Trailblazers with Walter Isaacson Dell Technologies

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.

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’ve 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.