Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

How Mathematics can Solve Real-World Mysteries with Ingrid Daubechies

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Ingrid Daubechies, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emerita of Mathematics at Duke University and a National Medal of Science recipient. Daubechies takes us from her childhood fascination with calculating multiples to her groundbreaking work on wavelets—mathematical building blocks that have revolutionized image and signal analysis. She talks about how her research helped the FBI compress millions of fingerprints, analyze seismograms, and even distinguish authentic Van Gogh paintings from forgeries. She also tells the story behind the whimsical Mathemalchemy Project, a collaborative art installation that celebrates the pure joy and creativity of mathematics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discovering How Generosity Impacts Economy with Daniel Hungerman

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Professor Daniel Hungerman, a professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame. Hungerman discusses his unique academic journey, which led him to specialize in the economics of religious and charitable organizations. He explains his research on how tax policies have a measurable impact on charitable giving in the United States, also delving into the field of "generosity in economics” and how charitable donations directly impact the economy as we know it. Hungerman also touches on the long-term impact of the first Earth Day, using weather data to show how a single event can have a lasting positive influence on environmental attitudes and health. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Changing the Conversation in Music Education with Tammy L. Kernodle

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Tammy L. Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Music at Miami University, whose work explores African American music, gender, and race in American popular culture. Kernodle shares how her working-class upbringing in Danville, Virginia, and a home filled with music led her to Virginia State University, graduate studies at The Ohio State University, and a career dedicated to expanding the narratives taught in music history. She discusses her mission to change classroom conversations, create scholarships for underrepresented musicians, and broaden what audiences hear in the concert hall. She also reflects on her roles as curator of the New World Symphony’s I Dream a World Festival and her work on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Exploring the Evolution of Animal Weapons and How it Relates to Arms Races in Military Technologies With Professor Doug Emlen

In this episode, evolutionary biologist Douglas Emlen joins Fred Lawrence in a conversation about his research on extreme animal weapons— from the horns of a rhinoceros beetle to elk antlers. He discusses his family's scientific legacy, his early reluctance to follow in their footsteps, and how his childhood experiences in Kenya influenced his path. In his award-winning book, Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle, Emlen also explores the parallels between animal and human arms races. His interdisciplinary work connects biological evolution with military history, shedding light on the forces that drive the escalation of weapons in both human societies and nature. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: How Professor Kendra McSweeney uses Geography to Protect Forests in Indigenous Homelands

For a lot of Americans, geography is just a middle school subject or a trivia night category at their neighborhood bar. But for Professor Kendra McSweeney, the “invisible field” of geography is a way to understand the relationship between people and their environment, from adaptation to climate change to how the drug trade impacts biodiverse forests in Colombia. In this episode, McSweeney highlights how her dynamic career as an academic has taken her from Canada to eastern Honduras, and talks about the thought process behind lectures such as “Viewing Political Ecology Through the Lens of the Tree of Heaven,” an enlightening take on the so-called invasive tree that is providing crucial shade in neighborhoods in the US. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.