Host Laura Reiley (right) interviews Prof. Suzanne Bliven Shu ’90, MEng ’92. (Jason Koski / Cornell University) Campus & Beyond Tune In to the Podcast Devoted to Big Red Faculty Discoveries Stories You May Like Public Speaking Tips from a Communication Prof A Staple of Upstate BBQs, ‘Cornell Chicken’ is a Grilling Tradition The Savage Club of Ithaca Is Still Making Merry In its second season, Research Matters delves into procrastination, robotics, tipping, eldercare, the urban-rural divide, and much more Editor’s note: This story was adapted from a feature in the Cornell Chronicle. By Chronicle staff In spring 2026, Research Matters set out to show how Cornell scholarship routinely bursts out of the lab and library. Now the video podcast series, back for a second season, ranges even further, from an emergency room to a courtroom, from a basketball court out to the universe itself. The 18-episode season—which includes appearances by several Big Red alumni—launches with “Why Don’t We Do the Things We Know We Should?” In it, Cornell professor Suzanne Bliven Shu ’90, MEng ’92—an electrical engineer turned behavioral economist—breaks down the psychology behind procrastination, overspending, and our strange attachment to stuff in order to illustrate why willpower isn’t the problem, and what actually helps. In another episode, robotics researcher Angelique Taylor of Cornell Tech’s AIRLab joins to talk about what happens when a robot enters the chaos of a hospital emergency department. Cosmologist Michael Niemack traces the technology used to listen for the universe’s oldest light, and electron microscopist David Muller, PhD ’96, explains how a machine that resolves single atoms is reshaping what materials scientists thought was possible. Other episodes trace money, power, and belonging. In the first episide, Prof. Suzanne Bliven Shu ’90, MEng ’92, breaks down the psychology behind procrastination, overspending, and our strange attachment to stuff. Stories You May Like Public Speaking Tips from a Communication Prof A Staple of Upstate BBQs, ‘Cornell Chicken’ is a Grilling Tradition Hospitality scholar Michael Lynn breaks down the strange economics of tipping, an American habit few can explain and fewer can escape. Economist Eswar Prasad takes on global economic instability and what it means for ordinary savers, while health economist Colleen Carey untangles the sometimes-absurd design choices baked into the health insurance market. New ideas for combating climate change and improving the health of our planet are part of this season as well. Biogeochemist Benjamin Houlton, dean of CALS, makes the case for soil and trees as climate infrastructure, and architect Felix Heisel shows how buildings can be designed for a second life instead of a landfill. Sreang Hok / Cornell UniversityA future episode will feature AAP's Felix Heisel. The season also digs into questions of care and belonging. An eldercare-focused conversation with Jenna Wells and Adriana Reyes examines who is designated to care for a rapidly aging population. Political scientist Rachel Beatty Riedl looks at the warning signs of democratic backsliding, while her colleague Suzanne Mettler, PhD ’94, traces the widening political divide between rural and urban America. Says the show’s host, Laura Reiley: “If you’ve ever wondered how academic research connects to the choices you make, the systems you rely on, or the future you’re inheriting, take a listen.” New episodes of Research Matters will post every Tuesday at noon through the semester on the Cornell Chronicle website and everywhere podcasts are found, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, with video on YouTube and clips on LinkedIn and Instagram. Top: Host Laura Reiley (right) interviews Prof. Suzanne Bliven Shu ’90, MEng ’92. (Jason Koski / Cornell University) Published August 28, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Campus & Beyond With Cornell’s ‘Solar Noon’ Clock, Bill Nye ’77 Aims to Leave a Legacy Quizzes & Puzzles Alumni Trivia: ‘Top Jobs’ Students Learning, Studying, and Uphill Hiking: The Academic Year Begins