logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2020
24m 41s

The world of tiny robots

American Public Media
About this episode

We’re talking all about teeny, tiny robots in today’s episode. You know, the ones that are as light as a postage stamp and as look like insects? They may be small, but these robots can still take in information and make decisions on their own. Find out how bees and cockroaches are teaching us about the future of small robots and what big tasks they might take on. There’s also a new Mystery Sound to rattle your ears. Plus a moment of Um that answers the question: Why does the sun stay in one place?



This episode was sponsored by KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/brainson)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Nov 25
How does music get recorded and stored?
<p>Most of us take listening to music or podcasts for granted. You can find them on your phone, in the car or just about anywhere you can imagine. But, have you ever wondered how those sounds were captured in the first place? To find out, Molly and Co-host Canyon shrink down and ... Show More
30m 56s
Nov 18
Do dogs know that they're dogs?
<p>We treat dogs like they're part of the family. But do they know they are a different species, or do they think they're just short, four-legged people?</p> <p data-encore-id="text">In this episode, canine cognition researcher Alexandra Horowitz helps us puzzle out this question ... Show More
26m 18s
Nov 11
Mystery Sounds from the natural world
<p>Today&rsquo;s episode is full of Mystery Sounds from around the world. Molly and co-host Rehema are joined by sonic explorer Thomas Rex Beverly, who travels the globe to capture the sounds of the natural world. He brings us some beautiful head-scratchers that really must be he ... Show More
33m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2025
R Comme Robots
10 minutes pour devenir incollable sur les robots ! Quelle est l'origine du nom robot ? Comment s'appelle le premier robot ? A quelle vitesse court le robot le plus rapide du monde ? Des questions ludiques | des chiffres surprenants | des vrais-faux rigolos.Embarquez avec nous su ... Show More
9m 45s
Sep 2021
Ruth Aylett and Patricia A. Vargas, "Living with Robots: What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know" (MIT Press, 2021)
There's a lot of hype about robots; some of it is scary and some of it utopian. In this accessible book, two robotics experts reveal the truth about what robots can and can't do, how they work, and what we can reasonably expect their future capabilities to be. It will not only ma ... Show More
1h 3m
Jul 2017
Could You Kill A Robot?
<p>Will we one day create machines that are essentially just like us? People have been wrestling with that question since the advent of robotics. But maybe we're missing another, even more intriguing question: what can robots teach us about ourselves? We ponder that question with ... Show More
32m 32s
Nov 2021
Robot as Threat
When a robot goes bad, who is responsible? It’s not always clear if the user or the manufacturer is liable when a robot leaves the lot. Human behavior can be complex—and often contradictory. Asking machines to interpret that behavior is quite the task. Will it one day be possible ... Show More
23m 11s
Sep 2020
Robot’s new friends, Arnold Goldburger and a song about annoying little brothers
Thanks to lots of your suggestions, we have lots of new robots on this week’s episode, we have a song about an annoying little brother plus there is serious danger for Sean and Robot as one of their new robot friends could end up being very dangerous. Remember, if you want to sug ... Show More
13m 51s
Mar 2024
Why don't we have better robots yet? | Ken Goldberg
<p>Why hasn't the dream of having a robot at home to do your chores become a reality yet? With three decades of research expertise in the field, roboticist Ken Goldberg sheds light on the clumsy truth about robots — and what it will take to build more dexterous machines to work i ... Show More
11m 51s