Computer America

Ben Crossman

Computer America is the nation's longest running talk show on Computers and Technology, spanning 25+ years of industry guests and analysis.

  1. 3D AGO

    From Interplanetary Light Sails to Sub-Millimeter Quantum Measuring w/ Ralph Bond

    Show Notes 3 April 2026 Researchers Develop Photonic Crystal Light Sails for Interplanetary Exploration National Today.com https://nationaltoday.com/us/al/tuskegee/news/2026/03/06/researchers-develop-photonic-crystal-light-sail-for-interplanetary-exploration/ Fuel-free interplanetary travel: Photonic crystal sail could help laser beams push spacecraft MSN https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/fuel-free-interplanetary-travel-photonic-crystal-sail-could-help-laser-beams-push-spacecraft/ar-AA1XLjxK Design and manufacture of a photonic crystal light sail SPIE Digital Library https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/journal-of-nanophotonics/volume-19/issue-04/046008/Design-and-manufacture-of-a-photonic-crystal-light-sail/10.1117/1.JNP.19.046008.full NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) NASA https://www.nasa.gov/mission/acs3/ How UCLA scientists helped reimagine a forgotten battery design from Thomas Edison UCLA https://www.chemistry.ucla.edu/news/how-ucla-scientists-helped-reimagine-a-forgotten-battery-design-from-thomas-edison/ A Fast-Charging, High-Stability Nickel-Iron Battery via Protein-Induced Biomineralization Wiley Online Library https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/smll.202507934 Quantum-inspired laser system delivers distance measurements with sub-millimeter accuracy Phys.org https://phys.org/news/2026-03-quantum-laser-distance-millimeter-accuracy.html How your virtual twin could one day save your life IEEE Spectrum https://spectrum.ieee.org/living-heart-project-virtual-twins The Living Heart Project Dassault Systèmes https://www.3ds.com/heart The Living Heart Project: A Decade of Innovation YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_IqlxgCME Lab-grown algae removes microplastics from water University of Missouri https://engineering.missouri.edu/2026/lab-grown-algae-removes-microplastics-from-water/

    43 min

  2. MAR 27

    The Price of Entertainment: PlayStation, Netflix, and Nintendo w/ Calcopia

    Sony Is Raising Prices on PlayStation Consoles and Portals Polygon https://www.polygon.com/ps5-price-increase-sony-playstation-portal Netflix Raises Prices Across All Streaming Plans CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/26/netflix-raises-prices-across-all-streaming-plans.html Physical vs Digital: Switch 2 Games Pricing Explained Polygon https://www.polygon.com/physical-vs-digital-switch-2-games-pricing Apple Discontinues the Mac Pro Engadget https://www.engadget.com/computing/apple-discontinues-the-mac-pro-221502339.html MacBook Neo 2026: The Perfect Laptop for Most Users Calcopia https://calcopia.com/macbook-neo-2026-the-perfect-laptop-for-most-users/ ChatGPT Sexy Mode Disabled Following Investor Concerns Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/chatgpt-wont-talk-dirty-any-time-soon-as-sexy-mode-turns-off-investors-report-says

    1h 23m

  3. MAR 27

    AI Search Robots, Tofu Water Batteries, and 4D Vision Chips w/ Ralph Bond

    Story 1: AI search robot uses 3D maps and internet knowledge to find lost items Andreas Schmitz, Technical University Munich TechXplore.com https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-robot-3d-internet-knowledge.html Research paper: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11359697 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUouwHUZPWQStory 2: Tofu brine could power safer batteries that last decades, researchers say Skye Jacobs Techspot.com https://www.techspot.com/news/111434-tofu-brine-could-power-safer-batteries-last-decades.html Research paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-69384-2Story 3: New 4D vision chip can help robots, drones track distance and speed of moving objects Mrigakshi Dixit InterestingEngineering.com https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/4d-vision-chip-helps-robots-track-distance-speed Research paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10183-6Story 4: Blood test 'clock' can predict Alzheimer's symptoms before they emerge David Nield ScienceAlert.com https://www.sciencealert.com/blood-test-clock-can-predict-alzheimers-symptoms-before-they-emerge Research paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04206-yStory 5: Scientists mixed dead leaves with magnesium—and created a super metal Darren Orf Popular Mechanics via MSN.com https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-mixed-dead-leaves-with-magnesium-and-created-a-supermetal/ar-AA1YOXDc?ocid=BingNewsSerpStory 6: Turning sawdust into fire-resistant materials Samuel Schlaefli ETHzurich https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2026/03/turning-sawdust-into-fire-resistant-materials.htmlStory 7: The world’s first self-balancing electric motorcycle is now entering production Micha Toll Electrek.com https://electrek.co/2026/03/16/the-w

    36 min

  4. MAR 20

    EyeDAR Sensors, Transplant Coatings, and Prostate Cancer Advances w/ Ralph Bond

    Show Notes 20 March 2026 Story 1: Extra ‘set of eyes’ for self-driving cars: Roadside radar sensors could reduce blind spots Silvia Cernea Clark Rice University website https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/extra-set-eyes-self-driving-cars-roadside-radar-sensors-could-reduce-blind-spots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1SWRzGPQJQ Story 2: Spray-on 'immune-shield' coats transplant organs to curb rejection Medical Xpress via MSN.com https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/spray-on-immune-shield-coats-transplant-organs-to-curb-rejection/ar-AA1XGjVR https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016836592501082X Story 3: A New Type of Immunotherapy Drug for Prostate Cancer Shows Up to 99% Drop in Cancer Biomarkers Tudor Tarita ZME Science https://www.zmescience.com/medicine/diseases-medicine/a-new-type-of-immunotherapy-drug-for-prostate-cancer-shows-up-to-99-drop-in-cancer-biomarkers/ Story 4: Researchers develop beating, 3D‑printed heart model for surgical practice Tina Hilding Washington State University https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2026/03/04/researchers-develop-beating-3d-printed-heart-model-for-surgical-practice/ Story 5: Breakthrough laser technology enables deeper, more efficient bone surgery University of Basel News-medical.net https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260226/Breakthrough-laser-technology-enables-deeper-more-efficient-bone-surgery.aspx https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-37117-6 Story 6: Hyundai’s Autonomous Firefighting Robot Handles 1,400+ Degree Temps TomorrowsWorldToday.com https://www.tomorrowsworldtoday.com/robotics/hyundais-autonomous-firefighting-robot-handles-1400-degree-temps/ Story 7: Scientists discovered a way to create 3D-printed wood — and the breakthrough could change how hundreds of products get made Laurelle Stelle The Cool Down on MSN.com https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/scientists-discovered-a-way-to-create-3d-printed-wood-and-the-breakthrough-could-change-how-hundreds-of-products-get-made/ar-AA1XuWWf Story 8: New microrobot swarms use whirlpools to lift objects 45,000 times heavier Mrigakshi Dixit Interesting Engineering

    37 min

  5. MAR 13

    Hair Loss Breakthrough: Light Therapy Suppresses Key Markers by 92%

    Show Notes 13 March 2026 Story 1: 3D Printing Soft Robots - Rotational multi-material printing offers intricate, programmable shapesSource: Harvard School of Engineering Story by Anne J. Manning Link: https://seas.harvard.edu/news/3d-printing-soft-robots See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK9K_mJjlxE Story 2: AI robot vehicles learn to team up and extinguish fires in early trial Source: TechXplore.com Story by Andrew Zinin Link: https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-ai-robot-vehicles-team-extinguish.html See research paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0952197626000618?via%3Dihub Story 3: New Light Therapy Can Suppress a Key Marker of Hair Loss by 92%Source: ScienceAlert.com Story by Carly CassellaLink: https://www.sciencealert.com/new-light-therapy-can-suppress-a-key-marker-of-hair-loss-by-92 Story 4: Mapping Protein Production in Brain Cells Yields New Insights for Brain Disease - UC San Diego and Scripps Research scientists used a novel method to show that some memory neurons produce proteins at higher rates than others. Source: UC San Diego Today Story by Susanne Clara Bard Link: https://today.ucsd.edu/story/mapping-protein-production-in-brain-cells-yields-new-insights-for-brain-disease

    35 min

  6. MAR 6

    Lidar Revolution: Affordable Solid-State Sensors Aim for Sub-$200 Price Point

    Show Notes 6 March 2026 Story 1: Scientists Grew Mini Brains, Then Trained Them to Solve an Engineering Problem Source: ScienceAlert.com  Link: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-grew-mini-brains-then-trained-them-to-solve-an-engineering-problem 200,000 living human brain cells just learned to play Doom and this is just the start of it Source: ZME Science  Link:https://www.zmescience.com/science/wetware-brain-doom-play/ Story 2: Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto[mobile] Sensor Economics Source: IEEE Spectrum Link: https://spectrum.ieee.org/solid-state-lidar-microvision-adas Additional Info: https://microvision.com/ Story 3: Magical Marvel: Tiny Fairy-Like Robot Flies by the Power of Wind and Light Source: SciTechDaily.com Link: https://scitechdaily.com/magical-marvel-tiny-fairy-like-robot-flies-by-the-power-of-wind-and-light/ Story 4: Scientists uncover why some brain cells resist Alzheimer’s disease Source: UCLA Newsroom Link: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/scientists-uncover-why-some-brain-cells-resist-alzheimers-disease Research Paper: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)01487-4 Honorable Mentions New plastic material could solve energy storage challenge, researchers report Source: PennState News Link: https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/new-plastic-material-could-solve-energy-storage-challenge-researchers-report Research Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10195-2 Why Perovskite LEDs Might Soon Replace Every Light in Your Home Source: ZME Science Link: https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/why-perovskite-could-replace-normal-leds/ Neither classical nor quantum: This computer lets light solve complex calculations Source: Interesting Engineering Link: https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/computer-uses-light-to-solve-calculations A new flexible AI chip for smart wearables is thinner than a human hair Source: TechXplore.com

    44 min

  7. FEB 27

    Lunar Lasers, Desalination Lithium, and Spinal Regeneration w/ Ralph Bond

    Show Notes 27 February 2026 Story 1: Artemis II to Test Laser-Based Communication from the Moon Source: ExtremeTech.com Link: https://www.extremetech.com/aerospace/artemis-ii-to-test-laser-based-communication-from-the-moon Story 2: New solar-powered device extracts lithium for batteries while desalinating seawater Source: Interesting Engineering Link: https://interestingengineering.com/energy/china-solar-device-extracts-lithium-desalinates-seawater See research paper here: https://www.cell.com/device/abstract/S2666-9986(25)00341-2 Story 3: Paralysis treatment heals lab-grown human spinal cord organoids Source: Northwestern University  Link: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2026/02/paralysis-treatment-heals-lab-grown-human-spinal-cord-organoids See research paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-025-01606-2 Story 4: Toward regenerative bioprinting: Magnetic mixer enables scalable manufacturing of 3D-printed tissues Source: TechXplore.com Link: https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-regenerative-bioprinting-magnetic-mixer-enables.html See research paper here: https://www.cell.com/device/abstract/S2666-9986(25)00357-6 Honorable Mentions Story: How to Compute with Electron Waves Source: NewsBreak.com Link: https://www.newsbreak.com/ieee-spectrum-319637150/4454843506865-how-to-compute-with-electron-waves Story: This Silent Wind Turbine Solves Sailing’s Power Problem Source: Yanko Design Link: https://www.yankodesign.com/2026/01/18/this-silent-wind-turbine-solves-sailings-power-problem/ Story: Army establishes new AI, machine learning career path for officers Source: US Army Website  Link: https://www.army.mil/article/289843/army_establishes_new_ai_machine_learning_career_path_for_officers Story: Smart chip could slash computing energy use by up to 5,000× Source: Interesting Engineering via MSN Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/hardware-and-devices/smart-chip-could-slash-computing-energy-use-by-up-to-5-000/ar-AA1UFiIN

    27 min

  8. FEB 20

    Robot Swarms, Mobile AI Semi-Trucks, and Supercomputing Jet Flaws w/ Ralph Bond

    Show Notes 20 February 2026 Story 1: Watch a robot swarm “bloom” like a garden Source: ArsTechnica.com Link: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/01/watch-a-robot-swarm-bloom-like-a-garden/ See research paper here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.ady7233 See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80QqrFmvIr0&t=2s Story 2: Electric semi-trucks could serve as mobile AI data centers, a Belgian startup proposes  Source: Interesting Engineering Link: https://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/belgian-startup-data-centers-electric-semi-trucks  See also: https://windrose.tech/ Story 3: World-first - supercomputer discovered this invisible flaw in all jet engines Source: Slashgear.com  Link: https://www.slashgear.com/2093053/frontier-supercomputer-jet-engine-blade-simulation/  Story 4: Bubble Bots: Simple biocompatible microrobots autonomously target tumors Source: Caltech Link: https://researchimpact.caltech.edu/research-news/bubble-bots-simple-biocompatible-microrobots-autonomously-target-tumors  See research paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-02109-6  Honorable Mentions Story: Microbes in Space Mutated and Developed a Remarkable Ability Source: ScienceAlert.com Link: https://www.sciencealert.com/microbes-in-space-mutated-and-developed-a-remarkable-ability  Story: Scientists watch microscopic plant 'mouths' breathing in real time with palm-sized tool Source: Live Science Link: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/scientists-watch-microscopic-plant-mouths-breathing-in-real-time-with-palm-sized-tool  Story: This Startup’s Air‑Powered Fuel Could Rewrite the Future of Energy Source: Inc. Magazine Link: https://www.inc.com/maria-jose-gutierrez-chavez/this-startups-air-powered-fuel-could-rewrite-the-future-of-energy/91296983  Story: Psychedelics may rewire the brain to treat PTSD. Scientists are finally beginning to understand how. Source: LiveScience.com Link: https://www.livescience.com/health/mind/psychedelics-may-rewire-the-brain-to-treat-ptsd-scientists-are-finally-beginning-to-understand-how

    36 min
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Ratings & Reviews

2.3
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Computer America is the nation's longest running talk show on Computers and Technology, spanning 25+ years of industry guests and analysis.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Crossman
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    651
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Computer America
  • Show Website
    Computer America