Forty-five years ago, a crew began working on a film with a modest budget, under the helm of a director making only his second picture and starring a cast of very talented and accomplished actors who were yet largely unknown. The filmmakers themselves acknowledge it was by all accounts a B movie, but by virtue of emotionally compelling performances, a well-crafted story and visuals that were out of this world, they created a stunning experience that literally exploded into a lasting cultural phenomenon. On this episode of If/When, we sat down with two of the legendary cast members of ALIEN – Tom Skerritt, who played the role of Captain Dallas, and Veronica Cartwright, who played the ship’s navigator, Lambert.

On this episode of If/When, we explored intelligent O&M with two experts from Jacobs - Digital OneWater Strategic Growth Lead Dr. Jennifer Baldwin and Joshua Registe, data scientist and environmental engineer. We discussed the concept of “OneWater” and how digital tools enable greater support for water management facilities and professionals, as well as the positive environmental impacts that digitally enabled water operations can achieve.

On this episode of If/When, we discussed the impact of generative AI, with a focus on the legal, creative and user experience impact of the technology. Our guests for this episode are Todd Marks, founder and CEO of Mindgrub Technologies, a digital experience agency, and Darrell Collett, associate general counsel for Jacobs. In his work at Mindgrub, Todd and his team use AI technology to enhance the digital solutions their agency provides to clients, while at Jacobs, Darrell studies and evaluates the intellectual property implications posed by generative AI.

How blockbuster films of today get made is an awe-inspiring mix of collaboration and a constant drive for process and technical innovation. On this episode of If/When, our guest is Todd Busch, first assistant editor at Marvel Studios. Todd’s career as a film editor and visual effects editor has spanned three decades and has seen him assigned to some of the most iconic film franchises in movie history, including films in the Star Wars, Spider-man, Terminator, and Fast and Furious franchises. He recently finished an assignment as the assistant film editor on Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, and he shares with us a behind the scenes look at the incredibly complex mechanism of teams and technology necessary to pull off these marvels of cinematic entertainment.

On this episode of If/When we discussed advancements in data science as deployed on behalf of transportation safety. Our guests are Director of Special Projects and Services at StreetLight Sean Co and Michael Brown, data & technology director at Jacobs. They recently collaborated as part of a team that successfully brought to market a transportation data solution for one of the largest metropolitan planning organizations in the U.S. In this episode, they shared insights from that experience, as well as their thoughts on how organizations can integrate data solutions into their workflows, and what they see as the path forward for the future transportation data landscape.

On this episode of If/When, we explore data-driven intelligent asset management with Graceson Scariah, CNS&A Asset Lifecycle Management Lead, Airservices Australia, and Abhishek Singh, Director - Technology Convergence, Jacobs. During the discussion, they shared their thoughts on some of the top benefits that intelligent asset management can provide, as well as methods that organizations should consider when trying to deploy intelligent asset management in their operations.

On this episode of If/When we are joined by award-winning author and scientist David Brin to unpack the topic of the ethical development of artificial intelligence. He shared his opinions on the role of built-in laws or codes of ethics, how to potentially incentivize AI behavior, and how reciprocal accountability might be the key to ensuring safe AI development.

In the realm of building management, safety of tenants is of paramount importance. This has led to robust regulatory requirements to ensure that facilities, especially older facilities, are properly maintenanced and that complete digital records of upkeep are accessible. Through the advent of digital technology in this space, it has given rise to the concept of structures as “living buildings”, with building managers now able to track wear and tear with a much greater degree of visibility and even anticipate potential structural problems before they occur. On this episode of If/When we unpacked the topic of data-enabled building management with Leighton Cardwell, Jacobs Sector Growth Director - Cities and Places, Europe and Liza-Jane Sapsford, Technical Director - Digital Products, Jacobs.

When it comes to wastewater management, utility managers are discovering that deploying a data-driven approach to their operations is helping them to realize cost and resource efficiencies and to avoid emerging problems like never before. This keeps things flowing, which is music to the ears of customers, plant operators and people concerned about offsetting potentially damaging environmental incidents. On this episode of If/When our guests are Jacobs Senior Associate Director Simon Gaskell and Network Business Manager of United Utilities Samantha Sloan.

When it comes to aviation-based supply drops, it’s not a simple matter of pushing things out of airplanes and hoping they land where you want them. It’s a highly advanced and precise science that demands a number of technical and theoretical proficiencies. On this episode of If/When we discussed the art and science behind aviation airdrops with Chief Engineer Jeff McCoy and Product Manager Jeff Cusato, both of the Jacobs Software Engineering Center. They walk us through the Jacobs air drop solution, which allows U.S. and allied air forces to execute high precision air drop missions that range from troop insertions, to advanced forces logistics support, to critical humanitarian aid.

Successful businesses are finding that good management consists in creating cultures where people want to do their best because they feel encouraged to be their best. On this episode of If/When we discussed talent enablement with Shannon Miller, Jacobs executive vice president and the president of the company’s Divergent Solutions operating unit. Shannon shares some of the best practices she has witnessed throughout her career, her thoughts on the role that mentors and sponsors play in career development, and the importance of trust in creating an effective company culture.

Each year, flooding disasters have the potential to cause billions in negative financial impact, and more importantly can imperil the lives of many, many people caught up in their path. However, thanks to data science and advanced tools and technologies, scientists are now more able than ever to assess and contend with dangerous floodwaters. On this episode of If/When we are joined by two experts in flood risk management and mitigation: Roger Falconer, Emeritus Professor of Water and Environmental Engineering in the School of Engineering, at Cardiff University and Dr. Richard Crowder, Jacobs Director, Water & Environment. We discussed what they’re seeing in terms of flooding frequency and severity, especially with a view towards the impact of climate change; we also discussed how emerging technologies can help with flood risk management and the latest advancements in flood model accuracy and response.