Big Ideas TXST

Oct 06 2024 55 ep. 28 mins

Big Ideas TXST Podcast artwork

Big Ideas TXST goes inside the fascinating minds forging innovation, research and creativity at Texas State University and beyond. Hosted by Daniel Seed, episodes showcase the thought leaders, breakthroughs and creative expression making the world a better place, one BIG idea at a time. Produced by the Division of University Marketing and Communications at Texas State.

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Episode 55: Deepfakes with Dale Blasingame

Oct 06 2024 39 mins

Dale Blasingame, an assistant professor of practice in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the era of deep fakes. Deep fakes refer to the use of artificial intelligence applications to create convincing, lifelike audio and video reproductions of individuals, often celebrities. Crucially, the deep fa

Episode 54: Imaging asteroids with Joe Aebersold

Sep 01 2024 25 mins

Texas State University’s Joe Aebersold, team leader for Advanced Imaging and Visualization of Astromaterials (AIVA) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss his work imaging samples of the asteroid Bennu returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission. After the mission team recovered the sample return cannister from its landing site in the Utah

Episode 53: Cleaner beaches through AI with Jenna Walker

Aug 04 2024 30 mins

Texas State University’s Jenna Walker , director of Watershed Services with The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor and predict the water quality along Texas’ 367 miles of coastline. A 2022 study found that 55 out of 61 beaches tested along the Texas Gulf coast exceeded saf

Episode 52: Insect sentience with Bob Fischer

Jun 03 2024 28 mins

Texas State University’s Bob Fischer, an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the ethics of insect sentience. The debate over animal sentience has persisted for centuries. Broadly speaking, it’s generally accepted that mammals, reptiles, birds and fish have degrees of sentience—that is, they are conscious and can fee

Episode 51: Mysterious ball lightning with Karl Stephan

May 05 2024 32 mins

Texas State University’s Karl Stephan, a professor in the Ingram School of Engineering, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss his research into the mysterious phenomenon of ball lightning. A poorly understood natural phenomenon, ball lightning has been reported throughout history. Ranging in size from a pea to a basketball, the glowing orbs can appear in various colors, ei

Episode 50: Alzheimer's as time travel with Christopher Johnson

Mar 31 2024 35 mins

Texas State University’s Christopher Johnson, a clinical professor in the Department of Sociology, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss understanding Alzheimer’s disease as a type of time travel. Johnson developed the “Time Travel” model to better explain the variable memory loss of people suffering from Alzheimer’s. Those afflicted by Alzheimer’s experience cog

Episode 49: Acting for screen with Richard Robichaux

Mar 03 2024 31 mins

Texas State University’s Richard Robichaux, a professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss his career path, teaching acting for television and movies and his upcoming projects. A native of East Texas, Robichaux George Pappas on David E. Kelley's “Big Shot” with John Stamos and Yvette Nicole Brown on Disney+. Later this year h

Episode 48: Trilobite geology with Shelly Wernette

Feb 04 2024 28 mins

Texas State University’s Shelly Wernette, Ph.D., a senior lecturer in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss her discovery of 10 new species of extinct trilobites in Thailand and what those discoveries reveal about ancient world geography. Trilobites are extinct sea creatures that rolled up like some types of armadillos

Episode 47: Wastewater reuse with Keisuke Ikehata

Dec 31 2023 23 mins

Texas State University’s Keisuke Ikehata, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Ingram School of Engineering, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss an innovative pilot program to convert wastewater into purified drinking water. Texas’ rapid population growth combined with ongoing drought conditions has led to water shortages across the state. In the face of this challenge

Episode 46: Secret lives of fireflies with Ben Pfeiffer

Dec 03 2023 36 mins

Texas State University alumnus Ben Pfeiffer, founder of Firefly Conservation & Research, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the fascinating insects known as fireflies and the threats and pressures that threaten their existence.A recognized firefly researcher and Texas-certified master naturalist, Pfeiffer founded the nonprofit Firefly Conservation & Research in 200