Big Brains

As AI rapidly changes how we work, learn, and communicate, it also raises an urgent question: What does it mean to grow up in a world dominated by smart technology? From smart-baby monitors to stuffed animals embedded with LLMs, kids and parents are increasingly bombarded with AI everywhere they turn.

According to Prof. Dana Suskind, a renowned surgeon and pediatrician at the University of Chicago, AI might be able to mimic language, logic, and creativity, but it cannot replace the deeply relational, responsive human interactions that are crucial to a child’s development. In her latest book, Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity & Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI, Suskind argues that the earliest years of life are more critical than ever—and that parents and caregivers cannot be replaced or outsourced in building a child's brain.

Suskind explains how we can build a society that genuinely supports parents in raising the next generation, so that human connection does not become a “luxury good."

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Every day, we throw things away, only to be forgotten forever. But society didn’t always work in the same way. In this episode, we speak with University of Chicago scholar and anthropologist Sarah Newman to discuss her book, Unmaking Waste: New Histories of Old Things.

An archaeologist by training, Newman discusses the history of trash across time—from the ancient Mayan civilization through today’s disposable culture. She argues that other societies valued objects much more deeply, reusing and recycling items in innovative ways. But will we ever return to this kind of zero-waste mentality? Newman argues that true sustainability requires a radical, systemic overhaul of how products are designed, valued and dismantled. She challenges us to look beyond the recycling bin and imagine a world where waste isn't just managed, but systematically unmade if we are to genuinely rethink our relationship with garbage and reshape our future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Why does it seem so difficult to cancel an online subscription, delete an account, or opt out of data tracking? You might think it’s just bad luck or a confusing online interface, but more often than not, it’s by design.

In this episode of Big Brains, we speak with Marshini Chetty, Professor in the University of Chicago’s Department of Computer Science. As a leading expert in human-computer interaction, Chetty reveals the science behind "dark patterns” online—the subtle, manipulative design choices woven into the apps and websites we use every day. We explore how these deceptive interfaces weaponize human psychology to keep us clicking, spending and sharing our data.

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Quantum technology is at a pivotal moment. No longer the faraway dream of scientists, the field is rapidly developing across the world, fueled by major investments from governments, industry, and universities racing to lead its promising future. But what exactly is quantum technology? And how will it affect our lives today—and in the coming decades?

A recent event at the University of Chicago, hosted by Big Brains in partnership with 1440, sought to demystify quantum, separate the hype from reality and explore how it could transform our daily lives. Three renowned scientists—Prof. David Awschalom, Fred Chong and Nadya Mason—discussed how UChicago was leading innovative research, in partnership with its affiliated labs Argonne and Fermilab, as well as other universities across the Midwest. They explained how quantum has the potential to revolutionize our world—from creating unhackable communications to supercharging quantum computers to detecting disease at the cellular level. They discussed the challenges as well as the opportunities, especially for the next generation of quantum engineers and scientists needed to make these dreams a reality.

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