Hard Reset Podcast Nick Tucker

An estimated 32% of the recycling we send off to sorting centers actually gets recycled. Why is this? The nature of sorting recycling by hand is time consuming, messy, and dangerous, and the human error involved in this process is enormous.

Enter AMP Robotics, a Denver-based company training neural networks to speed through sorting plastic and paper with 99% accuracy by recognizing materials on a moving belt.

This robotic tech could usher in a new era of sustainability, allowing us to better sort recycling in order to reuse the same items that were once fated for the landfill.

Wildfires have been growing in severity and intensity since the 1980’s. As climate change encourages hotter, drier seasons, fire is able to catch and spread rapidly, destroying the homes and ecosystems in its path. 

To fight these megafires, fire scientists, machine learning experts, and data science researchers have come together at San Diego’s WIFIRE Lab in an effort to reduce these natural disasters. 

By utilizing new AI computer detection technologies in tandem with indigenous practices like prescribed burns, WIFIRE is able to reduce the likelihood of wildfires before they even start.

Following an oil spill, in-situ burning is commonly used to burn oil from the surface of ocean water. But could a tiny magnetic sponge be a cheaper, more environmentally friendly solution to clean the millions of gallons of oil spilled into the ocean yearly?

Scientists have created a special material by modifying polyurethane foam that can suck oil out of water to be reused. 

So, how far could this tech go in solving environmental disasters? The Hard Reset Podcast hosts sit down to discuss the potential this small sponge has to create enormous ripple effects.

What if we had real-time access to everything that’s happening across the globe? Planet Labs is launching tiny satellites into space en masse to photograph our Earth at all angles, multiple times each day. 

This tech could lead to a shift in the way we monitor the health of the planet and the activities of the global population. Whereas we have previously had to wait weeks or months for photographs of specific parts of the planet, we could have instant insights into the land and environmental happenings on it. 

So, how could these satellites affect maps, surveillance, and the future of our planet’s climate? The Hard Reset Podcast hosts sit down to discuss. 

If it feels like you need a car to get around the U.S., it's because our streets seem to prioritize the flow of traffic over people.

With pedestrian deaths at a 40-year high in 2023, it’s past time to reevaluate how we structure our sidewalks. 

So, how can we make our streets less dangerous, more accessible, and reclaim the hours we would’ve been sitting in traffic? The Hard Reset Podcast hosts discuss some pretty brilliant ideas to take back our streets and build stronger, safer communities.

Could this robot completely change the way the world gets around? Zoox wants to build a future where its autonomous vehicles (ahem, NOT cars) are ubiquitous. 

For all of the recent advancements in autonomous tech and the hype surrounding brands like TESLA and its self-driving cars, many are still skeptical of vehicles with no human pilot. 

So, is it safe? Is it really the future of transportation? The Hard Reset Podcast hosts get together to discuss how these vehicles could change the world.