SCS Launches 'Does Compute' Podcast

Computer science has fueled the innovations of the past decades and will drive the breakthroughs yet to come. The field of ones and zeros now powers everyday life, from smart appliances in homes and smartphones in hands to addressing climate change and expanding access to education.

Carnegie Mellon University's top-ranked School of Computer Science (SCS) created "Does Compute" to explore how computer science is building useful stuff that works. The podcast delves into the latest innovations in computer science and discusses the real-world impact of these technologies.

Season 1 of "Does Compute" launches this month. In its 10 episodes, experts, alumni and students will share topics with listeners that include how the data from smartphones is improving healthcare, the computational tools involved in searching for the next penicillin, the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence, technology's impact on the environment, the future of computer science education, and more.

SCS teamed up with GeekWire Studios to bring these stories out of the classrooms and labs for all listeners — no coding required. The first three episodes are out now. Zico Kolter, the director of CMU's Machine Learning Department, and professors Maarten Sap and Hoda Heidari join host Steph Stricklen for a two-part conversation about what AI is but, maybe more importantly, what AI isn't. CMU professor Mayank Goel and Traci Kennedy, a professor from the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Psychiatry, also share how easily accessible data from humans can help healthcare providers better diagnose and treat patients.

Find episodes of "Does Compute" on GeekWire's website, SCS News, YouTube and popular podcast platforms.