Nadya Bliss — executive director of the Advanced Capabilities for National Security Institute — explains how national security is more than tanks and battleships. She breaks down the vital role university research plays behind the scenes to anticipate emerging needs, strengthen infrastructure, accelerate innovation and quietly prevent conflict.

Further reading:

• Listen to Sources & Methods, NPR’s nat sec podcast
• Check out Phantom Orbit: A Thriller, by David Ignatius

Learn more about the Advanced Capabilities for National Security Institute at Arizona State University.

Lab Coat Optional is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise. Learn more about research and discovery at ASU on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky or visit us at research.asu.edu.

Love the show? Give us a five star review on the podcast app of your choice!

Get in touch with us at ke.podcast@asu.edu.

Episode credits

Executive produced by Kate Howells

Produced by Alexander Chapin and Pete Zrioka

Hosted and reported by Pete Zrioka

Shot by Alexander Chapin

Edited by Alexander Chapin

Original music from Patrick Cheung

Motion graphics by Andy Ramos

Art by Andy Keena and Sophia Franz

Editorial support from Diane Boudreau

Social media management by Lauren Hebing and Kyler Litson

Disclosure:

Opinions expressed on this show reflect the views of the individuals only, not the policy or opinion of Arizona State University.

Bonus episode!

Guest host Dr. Lara Ferry, vice president for research at ASU Knowledge Enterprise, talks with Meha Jain, of the University of Michigan and Mayank Kejriwal, of the University of Southern California, the inaugural winners of the ASU-Science Prize for Transformational Impact, presented by ASU and Science.

Further reading:

• Environmentality by Arun Agrawal

• Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen

• Taking Down Backpage by Maggy Krell

• Science as a Vocation by Max Weber

• The Information by James Gleick

Learn more about AAAS and follow on LinkedIn, Instagram and Bluesky. Consider becoming a member, too!

Lab Coat Optional is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise. Learn more about research at ASU on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky or visit us at research.asu.edu.

Get in touch with us at ke.podcast@asu.edu.

Episode credits

Executive produced by Kate Howells

Produced by Alexander Chapin, Pete Zrioka and Carrie Herrera Niesen

Hosted by Lara Ferry

Shot by Alexander Chapin

Edited by Quinton Kendall and Alexander Chapin

Original music from Patrick Cheung

Motion graphics by Andy Ramos

Art by Andy Keena and Sophia Franz

Social media by Lauren Hebing and Kyler Litson

Special thanks to Sally C. Morton

Water law expert Rhett Larson explains why 2026 is a make-or-break year for the 40 million people who depend on the Colorado River for drinking water, power, agriculture and so much more. What happens if states can’t agree on how to share this resource going forward, and what do we have to give up to ensure a sustainable future for us all?

Further reading

Explore the Kyl Center’s Arizona Water Blueprint to find out the source of your water: azwaterblueprint.asu.edu

Read Rhett’s book, Just Add Water: Solving the World's Problems Using its Most Precious Resource.

Look out for Rhett’s next book, Day Zero, a comparative legal analysis of the water crises faced in recent years by Cape Town, Chennai, and Mexico City, and draws water policy lessons from those crises for other cities.

Learn more about the Kyl Center for Water Policy and the Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law at ASU.

Lab Coat Optional is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise. Learn more about research and discovery at ASU on Instagram and LinkedIn, or visit us at research.asu.edu.

Love the show? Give us a five star review on the podcast app of your choice!

Get in touch with us at ke.podcast@asu.edu.

Episode credits

Executive produced by Kate Howells

Produced by Alexander Chapin and Pete Zrioka

Hosted and reported by Pete Zrioka

Shot by Alexander Chapin

Edited by Quinton Kendall and Alexander Chapin

Original music from Patrick Cheung

Motion graphics by Andy Ramos

Art by Andy Keena and Sophia Franz

Social media management by Lauren Hebing and Kyler Litson

Disclaimer:

Opinions expressed on this show reflect the views of the individuals only, not the policy or opinion of Arizona State University.

Bonus episode!

You might’ve heard about a “shutdown” last week on January 30. Organizers urged people in the U.S. not to work, go to school or spend money at all to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But what is a shutdown, really? How is it different from a strike, or a protest — and what effect do these actions have?

In this bonus episode, sociologist and director of ASU’s Center for Work and Democracy Michael McQuarrie explains the significance of the labor action stemming from Minneapolis, and how it fits into the historical context of the American labor movement.

Disclaimer:

Opinions expressed on this show reflect the views of the individuals only, not the policy or opinion of Arizona State University.

Further reading:

• Strike! by Jeremy Brecher
• Street Rebellion: Resistance Beyond Violence and Nonviolence by Benjamin Case
• Popular Contention in Great Britain by Charles Tilly
• Breaking the Barrier: The Rise of Solidarity in Poland by Lawrence Goodwin

The last two books are out of print and therefore quite expensive — check your local library!

Learn more about the Center for Work and Democracy at Arizona State University.

Lab Coat Optional is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise. Learn more about research and discovery at ASU on Instagram and LinkedIn, or visit us at research.asu.edu.

Love the show? Give us a five star review on the podcast app of your choice!

Get in touch with us at ke.podcast@asu.edu.

Episode credits

Executive produced by Kate Howells

Produced by Alexander Chapin and Pete Zrioka

Hosted and reported by Pete Zrioka

Shot by Alexander Chapin

Edited by Alexander Chapin and Quinton Kendall

Original music from Patrick Cheung

Motion graphics by Andy Ramos

Art by Andy Keena and Sophia Franz

Editorial support from Diane Boudreau

Social media management by Lauren Hebing and Kyler Litson

From grant strategy and infrastructure to indirect costs, university research relies on a complex, fast-moving system to pursue discoveries and deliver real-world impact. Lara Ferry, vice president of research for ASU Knowledge Enterprise and President’s Professor, joins the show to explain how universities balance basic curiosity-driven work with applied goals, the challenges and opportunities of the current federal funding landscape and more.

Lab Coat Optional is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise.

Follow ASU Research:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/asu-knowledge-enterprise

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asuresearch/

Learn more about our work: https://research.asu.edu

Love the show? Give us a five star review on the podcast app of your choice! We are at the mercy of the mighty, fickle algorithms and reviews help new listeners find our show.

Do you have thoughts or questions for us? Email us at ke.podcast@asu.edu. We’d love to hear from you! As long as you are nice. Be nice.

Episode credits

Executive produced by Kate Howells

Produced by Alexander Chapin and Pete Zrioka

Hosted and reported by Pete Zrioka

Shot by Alexander Chapin and Christian Van Bebber

Edited by Alexander Chapin and Quinton Kendall

Original music from Patrick Cheung

Motion graphics by Andy Ramos

Art by Andy Keena and Sophia Franz

Editorial support from Diane Boudreau and Sandy Leander

Social media management by Lauren Hebing and Kyler Litson

Jane Austen’s enduring legacy is a bit like a lace doily: a frilly decoration that covered over the grime of real life in Regency-era Britain.

But it turns out Austen was much less mild and more wild than public perception — or her family — ever let on.

In this episode we’re joined by Devoney Looser, Regents Professor of English at Arizona State University and one of the world’s most prominent Austen scholars. Her latest book, Wild for Austen, explores how much sharper, funnier and more rebellious the author really was.

Get Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane, from St. Martin’s Press: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250361332/wildforausten/

Explore Devoney’s other books: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/285160.Devoney_Looser

More from Devoney:

Subscribe to her Substack: https://devoney.substack.com/

Visit her online: https://www.devoneylooser.com/

Lab Coat Optional is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise.

Follow ASU Research:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/asu-knowledge-enterprise

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asuresearch/

Learn more about our work: https://research.asu.edu

Love the show? Give us a five star review on the podcast app of your choice! We are at the mercy of the mighty, fickle algorithms and reviews help new listeners find our show.

Do you have thoughts or questions for us? Email us at ke.podcast@asu.edu. We’d love to hear from you! As long as you are nice. Be nice.

Episode credits

Executive produced by Kate Howells

Produced by Alexander Chapin and Pete Zrioka

Hosted and reported by Pete Zrioka

Shot by Alexander Chapin

Edited by Alexander Chapin and Quinton Kendall

Original music from Patrick Cheung

Motion graphics by Andy Ramos

Art by Andy Keena and Sophia Franz

Research and editorial support from Mikala Kass

Social media management by Lauren Hebing and Kyler Litson

Disclosure:

Opinions expressed on this show reflect the views of the individuals only, not the policy or opinion of Arizona State University.

“Seeing is believing” doesn’t ring as true as it once did. With the advent of generative artificial intelligence, the line between what’s real and not online has become blurred.

This episode we’re examining generative AI’s impact on the information landscape with researcher Joshua Garland. Joshua leads the Center for Information and Narrative Complexity at the Global Security Initiative at Arizona State University. He’s spent over a decade working with large language models, narrative influence and propaganda campaigns, and researches how to better detect and attribute AI-generated content.

Learn more about:

• Center for Information and Narrative Complexity: https://globalsecurity.asu.edu/the-center-on-information-and-narrative-complexity/
• Global Security Initiative: https://globalsecurity.asu.edu/

Lab Coat Optional is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise.

Follow ASU Research:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/asu-knowledge-enterprise

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asuresearch/

Learn more about our work: https://research.asu.edu

Love the show? Give us a five star review on the podcast app of your choice! We are at the mercy of the mighty, fickle algorithms and reviews help new listeners find our show.

Do you have thoughts or questions for us? Email us at ke.podcast@asu.edu. We’d love to hear from you! As long as you are nice. Be nice.

Episode credits

Executive produced by Kate Howells

Produced by Alexander Chapin and Pete Zrioka

Hosted and reported by Pete Zrioka

Shot by Alexander Chapin

Edited by Christian Van Bebber

Original music from Patrick Cheung

Motion graphics by Andy Ramos

Art by Andy Keena and Sophia Franz

Editorial support from Diane Boudreau and Sandy Leander

Social media management by Lauren Hebing and Kyler Litson

Disclosure:

Opinions expressed on this show reflect the views of the individuals only, not the policy or opinion of Arizona State University.

Addiction and substance use disorder isn’t simply the result of “bad choices” — it’s caused by brain chemistry, relationships and the environments we live in.

In this episode, Professor of psychology Lani Shiota delves into what really drives addiction and how to prevent and treat it. From Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign to medication-assisted treatment, she shares what science says does and doesn’t work — and why compassion may be our most powerful tool. Shiota also talks about SATRN, ASU’s statewide network connecting researchers, practitioners and policymakers to turn cutting-edge research into real-world impact.

Learn more about The Substance Use and Addiction Translational Research Network (SATRN) at ASU: https://satrn.asu.edu/

Lab Coat Optional is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise.

Find more stories of research and discovery at ASU: http://research.asu.edu

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/asu-knowledge-enterprise

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asuresearch/

Love the show? Give us a five star review on the podcast app of your choice! We are at the mercy of the mighty, fickle algorithms and reviews help new listeners find our show.

Do you have thoughts or questions for us? Email us at ke.podcast@asu.edu. We’d love to hear from you! As long as you are nice. Be nice.

Episode credits

Executive produced by Kate Howells

Produced by Alexander Chapin and Pete Zrioka

Hosted and reported by Pete Zrioka

Shot by Alexander Chapin and Christian Van Bebber

Edited by Alexander Chapin

Original music from Patrick Cheung

Motion graphics by Andy Ramos

Art by Andy Keena

Editorial support from Diane Boudreau and Sandy Leander

Research and reporting by Richard Harth

Social media management by Lauren Hebing and Kyler Litson

Keyword research by Aditi Patel

Disclosure:

Lab Coat Optional is intended for general knowledge and informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. This show does not create a doctor-patient relationship, and the information provided is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your health. In case of a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Opinions expressed on this show reflect the views of the individuals only, not the policy or opinion of Arizona State University.