Trailblazers with Walter Isaacson

Beer is one of the world's oldest beverages. But for a long time, there was little that could be done to control the brewing process. With the advent of thermometry, however, brewing was standardized. Temperature control helped make beer taste even better. That's where we've seen the most innovation over the past two hundred years.​ And as you can tell from the sheer volume of different beer on the shelves today, that innovation has continued at a rapid pace.​​ In this episode of Trailblazers, hear from beer historian James Sumner, Mattihas Ebner, the International Brand Ambassador for Bavaria's famous Weihenstephan Brewery, Ken Grossman, the founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish Head Brewery, and IntelligentX's Hew Leith.

Walter Isaacson and guests engage in a fast-paced discussion on the history of Formula One, featuring stories from drivers, technicians and the scientists behind the auto industry’s biggest breakthroughs.

Finding love has evolved as we have. In this episode, we take a look back at the way we find, attract and pursue lifelong partnerships. It’s time to get in your feelings, as we explore how technology is disrupting the very nature of our nature.

Exercise is essential to increasing our lifespan, health and mood. With recent technological advancements, there's no need to leave the comfort of your living room to feel the burn. On the latest episode of Trailblazers, we weigh all the different options available to someone looking to take their workout somewhere new.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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. Soon enough, advances in production, serving and shipping methods made ice cream popular and more readily available throughout the United States. Through Prohibition, war and beyond, enterprising people continued to innovate with new flavors, mix-ins and ice cream making machines. Now, a new generation of entrepreneurs are helping ensure there’s an ice cream for everyone to enjoy. Get the scoop on this episode of Trailblazers. Featuring Jeri Quinzio, Judy Herrell, Ben Cohen, Ben Van Leeuwen and Ryan Pandya. 

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.For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

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. For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

 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 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.For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

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.For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

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.For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

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.For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

In the Middle Ages, women in labor could ask for a special birthing stone to help reduce the pain. While this was likely ineffective, pain reduction techniques and the midwives who practiced them were often suspected of witchcraft. We’ve come a long way since then but when it comes to pregnancy and labor but, just as in the past, there are still many challenges for those giving birth. Hear how advances in medicine and midwifery have improved the experience of labor and increased women's choice for how they give birth. And learn how companies use technology and collaboration to expand access to prenatal care to strengthen the relationship between doctors and midwives on this episode of Trailblazers.   Featuring Tina Cassidy, Ina May Gaskin, Jenny Joy, Kypros Nicolaides, Ryan Kraudel and Ila Dayananda. For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

Since the 1970s, people have been using digital tech to share information and connect with others. As times changed and more people gained access to computers and the internet, social networking technology changed too. Now, social networking has been replaced with social media and networks with large corporate platforms. Despite the ubiquity of these platforms, some of their earliest employees are creating new decentralized, open-sourced networks in an effort to bring the humanity back to social media. As the big platforms face new challenges, the future of social media is still being written. Featuring Kevin Driscoll, Andrew Weinreich, Evan Henshaw-Plath, David Kirkpatrick and Tristan Harris.  

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.  Soon enough, advances in production, serving and shipping methods made ice cream popular and more readily available throughout the United States. Through Prohibition, war and beyond, enterprising people continued to innovate with new flavors, mix-ins and ice cream making machines. Now, a new generation of entrepreneurs are helping ensure there’s an ice cream for everyone to enjoy. Get the scoop on this episode of Trailblazers.Featuring Jeri Quinzio, Judy Herrell, Ben Cohen, Ben Van Leeuwen and Ryan Pandya. For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

In 1753 a Scottish doctor named James Lind published Treatise of the Scurvy where he named oranges and lemons as cures for the disease. However, it wasn’t until 1912 when researcher Casimir Funk published The Etiology of Deficiency Diseases, introducing the concept of illness as a result of something lacking in the body, a concept unknown during Lind’s initial study of scurvy.  Since then, major vitamins and their health effects were discovered and recommendations for vitamin intake were made. But as we learn more about how certain foods and nutrients interact with the body and even with the specific bacteria in our gut, we gain a greater understanding of nutrition and what it takes to be well. Gain insight into what’s on your plate and in your body on this episode of Trailblazers.  Featuring Dariush Mozaffarian, Marion Nestle, T. Colin Campbell, Lee Chae and Tim Spector. For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers