@rbaltman
@rbaltman.bsky.social
Russ B Altman, MD, PhD. Professor at Stanford. Host of podcast “The future of everything” from Stanford Engineering.
https://rbaltman.people.stanford.edu
and
https://engineering.stanford.edu/news/collection/future-everything-podcast
https://rbaltman.people.stanford.edu
and
https://engineering.stanford.edu/news/collection/future-everything-podcast
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined me to discuss how AI and emerging technologies are shaping public policy, and why the future demands greater collaboration between government and academia. Listen to our special 300th episode.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of emerging technologies
Much-admired statesperson and academic, Secretary Condoleezza Rice reflects on life in and out of the public eye, how she embraced her return to Stanford, and the implications of today’s rapid technol...
engineering.stanford.edu
November 7, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined me to discuss how AI and emerging technologies are shaping public policy, and why the future demands greater collaboration between government and academia. Listen to our special 300th episode.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Bioengineer Michael Fischbach studies new ways to deliver vaccines. He joined me on the podcast to talk about a future where self-administered vaccines arrive via mail and increase global vaccine access. Listen to our conversation below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of topical vaccines
An expert in vaccine delivery previews a future where self-administered, minimal-side-effect vaccines arrive in the mail.
engineering.stanford.edu
October 30, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Bioengineer Michael Fischbach studies new ways to deliver vaccines. He joined me on the podcast to talk about a future where self-administered vaccines arrive via mail and increase global vaccine access. Listen to our conversation below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Rishee Jain joined me to discuss the built environment, or the man-made structures around us. He sees a future where homes, offices, and schools adapt in real time to our needs. Humans shape infrastructure, but we now need to understand how it shapes us.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of the built environment
A civil and environmental engineer discusses how modern homes, offices, and schools are shaped by people but also shape us in return.
engineering.stanford.edu
October 9, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Rishee Jain joined me to discuss the built environment, or the man-made structures around us. He sees a future where homes, offices, and schools adapt in real time to our needs. Humans shape infrastructure, but we now need to understand how it shapes us.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Fei-Fei Li, Susan Athey, and Neale Mahoney joined me in New York for a special live episode to discuss the future of the innovation economy. These panelists are experts on everything from AI to economics, and they shared how AI is reshaping our economy.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of the innovation economy
Three experts spanning artificial intelligence and economics explore the implications of AI and how it could transform creativity, jobs, education, and public policy through the rapidly evolving “inno...
engineering.stanford.edu
October 3, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Fei-Fei Li, Susan Athey, and Neale Mahoney joined me in New York for a special live episode to discuss the future of the innovation economy. These panelists are experts on everything from AI to economics, and they shared how AI is reshaping our economy.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Tina Sindher is an allergist studying prevention and treatment for the growing number of people affected by allergies. From early food introduction to immunotherapies, she shared with me how her lab is exploring new strategies for allergy management.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of allergies
An expert in everything allergies explains why allergies may be affecting more people and why there is growing hope for new prevention and treatment strategies.
engineering.stanford.edu
October 1, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Tina Sindher is an allergist studying prevention and treatment for the growing number of people affected by allergies. From early food introduction to immunotherapies, she shared with me how her lab is exploring new strategies for allergy management.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Joy Wu studies how bones weaken with age, and she shared with me what can be done to keep them strong. From exercise to new medicines, her lab is working on ways to prevent fractures and preserve independence. Listen to our conversation here.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of bone health
Better bones, better life, says this endocrinologist of her search for ways to help people maintain bone strength as they age.
engineering.stanford.edu
September 18, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Joy Wu studies how bones weaken with age, and she shared with me what can be done to keep them strong. From exercise to new medicines, her lab is working on ways to prevent fractures and preserve independence. Listen to our conversation here.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
AI is revolutionizing drug discovery and opening doors to novel treatments. I spoke with Jim Weatherall about how @AstraZeneca and @Stanford University School of Medicine are collaborating to blend the strengths of industry and academia. Tune in: www.science.org/content/webi...
AI meets medicine: How academic–industry alliances are accelerating drug discovery
www.science.org
September 5, 2025 at 7:53 PM
AI is revolutionizing drug discovery and opening doors to novel treatments. I spoke with Jim Weatherall about how @AstraZeneca and @Stanford University School of Medicine are collaborating to blend the strengths of industry and academia. Tune in: www.science.org/content/webi...
Michelle Monje studies the connection between cancer and the nervous system, particularly in aggressive brain cancer that often strikes in childhood. She spoke to me about a new immunotherapy that shows promise, with a patient cancer-free 4 years later.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of cancer neuroscience
Exploring the electrical connections between cancer and brain cells, a neurologist is bringing hope to children with brain tumors.
engineering.stanford.edu
August 19, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Michelle Monje studies the connection between cancer and the nervous system, particularly in aggressive brain cancer that often strikes in childhood. She spoke to me about a new immunotherapy that shows promise, with a patient cancer-free 4 years later.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Plants are more than food, they’re chemical factories. In this episode, Beth Sattely spoke with me about how plant chemistry can help us grow resilient crops, discover new medicines, and build a more sustainable future. Tune into our conversation.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of plant chemistry
Seeing plants as powerful chemical factories, a researcher works to create more robust crops and discover new medicines to promote environmental and human health.
engineering.stanford.edu
August 4, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Plants are more than food, they’re chemical factories. In this episode, Beth Sattely spoke with me about how plant chemistry can help us grow resilient crops, discover new medicines, and build a more sustainable future. Tune into our conversation.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Lauren O’Connell studies poisonous frogs and the neuroscience behind their complex parenting biology. She joined me on this episode to chat about the neural mechanisms of social bonding and what we can learn from the parent-offspring bonds of frogs.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of parent-child bonding
Poison frogs have complex parent-offspring behaviors. A biologist explains how she safely studies the neuroscience behind it all.
engineering.stanford.edu
July 31, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Lauren O’Connell studies poisonous frogs and the neuroscience behind their complex parenting biology. She joined me on this episode to chat about the neural mechanisms of social bonding and what we can learn from the parent-offspring bonds of frogs.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Carolyn Rodriguez studies hoarding disorder and joined me to discuss treatments for this condition. She reminds us that we all have attachments to our things and that empathy and patience are key to supporting our loved ones. Listen to our episode below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu
July 24, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Carolyn Rodriguez studies hoarding disorder and joined me to discuss treatments for this condition. She reminds us that we all have attachments to our things and that empathy and patience are key to supporting our loved ones. Listen to our episode below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Lisa Goldman Rosas is rethinking the way we tackle food insecurity by treating food as medicine. She spoke to me about “Recipe4Health”, a program that issues produce prescriptions and offers health coaching to improve diet and well-being. Listen below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of food security
Focusing on nutritional value over quantity, one public health expert is taking on the global challenge of food insecurity by seeing food as medicine.
engineering.stanford.edu
July 10, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Lisa Goldman Rosas is rethinking the way we tackle food insecurity by treating food as medicine. She spoke to me about “Recipe4Health”, a program that issues produce prescriptions and offers health coaching to improve diet and well-being. Listen below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
On the latest episode of The Future of Everything, Szu-Chi Huang describes the science of motivation—how to best sustain enthusiasm in life, work, and business. She also shares a few tricks for when you feel stuck in pursuing your goals.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of motivation
An expert in motivation explains how science is changing our understanding of goal-setting and achievement, and offers a few tricks to try when you feel stuck.
engineering.stanford.edu
June 25, 2025 at 9:46 PM
On the latest episode of The Future of Everything, Szu-Chi Huang describes the science of motivation—how to best sustain enthusiasm in life, work, and business. She also shares a few tricks for when you feel stuck in pursuing your goals.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Celebrate of Life for Atul Butte!
June 18, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Celebrate of Life for Atul Butte!
Jason Yeatman, an expert in reading challenges, is working to align scientific inquiry with the practical needs of students, parents, and educators. Jason joined to talk through ROAR, his lab’s gamified, web-based dyslexia screening tool. Tune in below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of learning to read
An expert on reading difficulties is inviting schools, teachers, and families to shape the lab’s research questions and new tools to improve results for struggling readers.
engineering.stanford.edu
June 11, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Jason Yeatman, an expert in reading challenges, is working to align scientific inquiry with the practical needs of students, parents, and educators. Jason joined to talk through ROAR, his lab’s gamified, web-based dyslexia screening tool. Tune in below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
There’s a science behind getting a better night’s sleep, and Jamie Zeitzer is an expert on why good sleep is a struggle for so many of us. From consistent routines to less stimulation at bedtime, he talked through strategies to help. Listen below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of sleep
An authority on sleep and insomnia discusses the latest science about – and approaches to – getting a better night’s sleep.
engineering.stanford.edu
June 5, 2025 at 4:19 PM
There’s a science behind getting a better night’s sleep, and Jamie Zeitzer is an expert on why good sleep is a struggle for so many of us. From consistent routines to less stimulation at bedtime, he talked through strategies to help. Listen below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Pollution is taking an increasing toll on children’s health. I spoke with environmental health expert Lisa Patel, who shared practical ways individuals and communities can take actions to drive global and local change. Take a listen below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of children’s health
A pediatrician says many of today’s growing concerns in childhood health come down to one factor: pollution. But global solutions are within reach.
engineering.stanford.edu
May 22, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Pollution is taking an increasing toll on children’s health. I spoke with environmental health expert Lisa Patel, who shared practical ways individuals and communities can take actions to drive global and local change. Take a listen below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
California has an ongoing wildfire crisis, driven by climate change and poor urban planning. I spoke with wildfire policy expert, Michael Wara, about what’s raising our risk and the solutions we can pursue to mitigate future damage. Listen below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of wildfire management
A wildfire policy expert explains how California’s ongoing fire crisis is being driven by climate change and poor urban planning. “Whole-of-society” approaches are needed, he says.
engineering.stanford.edu
May 1, 2025 at 5:30 PM
California has an ongoing wildfire crisis, driven by climate change and poor urban planning. I spoke with wildfire policy expert, Michael Wara, about what’s raising our risk and the solutions we can pursue to mitigate future damage. Listen below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
In most civil cases, unequal representation is the norm. Professor Nora Freeman Engstrom says the system is flawed and reform is overdue. She joined me on the podcast to discuss new ideas for making legal help more affordable and accessible.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of legal representation
A law professor delves into America's worsening civil legal crisis, where unequal representation is the norm. But, she says, hopes are high for reforms that could mean high-quality, low-cost legal adv...
engineering.stanford.edu
April 19, 2025 at 7:16 PM
In most civil cases, unequal representation is the norm. Professor Nora Freeman Engstrom says the system is flawed and reform is overdue. She joined me on the podcast to discuss new ideas for making legal help more affordable and accessible.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
There are 1.5 billion people who suffer hearing loss and Tina Stankovic is developing ways to help. She joined the Future of Everything to discuss how regenerative medicine puts the once-impossible dream of hearing restoration within reach. Listen here:
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of hearing loss
Thanks to new science and new technologies, the potential to restore lost hearing is bringing a ray of hope to the billion-and-a-half people worldwide who suffer hearing loss.
engineering.stanford.edu
April 10, 2025 at 4:34 PM
There are 1.5 billion people who suffer hearing loss and Tina Stankovic is developing ways to help. She joined the Future of Everything to discuss how regenerative medicine puts the once-impossible dream of hearing restoration within reach. Listen here:
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
AI, gaming, and interactive tech are reshaping theater. Professor Michael Rau explains how digital media is transforming performance and audience experience. Technology is a part of our lives, and now is a part of the stage. Tune in below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of live performance
A theater professor and stage director says that the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital media, and interactive technologies is revolutionizing what happens on the stage.
engineering.stanford.edu
March 28, 2025 at 3:07 AM
AI, gaming, and interactive tech are reshaping theater. Professor Michael Rau explains how digital media is transforming performance and audience experience. Technology is a part of our lives, and now is a part of the stage. Tune in below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Eric Pop, an expert on materials, discusses how advanced semiconductors and the AI-driven design of materials will shape the future of electronics. Tune in below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of electronic materials
An expert on the future of materials for electronics and more says the world is on the precipice of tremendous innovation in the materials we use to make semiconductor electronics and … nearly everyth...
engineering.stanford.edu
March 24, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Eric Pop, an expert on materials, discusses how advanced semiconductors and the AI-driven design of materials will shape the future of electronics. Tune in below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Oncologist Ash Alizadeh joins the podcast to explain how liquid biopsies could one day replace surgical procedures by detecting disease DNA in blood. This is the future of disease diagnosis. Listen to our episode below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of liquid biopsy
An oncologist describes a less-invasive era of disease diagnosis that does away with surgical biopsies by searching for disease DNA in the bloodstream.
engineering.stanford.edu
March 13, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Oncologist Ash Alizadeh joins the podcast to explain how liquid biopsies could one day replace surgical procedures by detecting disease DNA in blood. This is the future of disease diagnosis. Listen to our episode below.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Kristy Red-Horse, a biologist, joins me to talk about how molecules like CXCL12 could regrow arteries, offering a less invasive way to treat heart blockages. Tune into our conversation about how medicine could one day replace bypass surgery.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of coronary arteries
An expert in the biology of the human heart explains how bypass surgeries might someday be replaced by medicines that regrow new arteries to replace blocked ones.
engineering.stanford.edu
March 6, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Kristy Red-Horse, a biologist, joins me to talk about how molecules like CXCL12 could regrow arteries, offering a less invasive way to treat heart blockages. Tune into our conversation about how medicine could one day replace bypass surgery.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
Guosong Hong specializes in getting materials to do remarkable things. His lab has found a way to make living tissue transparent, and this work has the potential to transform how we diagnose and treat disease. Tune into our conversation.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
The future of transparent tissue
A materials engineer explains how he and colleagues have used a dye commonly found in nacho chips to make living tissue transparent. It could lead to a new age of minimally invasive medical imaging.
engineering.stanford.edu
February 27, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Guosong Hong specializes in getting materials to do remarkable things. His lab has found a way to make living tissue transparent, and this work has the potential to transform how we diagnose and treat disease. Tune into our conversation.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...
engineering.stanford.edu/news/future-...