 |
Where What If Becomes What's NextAuthor: Carnegie Mellon University
Welcome to Season 2 of WHERE WHAT IF BECOMES WHATS NEXT, a podcast from Carnegie Mellon University where we ask the bold questions that will become innovations for the betterment of humanity. You'll hear about breakthroughs at CMU from scientists, researchers, innovators and artists at the forefront of artificial intelligence, robotics, health science and the arts. With host Randy Scott, every other Thursday well introduce you to CMU experts and their game-changing stories of innovation. Subscribe so that you'll never miss an episode. For more, info visit: cmu.edu/whatsnextpodcast. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
Listen Now...
Designing for the Planet: The Clever Thermostat and the Odorless Food Recycler
Episode 3
Thursday, 16 April, 2026
What if the secret to saving the planet was hiding in your hallway and under your kitchen sink? Matt Rogers, Carnegie Mellon University electrical and computer engineering alumnus, joins us to trace a remarkable career path — from engineering iPods and iPhones at Apple to co-founding Nest, the learning thermostat now in millions of homes, to his current venture Mill, a food waste technology company.Matt shares how his CMU robotics training shaped his instinct for systems thinking, and how working alongside Tony Fadell at Apple taught him the power of focus and user-centric design. He explains how Nest's learning thermostat has saved more than 100 billion kilowatt hours of energy worldwide — and how the same design philosophy (make the right choice, the easy choice) now drives Mill's odorless, AI-powered trash can that dehydrates food waste overnight and turns it into “rocket fuel” for the garden and the food chain (including backyard chickens). Matt makes the case that profitability and planetary impact aren't just compatible — they need to be inseparable. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For more, info visit: cmu.edu/whatsnextpodcast.
