FFP Story — Turning Electron Spin Into Power for Next-Gen Tech (EP. 6)
Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this story explores how scientists in Korea are harnessing the overlooked property of electrons — their spin — to build ultra–low-power devices. By flipping the script and treating energy loss as a feature rather than a flaw, researchers are pushing the frontier of spintronics and opening new doors for AI, data, and computing efficiency.SummaryPoliticians spin news, scientists spin electronsKorea’s breakthrough: turning spin loss into usable energySpintronics explained: using both electron charge and spinMoore’s Law slowdown and the Von Neumann bottleneckEarly success: giant magnetoresistance and Nobel-winning hard disksNew approach: using dissipation as a functional componentWhy this could reshape computing and AI’s energy demandsCommercial viability: compatible with existing chip infrastructureIf you want to watch the full episode, you can view it here: Full EpisodeShow NotesPhys.org CoverageNature Communications Paper
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FFP Story — Virus and Bacteria Team Up to Fight Cancer (EP. 6)
Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this story explores a groundbreaking cancer therapy from Columbia Engineering that uses bacteria to smuggle viruses directly into tumors. The result? A synergistic “buddy cop” approach where pathogens team up against cancer, showing 100% survival in early mouse studies and pointing toward a new frontier in adaptive biotherapy.SummaryMarvel-style intro: viruses + bacteria as the ultimate team-upColumbia Engineering’s CAPSID therapy published in Nature Biomedical EngineeringTrojan horse design: bacteria smuggle viruses into tumorsWhy current treatments (chemo, radiation, CAR-T) struggle with specificityExperimental results in mice: tumors eliminated in both injected and distant sitesAdaptive, modular potential for future cancer therapiesIf you want to watch the full episode, you can view it here: Full EpisodeShow NotesColumbia Engineering CoverageNature Biomedical Engineering Paper
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FFP Story — Discovery of a Rare New Supernova (EP. 6)
Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this story dives into the groundbreaking discovery of a new type of supernova — a cosmic explosion so rare it occurs only ~300,000 times per year across the entire observable universe. We explore what makes this event unique, how it confirms long-standing models of stellar evolution, and why global collaboration was key to capturing it.SummaryAstronomers observe a never-before-seen type of supernova in 2021The event confirms the “onion skin” model of stellar interiorsSupernovas as crucibles for elements beyond iron — gold, zinc, uraniumGlobal telescopes team up to monitor the rare explosion for 120 daysWhy timing, technology, and collaboration matter for catching cosmic phenomenaIf you want to watch the full episode 6, you can view it here: Full EpisodeShow NotesCNN CoverageNature Paper
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FFP EP. 6 | New Supernova, Virus+Bacteria vs Cancer, Electron Spin, Bee Superfood
Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, Episode 6 of From First Principles covers four groundbreaking stories in science—from rare cosmic explosions to synthetic biology breakthroughs that could save our food supply. This week, we dive into a never-before-seen type of supernova, explore a surprising alliance of viruses and bacteria against cancer, unpack how scientists are turning electron spin into power, and highlight Oxford’s CRISPR-based superfood for honeybees.SummaryA naked supernova reveals the inner layers of a dying starViruses and bacteria team up to fight cancer with Trojan-horse biologyHarnessing electron spin for ultra-efficient future techScientists engineer bee superfood to save pollinators and agricultureShow NotesCNN — New Supernova DiscoveryNature — Virus+Bacteria TherapyPhys.org — Spintronics StudyBBC — Bee Superfood
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FFP EP. 5 | Hacking The Human Brain, Unlocking Our DNA, Unbreakable Diamonds & The Quantum Magician
This week we break down four big stories—no PhD required.Reading “inner speech”: Invasive brain–computer interfaces record neurons in motor cortex and decode attempted vs. inner speech into words. Results from Stanford even generalize to simple symbols and numbers. Cool science, huge privacy questions, and a proposed “brain password” to keep users in control.What makes us human: UC San Diego highlights human accelerated regions (HARs)—genomic control switches (promoters/enhancers) that tune when and where genes are used. We revisit classic HAR examples and a new result connecting a specific HAR to brain development.Diamonds get an upgrade: Scientists at HPSTAR (Beijing) grow stronger lab diamonds with clear industrial upside—from cutting tools to power electronics—and potential to reduce harmful mining incentives.International Year of Quantum (2025): A fast retrospective on 100 years of quantum mechanics and how today’s quantum tech is reshaping computing, sensing, and materials.Hosts: Lester Nare & Dr. Krishna ChoudharyShow: From First Principles Podcast
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