likely to persist because they are a form of social media poetry that captures zeitgeist and invites participation. He predicts hashtags will continue to co-exist with AI, becoming integrated into search, tagging, and even personal document systems, while remaining a flexible, open-ended means of expression.
The Birth of the Hashtag: How a Simple Symbol Changed the World
Q: Why did you decide not to patent the idea, and what principles guided that choice?
He discusses a money wound from his parents' divorce and a commitment to open-source and open-standards, seeing the hashtag as a cultural propagation tool rather than a moneymaking asset. The goal was to avoid gatekeeping and allow widespread adoption without permission barriers.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Where What If Becomes What's Next

What is Where What If Becomes What's Next about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A tech-forward, interdisciplinary show that explores how cutting-edge science and engineering shape real-world outcomes. Across episodes, conversations span artificial intelligence, machine learning safety, robotics, gene therapy, healthcare tech, and the role of data in astronomy and public policy. Guests from CMU's research community illuminate practical applications—from AI-assisted healthcare and disaster response to agriculture robotics and sound science—while also addressing ethical, societal, and governance considerations. The tone tends to be thoughtful and forward-looking, often translating complex research into accessible implications for industry, academia, and everyday life. A notable strength is the breadth of topics connected ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Where What If Becomes What's Next?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Where What If Becomes What's Next. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Where What If Becomes What's Next and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Where What If Becomes What's Next get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Where What If Becomes What's Next, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Where What If Becomes What's Next?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Where What If Becomes What's Next, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Where What If Becomes What's Next have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Where What If Becomes What's Next has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Where What If Becomes What's Next?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Where What If Becomes What's Next:

1. Hidden Brain
2. The Daily
3. Chasing Life
4. Prof G Markets

How many episodes of Where What If Becomes What's Next are there?

Where What If Becomes What's Next launched 2 years ago and published 39 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Where What If Becomes What's Next?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Where What If Becomes What's Next?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Where What If Becomes What's Next from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Where What If Becomes What's Next?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Where What If Becomes What's Next. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Where What If Becomes What's Next?

Recent guests on Where What If Becomes What's Next include:

1. Chris Messina
2. Zico Kolter
3. Andreas Pfenning
4. Aarti Singh
5. George Kantor
6. Rachel Mandelbaum
7. Jeremy Kubica
8. Laurie Heller

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days