Advertise on podcast: Trailblazers with Walter Isaacson

This episode originally aired on December 5, 2017. The toy industry has a long history, but only really became a technology-heavy omnipresence since the 1970s. In this episode, see how toy manufacturers have adapted digital – or not – to win the battle for children’s attention.

This episode originally aired on February 12, 2019. Walter Isaacson asks: how did we go from inventing fire to the Instant Pot? How much different is cooking from its genesis tens of thousands of years ago? And just what does a microwave have to do with weaponry?

This episode originally aired on June 17, 2020. What do we mean when we talk about wellness, and why do people want it so badly? In this episode, we dive deep into this sometimes-nebulous field, talking to practitioners who spend their time helping people become well.

This episode originally aired on March 6, 2018. From the blackboard to bots, technology has made inroads into classrooms all over the world. Where will the next innovation in education come from? We take you to the head of the class in this episode.

This episode originally aired on November 16, 2022. Throughout the world and throughout history, you can find evidence of cultures enjoying cold desserts—precursors to the ice cream we love today. The desire to keep food cold led to the creation of European wine slushies in 1558 and to the transportation of ice from New England to the Caribbean in 1806.

This episode originally aired on January 29, 2020. The human obsession with meat has never wavered from prehistoric times until now. However, this food once reserved for the rich and powerful has led to global problems of an unprecedented scope and has exacerbated climate change in a way that few other industries have. Finding a way to break our reliance on animal-based meat is one of the top challenges of the day, and Trailblazers is taking a deep look into some of the leading candidates for our next protein of choice.

This episode originally aired on March 20, 2018. Whether you see golf as an intense, white-knuckle competition, or a leisurely stroll around a course, the game has endured and the magic of the sport keeps growing. In this episode, we’ll take a look at how innovations have made golf bigger, better and more accessible than ever before.

This episode originally aired on August 11, 2021. You’ve probably heard the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” That's because for most of human history, when it came to child-care, people had the daily support of family, friends and neighbours. Today, that's not the reality for many young parents. Not only that, parents are raising their kids in a much more technologically complex world. So the question becomes, with a smaller support network, how can parents use technology to help raise their children, without letting it get in the way. Featuring Jennifer Traig, Alison Gopnik, Mike Rothman, Dr. Harvey Karp, Jill Gilkerson and Dana Porter.

The 1902 film "A Trip to the Moon" is considered one of the earliest films to incorporate visual effects. Using double exposure stop motion animation, director George Méliès created the iconic image of a rocket skip flying directly into the Moon’s eye. This ingenious bit of visual trickery helped pave the way for the groundbreaking and award winning effects we’ve seen in many of our favorite movies. Today, CGI, motion capture technology and infrared cameras are pushing the boundaries of what's possible on the big screen. Hear how on this episode of Trailblazers. Featuring Craig Barron, John Dykstra, Dennis Muren, Eric Saindon and Pablo Helman.

In the early twentieth century, Evangeline Adams was the most famous fortune teller in America. Kings, actors and even bankers came to her for predictions. Though Adams was an astrologer, she wasn’t the only one predicting the future at the time. Government agencies started making predictions about the weather. As the years went by, science fiction writers and scientists predicted space travel, wind farms, hormone replacement therapy and more. Today, we’re trying to predict the future of buyer behavior, the Earth’s climate and health outcomes. But instead of relying on the stars, researchers use predictive models and deep learning algorithms. From the fate of our planet to what an individual will buy online to what crimes will occur next week, there’s almost no limit to the questions many are trying to answer using artificial intelligence. Hear what’s in the cards for predictions on this episode of Trailblazers. Featuring Jamie Pietruska, Bill Behrens, Eric Siegel, Aaron Andalman, Ben Reis and Ishanu Chattopadhyay.

Since its release in 1935, Monopoly has been translated into 37 languages and is played in more than 103 countries around the globe. It’s arguably the world’s most famous board game. But this iconic pastime we now associate with cutthroat capitalism had a very different message when it was first conceived. In fact, it was only transformed into the version of Monopoly we know today because the rules were tweaked and customized as it passed from person to person in the first few decades following its conception. Today, the same crowdsourced feedback that helped create Monopoly, has helped usher in a board game renaissance. Crowdfunding and digital game platforms have reinvigorated the industry and given enthusiasts a hand in developing the games they love. Learn how our digital hive mind is improving how we play on this episode of Trailblazers. Featuring Philip Orbanes, Guido Teuber, Jonathan Ritter-Roderick, Marcin Swierkot and Davide Garofalo.

In 1933, a seven year old boy named Henry Molaison was knocked down by a passing bicycle. Shortly after, he started getting seizures. To fix the seizures, Henry underwent experimental brain surgery. Unfortunately, the procedure left him with amnesia from which he would never recover. Henry’s tragedy was a critical turning point for brain science and helped us discover the complex functions of learning and memory. Today, there is still much that we don’t know about memory, but there is exciting research underway exploring how damaged memories can be repaired and even how painful memories might, one day, be erased. Learn about the science of memory and forgetting on this episode of Trailblazers. Featuring Lisa Genova, Dan Schacter, Joshua Foer, James McGaugh, Daniela Schiller and Robert Hampson.