Curious Conversations, a Research Podcast

"Curious Conversations" is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life.
Produced and hosted by Travis Williams, assistant director of marketing and communications for the Office of Research and Innovation, episodes feature university researchers sharing their expertise, motivations, the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures. New episodes are shared each Tuesday.
If you know of an expert (or are that expert) who’d make for a great conversation, email Travis today.
Latest Episode
Louis Hickman joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the concept of the ‘The 5 Love Languages’, its origins, and its impact on relationship satisfaction. He shared his thoughts on the appeal of simple solutions to complex relationships, findings from his recent research on the love languages, and the importance of personality traits in relationships. Hickman also emphasized the need for self-care and adaptability in maintaining healthy relationships over time.
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Travis
Have you ever heard of the five love languages? This was a super popular book that came about in the 90s and it described different ways that individuals generally like to give and receive affection from their significant others. If you have heard of this subject, have you ever wondered how much this approach is actually a predictor of whether or not a relationship will be successful? Well, as a person who was often told to read that book and never did, I was very curious about that.
And thankfully Virginia Tech's Lewis Hickman has done research on this very topic and was kind enough to share his findings. Lewis is an assistant professor of industrial organizational psychology in the College of Science at Virginia Tech. His research interests include applying machine learning and natural language processing to psychological research and investigating various forms of bias. Lewis and I chatted a little about what he sees as the appeal of this approach to relationships and he of course shared the findings from his research as to whether or not these are actually a good predictor of how successful relationships will be. We also chatted a little about how machine learning fit into his part of the research, and he shared some insights from psychology as to what he thinks can help us all develop some stronger relationships. And spoiler alert, there is some conversation about burritos and tacos related to this topic, which is probably for the best, since I think that actually is my wife's love language. As always, be sure to rate, follow, and or subscribe to the podcast.
I'm Travis Williams and this is Virginia Tech's Curious Conversations.
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Travis
But I guess that's a really good place to start. Maybe just simply what are the five love languages? How did this come about and how did it kind of become this thing that I feel like everybody that I talk to kind of knows a little bit about.
Louis
Yeah, this guy Chapman wrote a book and now has written several books, right? Made a kind of cottage industry for himself out of it on this idea that if you can speak your partner's primary love language, that you're going to have eternal matrimonial bliss or eternal relationship bliss. Right. And so the five love languages are acts of service. Do I do things for you, such as do I spend time making you a burrito?
Gift giving, do I give you gifts like after I make the burrito, I give it to you. Physical touch, like I wrap you in my arms like a burrito. Quality time, like let's eat burritos together. And words of affirmation, you made a very nice burrito.
Travis
Were all of his love languages related to burritos or?
Louis
It's just an easy way to understand them. And I know that before Valentine's Day or either for or before Valentine's Day, I have to buy my wife a burrito because it's a tradition.
Travis
That is a wonderful tradition that I believe, my wife is not a big burrito person, but I think tacos, she definitely would be down for, so I may be stealing that.
Louis
The tacos are good, too.
Travis
Louis
Sure, I think that what it provides is a simple solution to a very complex problem. And simple solutions are very, very attractive to people, right? Whether it's about relationships or their personal health, macroeconomics, right? If we promote a simple solution, a lot of people are attracted to that because it takes something really complex and boils it down to say, here's the one secret to doing X.
The problem with simple solutions, think, is that usually complex problems do not have simple solutions. So it's a very attractive concept. And I think people can also relate if they think, yeah, I really like getting gifts from my partner. If my partner would give me more gifts, I'd be happier. I think easy to think that's an attractive notion, but I think that relationships are really complex phenomena that aren't necessarily static the way that love languages suggest they might be.
Travis
I know a couple years ago you and some of your colleagues did some research to try to, I think, figure out, like, how much does this, how true is this, how applicable is this, does it really pan out? What part of the research did you partake in? What role did you play in that?
Louis
Yes, I was mainly a methodologist providing a set of machine learning methods for seeing if we can predict relationship satisfaction for about a thousand couples, folks ranging in age from 18 to 89, who have been together from five months to 70 years and see one, do the big five personality traits, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness, predict relationship satisfaction and two, Do the love languages predict relationship satisfaction beyond them? And in particular, does the match in love language? Meaning, if your partner, their most preferred and desired love language, say, is physical touch, do you adequately supply physical touch and that match of their desire and your supply predict relationship satisfaction?
Travis
And I want to know what you found out related to that. But first, I'm really curious, how did the, what did the machine learning part of this look like? What was that?
Louis
Sure. So this was just one of three methods that we use to try to examine these relationships. And what the machine learning does is give us a separation between when we derive the predictor weights and then when we test their accuracy. So it's just a way of developing a predictive model. Then we can see on new data, does this predictive model predict relationship satisfaction and how do these different models compare?
Travis
So I guess I'm curious those questions that you sought to understand, what did you all discover? What did you learn? What were the answers that you found?
Louis
So the match in love languages, for the most part, did not have much predictive power. What did have predictive power was each person's big five traits and each person's expressions of love languages. How do we explain this? Well, the big five traits include things like agreeableness and emotional stability. Or would you rather be in a relationship with someone who's nice and supportive and friendly, agreeable, or someone who's mean, doesn't really help you out when you need help, and is overall disagreeable? Probably you're going to have better relationship satisfaction with a more agreeable person. With emotional stability, right? Would you rather be with someone who most of the time is relatively stable in their emotions and more on the positive side of things? Or would you like to be with someone who fluctuates wildly in their emotions and goes down to the depths of depression? and anxiety and fear, and then back out of it and, you know, it has a kind of Jekyll and Hyde type of personality, right? I think we can see how the big five traits would be relevant here. And then when it came to the love languages, some of the expressions mattered. Things like words of affirmation. You have nice things to say for your partner, right? You have a supportive word here and there, probably related to agreeableness also. But then also the extent to which they engage in physical touch. There's a problem though, right? This study is cross-sectional. We can't experimentally manipulate how much physical touch couples do. That's big ethical issues there, right? So it's also possible that more satisfied couples engage in more physical touch as opposed to more physical touch leading to greater satisfaction. There's obviously gonna be situations where it's true that more physical touch leads to greater satisfaction. But I think it's going to be just as common, not more so, that greater relationship satisfaction means more physical touch. So, you know, we get a kind of mixed bag. But what we get out of this is, right, if you do nice things, you're nice and supportive to your partner, turn out to have better relationship satisfaction.
Travis
It sounds almost like what really matters is kind of what's going on with the individual, maybe like what their internal makeup is. And if that's good, then they'll probably practice these languages no matter what they are in a better way.
Louis
Well, and it's important to note, I think, that while we often think of personality traits as kind of a neat and fixed within us, we have the power to change them, Personalities defined as our characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, right? We control how we behave. It might be hard to control how we behave, and I think many of us find it so at certain times, but we do control how we behave, right?
If we are upset, we don't have to take that out on others. If something happens at home that we don't like, we can hopefully choose how we engage with our partner to discuss that. And so our personality is not fixed, right? We can determine and decide what we're going to do, how we're going to act. Doesn't mean it's easy to do. It's not easy always being a supportive partner and really taking care of the other person the way that you want to be taken care of. And part of that is because Life is not easy for most of us, right? It's exhausting, it's tiring. We're tired, our partner's tired. And so we have to try to keep some of that compassion and empathy in mind when we're coming to our relationship. And to your point though, the people who are more prone to do that are probably going to be the more desirable partners in a long-term relationship.
Travis
I'm curious, this study, it seemed to kind of be like a, I don't want to say like a cheat code to figure out how to do relationships, but it kind of felt, kind of like you said earlier, simple fix to a very complex problem. What do you think is a better way to maybe approach having a good solid relationship?
Louis
Part of what I think is so challenging for people, I think the best way to be a good partner is to first make sure that you're in the mental and emotional place that you need to be in. But that can be very difficult for people when they're young and single and desiring a relationship, right? People kind of joke, They joke, but also they're serious that if you come off as kind of desperate or really feeling like you need a relationship, that's the hardest time to get into a relationship. Whereas if you're Johnny cool and you don't need that relationship, it can be easier to then start a relationship with someone because you don't have that same anxiety inside of you that's leading you maybe to some suboptimal behaviors in those situations. So if you can take care of yourself, find a like Taoism or Confucianism I call right practice and take care of yourself on that daily basis. I think that's the foundation then for being a supportive partner. How can you be effective at taking care of and supporting someone else if your mind and emotions and feelings are in disarray? think that's an important foundation, but that means there is no easy answer, unfortunately, to this important question.
Travis
Yeah, think that that's actually, I think that that's great advice. reminds me something that my wife told me once about how you can't take care of other people unless you take care of yourself. It was kind of the oxygen mask, I guess, metaphor.
Louis
And the other advice I would give for people with wives is listen to your wife is usually really good advice as well.
Travis
I'm going to co-sign that as I feel like is important for me to do. I guess I should say too, it sounds like that no matter where you are in this relationship, it probably can be made better with either tacos or burritos.
Louis
Well, I think it depends where you're at in the relationship, right? Maybe early on, right? Maybe like gifts and physical touch are really important in a relationship. Maybe later on, it's more about quality time and acts of service, right? If you get into the point of you've got a house together and you've got kids, I feel like my life at home is a constant act of service, right? But it's what's necessary for us to keep us and our family healthy and well.
The quality time, the physical touch, the gift giving, that gets kind of pushed to the backside and we sneak in the words of affirmation. But it changes, right? As the relationship goes on, that's not a function of, I have a primary love language that never changes and it's what I want. It's that we are all in different places in our life and our relationships and relationships like almost everything else, right? Need different things at different times. You need different fuel for the fire depending on where you're at.
And so I think it's important to recognize that, you know, maybe today it's making a taco, tomorrow it's giving somebody one, tomorrow it's telling them how good a job they did making the tacos. Maybe it's making tacos together, right? Depending on when and where you're at in your relationship, because they are not static, right? We are constantly changing. Every four years or so, every molecule in our body is different than it was four years ago. So to expect that anything is fixed and permanent and that what worked today will work tomorrow just can't be true.
Travis
So it sounds like we need to be aware of ourselves and also be aware that things are constantly changing and pay attention to stuff.
Louis
Yeah. And right. So the the attractive part of love languages is if I can figure out my partner's love language, I can supply that and we'll be happy. Well, what you're saying and what I'm saying is there's some truth to that. But what the truth is, is I have to be in a place where I can recognize what my partner needs, what our relationship needs, what our family needs. If you're in that situation and from there try to figure that out and provide that on a daily basis as a daily practice as something that requires constant work, relationships or work. There's nothing easy about them. I think for most people, well, there's easy things about them. I shouldn't say there's nothing easy about them, especially in case my wife watches this. But it's to say that it is not always easy, right? It's not easy to keep it maintained over the long term. It requires effort and adaptation so people can recognize that it's to recognize that there are not easy answers just like to most of our most of the parts of our lives.
Travis
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you so much for talking to me about this.
Louis
Yeah, it's my pleasure. I hope that it can maybe help some folks as we go through the Valentine's Day season. know, as a reminder, right, don't be desperate. Just do what you can for now. Do what you can to take care of yourself and improve yourself. And if you can do that, eventually that person will arise out of the world that you've been looking for.
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Travis
Then thanks to Lewis for sharing his insights related to the five love languages and how we can all have healthier relationships. If you or someone you know would make for a great curious conversation, email me at traviskw at vt.edu. And because I don't want you to miss any other great conversations, be sure to rate, follow, and or subscribe to the podcast. I'm Travis Williams and this is Virginia Tech's Curious Conversations.
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About Hickman
Louis Hickman is an assistant professor of industrial-organizational psychology in the College of Science at Virginia Tech. His research interests are applying machine learning and natural language processing to psychological research, and investigating various forms of bias.
Past Episodes
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General ItemExamining the ‘5 Love Languages’ with Louis Hickman
Louis Hickman joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the concept of the ‘The 5 Love Languages’, its origins, and its impact on relationship satisfaction. He shared his thoughts on the appeal of simple solutions to complex relationships, findings from his recent research on the love languages, and the importance of personality traits in relationships. Hickman also emphasized the need for self-care and adaptability in maintaining healthy relationships over time.
Date: Feb 10, 2025 -
General ItemThe Behavior and Prevention of Wildfires with Adam Coates
Adam Coates joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the contributing factors of the recent wildfires in California, particularly related to their intensity and spread. He explained some of the science behind fire behavior, the role of landscape, and the challenges posed by urban areas to fire management. He also shared his insights related to preventative measures communities can take, including the use of prescribed burning.
Date: Feb 03, 2025 -
General ItemComputer Security in the New Year with Matthew Hicks
Matthew Hicks joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to discuss how computer users can be more secure heading into 2025. He shared insights about the evolving landscape of computer security, particularly related to artificial intelligence (AI) and generative technologies, and the implications of these technologies on personal security, including the rise of sophisticated phishing attacks. He also provided guidance on some commonly overlooked aspects of computer security.
Date: Jan 27, 2025
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General ItemInternet of Things Safety and Gift Giving Tips with Christine Julien
Christine Julien joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the Internet of Things (IOT), exploring its definition, potential vulnerabilities, and the implications of using smart devices, especially for children. Julien stressed the importance of security and privacy when using IOT devices, particularly during the gift-giving season and shared insights on navigating these complexities with an aim of balancing the enjoyment and security.
Date: Dec 09, 2024 -
General ItemNeurodiversity and the holidays with Lavinia Uscatescu and Hunter Tufarelli
Lavinia Uscatescu and Hunter Tufarelli joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the importance of understanding and accommodating neurodivergent individuals in various environments, particularly social gatherings during the holiday season. The pair shared the impact environmental factors can have on neurodivergent individuals, as well as the significance of predictability and communication in social settings. As a person with autism, Tufarelli also shared her first-hand experiences and the importance of embracing self-care.
Date: Dec 02, 2024 -
General ItemAI and Better Classroom Discussions with Yan Chen
Yan Chen joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the use of artificial intelligence to enhance teaching and peer instruction in classrooms. Chen believes one potential use for AI, specifically large language models, is to monitor and analyze peer interactions in real-time. He shared the platform he and colleagues have created to do this, called VizPI, which aims to provide instructors with insights and recommendations to create a more engaging and personalized learning environment for students.
Date: Nov 25, 2024 -
General ItemForest Health and Natural Disasters with Carrie Fearer
Carrie Fearer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about forest health in the wake of natural disasters. She explained how storms and disturbances affect forest ecosystems, the importance of human interaction in promoting healthy forests, and the opportunities for restoration following catastrophic events. She also emphasized the significance of native species and the role of decomposition in maintaining forest health.
Date: Nov 18, 2024 -
General ItemSubduction Zones, Earthquakes, and Tsunamis with Tina Dura
Tina Dura joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about subduction zones, particularly the Cascadia Subduction Zone, earthquakes and tsunamis. She explained the mechanics of earthquakes, and how the geological record and fossilized algae are helping researchers better understand past occurrences and predict future ones. Dura emphasized the importance of translating scientific research into actionable information for the public, especially regarding tsunami preparedness and community resilience.
Date: Nov 11, 2024 -
General ItemTurning old Plastic into Soap with Guoliang “Greg” Liu
Guoliang “Greg” Liu joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about his journey in sustainability, focusing on the innovative process of converting plastic waste into soap. He shared insights on the challenges of controlling the chemical processes involved, the types of plastics used, and the potential for creating both liquid and solid soap products. He emphasized the importance of sustainability in the detergent industry and expressed hope for future commercialization of his work.
Date: Nov 04, 2024 -
General ItemEmerging Technologies and Entrepreneurship with James Harder
James Harder joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, specially highlighting the Department of Computer Science’s initiative, CS/root. Harder shared his belief that the entrepreneurship process can be learned and applied to various novel ideas and the ways the program hopes to teach and support it, as well as the role it will play in putting emerging technology in more people’s hands.
Date: Oct 28, 2024 -
General ItemAI and Emergency Management with Shalini Misra
Shalini Misra joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about how artificial intelligence (AI) might be used in the field of emergency management. She shared some of the different ways AI is currently being used and the concerns she’s heard from emergency managers. Misra also talks about the steps she believes will be necessary for the technology to reach its full potential in this field.
Date: Oct 21, 2024 -
General ItemFemale Leaders of Nations and the US Presidency with Farida Jalalzai
Farida Jalalzai joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the state of female leadership globally, with a focus on the United States. She shared how she believes the U.S. compares to other nations in terms of female political representation, the unique challenges women face in the U.S. political landscape, and the impact of gender roles on women's leadership opportunities. She also shared the insights she gained through her research of female leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: Oct 14, 2024 -
General ItemAI and Securing Water Systems with Feras Batarseh
Feras Batarseh joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to discuss the intersection of water systems and technology, specifically focusing on aspects of artificial intelligence (AI). He shared the importance of using AI to predict and prevent water quality issues, such as high turbidity, and highlighted the need for water systems to become more intelligent and cyber-secure.
Date: Oct 07, 2024 -
General ItemAlcohol Use and Intimate Partner Violence with Meagan Brem
Meagan Brem joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to discuss the intersection of alcohol use and intimate partner violence, highlighting the importance of understanding the causal relationship between the two. She debunked common myths, identified current knowledge gaps, and shared insights from ongoing studies. She also described the unique challenge of understanding these topics as they relate to LGBTQ+ populations and shared possible interventions on both societal and individual levels.
Date: Sep 30, 2024 -
General ItemBrain Chemistry and Neuroeconomics with Read Montague
Read Montague joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the role of dopamine and serotonin in learning, motivation, memory, mood, and decision-making. He discussed his research on measuring dopamine and serotonin dynamics in the brain in real time using electrodes in epilepsy patients and explained the role neuroeconomics are playing in that research.
Date: Sep 23, 2024 -
General ItemThe Future of Wireless Networks with Lingjia Liu
Lingjia Liu joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the future of wireless networks and wireless communications. He explained the evolution of cellular networks from 1G to 5G and the potential for 6G, as well as how open radio access networks (O-RAN) can help advance innovation in this space.
Date: Sep 16, 2024 -
General ItemThe Mung Bean and Reducing Hunger in Senegal with Ozzie Abaye
Ozzie Abaye joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about her work using the mung bean to diversify the cropping system, empower farmers, and reduce hunger in Senegal, Africa. She explained why the mung bean is a good fit for that region, the process by which she began to share it with farmers, and the collaborations she’s utilized to expand it across the country. She also shared what some of the challenges were in developing recipes across cultural lines.
Date: Sep 10, 2024 -
General ItemCurbing the Threat of Invasive Species with Jacob Barney
Jacob Barney joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about invasive species, their impact on native species, and the challenges of managing them. He explained the history and terminology of invasive species, their economic and ecological consequences, and the interdisciplinary approach to addressing the problem. Barney also highlighted practical steps individuals can take to prevent their spread.
Date: Sep 02, 2024 -
General ItemMaking Motorcycle Riding Safer Around the Globe with Richard Hanowski
Richard Hanowski joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about harnessing research to help make motorcycle riding safer in low- and middle-income countries. He shared the difference in riding culture in those areas as opposed to the United States and explained how his team is utilizing some of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s pioneering technology to help increase rider safety.
Date: Aug 27, 2024 -
General ItemThe Evolution of Political Polling with Karen Hult
Karen Hult joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the history and evolution of polling, methods used in modern polling, and how politicians and the average person can interpret poll results. The conversation highlights the importance of probability sampling and inferential statistics in generating accurate poll results, as well as the need for critical thinking when consuming poll results.
Date: Aug 20, 2024 -
General ItemNavigating Back-to-School Emotions with Rosanna Breaux
Rosanna Breaux joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the challenges and emotions children may experience during the transition back to school. The discussion includes red flags to look for, as well as coping skills and support parents and caregivers can provide to help their children navigate the school year. The conversation touches on the impact of recent bans on students having individual smart devices in schools.
Date: Aug 05, 2024 -
General ItemGeologic Carbon Sequestration with Ryan Pollyea
Ryan Pollyea joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about geologic carbon sequestration, which is the process of permanently storing carbon dioxide (CO2) thousands of feet below the Earth’s surface. Pollyea explained what types of rock this is currently known to work with, the efforts he and his colleagues are taking to expand this to other geologic regions, and the potential impact that could have for the environment and economics.
Date: Jun 04, 2024 -
General ItemVeterans and Mass Incarceration with Jason Higgins
Jason Higgins joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the intersection of United States military veterans and mass incarceration and his book, “Prisoners After War: Veterans in the Age of Mass Incarceration.” He shared what led him to work at this intersection, some of the reasons he thinks it’s often overlooked, and factors he believes lead many veterans to being in prison. Having interviewed more than 60 veterans whose service ranged from the Vietnam War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Higgins also compares and contrasts their reported experiences and shares some of the efforts veterans are undertaking to support each other.
Date: May 28, 2024 -
General ItemMicroplastics, the Ocean, and the Atmosphere with Hosein Foroutan
Hosein Foroutan joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about microplastics, the ocean, and the atmosphere. He explained what microplastics are and shared recent findings that indicate such waste is somehow making its way into the air around the world. He also described some of the research he’s doing to figure out how this is happening and shared his current theories.
Date: May 21, 2024 -
General ItemReal Estate Values and Elections with Sherwood Clements
Sherwood Clements joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the impact real estate values have on the presidential election. He discussed some recent research he was a part of that explored the impact of the “homevoter,” what findings surprised him, and what he thinks the date tells us about the upcoming election.
Date: May 14, 2024 -
General ItemAI and the Hiring Process with Louis Hickman
Louis Hickman joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) during the hiring process. He shared the ways in which AI has long been a part of the process, the findings from his research on AI evaluating automated video interviews, and some tips on how job seekers can leverage the technology to improve their job hunt.
Date: May 06, 2024 -
General ItemExploring the Human-Dog Relationship with Courtney Sexton
Courtney Sexton joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the unique relationship between humans and dogs. She shared the origins of the dog-human relationship, how the animals have adapted and become more attune to human needs, and their role in helping researchers learn more about human health.
Date: Apr 30, 2024 -
General ItemThe Chemistry of Earth History with Ben Gill
Ben Gill joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about piecing together Earth history through a combination of geology and chemistry. Gill explained how studying the cycles of different elements can tell a story and help us better understand the planet’s most pivotal moments, such as mass extinctions. He also shared how studying both the worth and best times of our planet can provide us valuable insights for the future.
Date: Apr 23, 2024 -
General ItemCircular Economies with Jennifer Russell
Jennifer Russell joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the concept of a circular economy. She explained that a circular economy is a shift away from the linear economy, which follows a take-make-dispose model, and instead focuses on reducing waste and reusing materials. Russell shared examples of tangible products and industries that can be, or already are, part of a circular economy.
Date: Apr 16, 2024 -
General ItemThe History of Virginia Tech's Helmet Lab with Stefan Duma
Stefan Duma joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the history of the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab and the impact it has had on sports-related head injuries. He shared how a military research conference led him to study helmets, as well as the critical role the lab’s relationships with the Virginia Tech football and sports medicine programs have played in advancing this pioneering research. Duma discussed the role of the helmet lab in helping to create a greater awareness about head injuries throughout all sports, and described the helmet shell add-on fans can witness during the football team’s spring game on April 13.
Date: Apr 09, 2024 -
General ItemThe History of Food Waste with Anna Zeide
Anna Zeide joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the history of food waste in America and its impact on society and the environment. She shared insights related to several historical turning points and stressed that addressing food waste requires rethinking and integrating food security and waste management systems.
Date: Apr 02, 2024 -
General ItemThe Dog Aging Project with Audrey Ruple
Audrey Ruple joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the Dog Aging Project, the largest-known study of dog health which aims to understand the keys to healthy aging in dogs and the risks to their health. She explained what information they are collecting, what it means for dogs, and how it might also be used to better understand human health.
Date: Mar 26, 2024 -
General ItemAll About Air Pollution with Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz
Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about air pollution and its misconceptions. He shared his insights related to how plant and human emissions interact and what that means for our shared environment, as well as how he got into this field of study and his hope for the future.
Date: Mar 19, 2024 -
General ItemRighting a Wrong Understanding of Newton's Law with Daniel Hoek
Daniel Hoek joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the recent discovery he made related to Newton's first law of motion. The law is typically translated as “a body at rest remains at rest, and a body in motion remains in motion, at constant speed and in a straight line, unless acted on by an external force." Hoek explains how he became intrigued by the law, the puzzles surrounding it, as well as the misconception that objects with no forces acting on them exist and how Newton's own account contradicts this.
Date: Mar 11, 2024 -
General ItemMeasuring the Risks of Sinking Land with Manoochehr Shirzaei
Manoochehr Shirzaei joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the importance of understanding and measuring sinking land, commonly called land subsidence. He shared insights about the use of satellite data in creating high resolution maps, how land subsidence fits into the overall picture of climate change, and how he hopes the information is used by localities.
Date: Mar 05, 2024 -
General ItemEmerging Technology and Tourism with Zheng "Phil" Xiang
Zheng "Phil" Xiang joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the intersection of technology and tourism. He shares the significant technological shifts in the tourism industry over the past decade, including the influence of social media and artificial intelligence on trip research and the experience itself.
Date: Feb 27, 2024 -
General ItemAI and Education with Andrew Katz
Andrew Katz joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Katz shares his insight related to the applications of AI models, such as chat GPT, in analyzing student responses and providing feedback, as well as the challenges of AI in education and hope it can provide a more individualized education experience.
Date: Feb 20, 2024 -
General ItemWarm, Fuzzy Feelings and Relationships with Rose Wesche
Rose Wesche joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the science behind the warm, fuzzy feelings that often accompany a new romance, the transition from infatuation to attachment, and how to maintain intimacy and passion in relationships. She also shared her research exploring the emotional outcomes of casual sexual relationships and provided advice for those in relationships.
Date: Feb 13, 2024 -
General ItemThe Future of Wireless Networks with Luiz DaSilva
Luiz DaSilva joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the evolution of wireless networks, the importance of advancing the next generation of wireless, and the critical role the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) is playing in that advancement.
Date: Feb 06, 2024 -
General ItemThe Positive Impacts of Bird Feeding with Ashley Dayer
Ashely Dayer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about her work at the intersection of birds and humans, including a new project that explores the positive impact bird feeding has on human well being and general tips for the hobby.
Date: Jan 30, 2024 -
General ItemSticking to healthy changes with Samantha Harden
Samantha Harden joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the science behind developing and keeping healthy habits.
Date: Jan 16, 2024
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General ItemScreen Time and Young Children with Koeun Choi
Koeun Choi joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the impact of media on young children. She shared insights from her research on screen time and young children and introduced a project she’s working on that explores the use of artificial intelligence to help children learn to read.
Date: Dec 11, 2023 -
General ItemThe History of Holiday Foods with Anna Zeide
Anna Zeide joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the history of foods traditionally connected to holidays occurring during the winter months, as well as the nature of developing personal traditions.
Date: Dec 04, 2023 -
General ItemThe Chemistry of Better Batteries with Feng Lin
Feng Lin joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the chemistry behind creating better batteries for electric vehicles. He broke down some of the current challenges to mass producing an effective and affordable battery, and shared his thoughts on the potential for coal in helping overcome these hurdles.
Date: Nov 27, 2023 -
General ItemAI as a Personal Assistant with Ismini Lourentzou
Ismini Lourentzou joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about artificial intelligence and machine learning related to personal assistants, as well as her student team’s recent experience with the Alexa Prize TaskBot Challenge 2.
Date: Nov 20, 2023 -
General ItemThe Power of International Collaborations with Roop Mahajan
Roop Mahajan joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about the value of international collaborations to research and innovation, as well as how they’ve contributed to his work advancing the “wonder material” graphene.
Date: Nov 13, 2023 -
General ItemDriving around Heavy Trucks with Matt Camden and Scott Tidwell
Matt Camden and Scott Tidwell of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) joined “Curious Conversations” to talk about the institute’s Sharing the Road program, which has shared tips for driving around heavy trucks with more than 20,000 high school students since 2018. They discussed the research behind the program and shared practical safety tips for drivers of all ages.
Date: Nov 06, 2023 -
General ItemAutonomous Technology and Mining with Erik Westman
Erik Westman joined Virginia Tech’s ‘Curious Conversations’ to share his insights on how machine learning and autonomous technologies are impacting the mining industry, as well as what Virginia Tech is doing to prepare students for the future of the industry.
Date: Oct 30, 2023 -
General ItemAgriculture Technology and Farmers with Maaz Gardezi
Maaz Gardezi joined Virginia Tech’s ‘Curious Conversations’ to talk about the importance of developing agriculture technology alongside and with the input of farmers. He shared details about a current interdisciplinary project he’s working on at the intersection of technology and agriculture, as well as his thoughts on the potential for advanced technology in this space.
Date: Oct 23, 2023 -
General ItemAI and Healthcare Workspaces with Sarah Henrickson Parker
Sarah Henrickson Parker joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about how artificial intelligence and machine learning is currently being used in some healthcare spaces, and what the potential is for the future.
Date: Oct 16, 2023 -
General ItemAI and Online Threats with Bimal Viswanath
Bimal Viswanath joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about how the rise in artificial intelligence and large language models has changed the online threat landscape. He explained how this technology works and shared about a current project he’s involved with that aims to mitigate toxic language in chatbots.
Date: Oct 09, 2023 -
General ItemAI and the Workforce with Cayce Myers
Cayce Myers fields questions on artificial intelligence’s impact on the workforce, regulations, copyright law, and more.
Date: Oct 02, 2023 -
General ItemSpecial Edition: The GAP Report with Tom Thompson and Jessica Agnew
Each year, Virginia Tech produces the Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report, which provides a snapshot of the current state of agriculture and a projection of its future. Tom and Jessica, executive editor and managing editor, respectively, of the report, joined the podcast just prior to the 2023 release to explain what it is and how they hope it's used.
Date: Oct 01, 2023 -
General ItemThe Metaverse, Digital Twins, and Green AI with Walid Saad
Walid Saad joined Virginia Tech’s "Curious Conversations" to field questions about the metaverse, digital twins, and artificial intelligence’s potential impact on the environment.
Date: Sep 24, 2023 -
General ItemSemiconductors, Packaging, and more with Christina Dimarino
Christina Dimarino joined the podcast to chat about semiconductors, the importance of packaging in onshoring their production, and what Virginia Tech is doing to excel workforce development in this field.
Date: Sep 15, 2023 -
General ItemPilot: Electric Vehicles with Hesham Rakha
In this pilot episode, Hesham Rakha shares insights on what sustainable mobility means, the gas price at which electric vehicles becomes the more cost effective option, and some of his personal experiences with an electric car.
Date: Aug 14, 2023