On this episode of If/When we sat down with two experts from the famed SETI Institute whose passion is listening to the stars and seeking new life - Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, Director of the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe and Dr. Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer. We asked Nathalie and Seth to expound on topics such as, "If intelligent life is out there, why has it been so hard for us to find any evidence of it?"; "What kinds of advances in technology will be needed to discover life among the stars?"; and "What can extreme environments on Earth teach us about the potential presence of life on other planets?"

As sea levels rise, coastal habitats will find it necessary to migrate landwards. But when human-made constructions such as sea walls impede their progress, the habitats are squeezed, resulting in the loss of life-sustaining environments. To lessen those impacts, scientists are developing solutions such as compensatory habitats to preserve affected sea-life. In this episode of If/When, we explore the challenge of coastal squeeze with Dr. Chrissy Mitchell, National Principal Research Scientist - Flood, Coast, Reservoirs, UK Environment Agency and Dr. Nigel Pontee, Global Practice Leader, Coastal Planning & Engineering, Jacobs.

In this episode we talk about how sustainability is a sub-theme of Expo 2020 Dubai, which presented the opportunity for the global community to share challenges, lessons learned, and solutions from the around the world. For Expo, the event is an opportunity to advance the UAE’s sustainability agenda and create a model of sustainable urban development that will live on as District 2020 after the event.

In this episode, we discuss the challenges in decarbonizing cities and how the city-state of Singapore is addressing this challenge head on through its “Green Plan” – a set of initiatives to advance progress on key sustainable development targets related to their energy, buildings, transport, food, waste and water industries.  We’ll also explore the role of green finance in accelerating decarbonization and sustainability agenda in both Singapore and across Asia.

Winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, Dr. Daniel Kahneman is Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs Emeritus at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Princeton University, and a fellow of the Center for Rationality at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In this episode of If/When, Dr. Kahneman shared his thoughts on how to recognize cognitive noise and decrease its negative effects, as well as where emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence will potentially factor into human decision making.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Nino Kharaishvili and Ms. Andrea Rezzonico about health and climate intersection and how it impacts the global One Health initiative and our common ecosystem. We will be exploring geographical areas around the globe and examine population categories that are most affected by the climate change and complex emergencies. We will also be discussing some actions that policy makers and leaders around the world need to take to build population resilience towards adverse effects coming from the climate change.

In this episode, we explore how Asia Pacific’s diversity could also act as a catalyst for the net zero agenda and accelerate the transition through trade, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration opportunities.

In this episode, we’ll explore some of the challenges surrounding America’s green transportation transition, how innovative solutions could expand electric mobility options, and how placing social value at the heart of infrastructure planning will be key to creating a successful network. 

In this episode, we explore how Scotland is turning cutting-edge ideas into practice to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the role of Scottish research and innovation, and how the country has shown that with the right infrastructure, assets, creativity and determination, a green economy can thrive.

On this episode of If/When, we discuss the evolving role of the data scientist and how organizations can embrace greater confidence in the use of data and analytics in their decision-making activities, with Dr. Kirk Borne, chief science officer at DataPrime, and Jacobs Global Technology Lead for Predictive Analytics Michael Brown.

Gary Rydstrom, film director and sound designer with Skywalker Sound, has built a career of using innovation, imagination and technology to help bring to life some of the most beloved cinematic stories of the last forty years. On this episode of If/When, we discussed the lessons Gary has learned as an innovator, the role of playfulness in the creative process, and what keeps him motivated to continue delivering superior results.

With a body of work that includes two dozen solo records and a resume of working with the who’s who of rock royalty, our guest’s place in the pantheon of popular music is as truly unique as the inventive sounds and songs he produces with his guitar. On this episode of If/When we had the pleasure of sitting down with the one and only Adrian Belew.