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Brains and Machines

Brains and Machines

By: Dr Sunny Bains
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Curious to explore the technology advancing Artificial Intelligence beyond the usual headlines? Brains and Machines will introduce you to the people and ideas behind neuromorphic engineering, bio-inspired robotics, and other transformative technologies shaping AI’s future. From spiking neural networks and event-cameras to models of attention and mechanisms for prosthetic control, we investigate how machine cognition is moving forward.

Join Dr Sunny Bains, a scientist, journalist, and lecturer at University College London, as she talks to researchers, engineers, and computer scientists from across the field. With co-host, Dr Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague, and commentator Prof Ralph Etienne-Cummings from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the post-interview discussion provides context and insight into the featured innovations.

Produced in conjunction with Electronic Engineering Times. Check out the EETimes Current podcast for more.

Dr D’Angelo gratefully acknowledges the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship.

All rights reserved. Nature & Ecology Physics Science
Episodes
  • Artificial Hearing: From Ear Drums to Tuning Forks

    Artificial Hearing: From Ear Drums to Tuning Forks
    Dec 9 2025

    Dr. Claudia Lenk’s group creates brain-inspired hearing systems with micromechanical hair cells. In this episode of Brains and Machines, she talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about the advantages of the approach and how it could be applied to speech processing in AI. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings of Johns Hopkins University.
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    51 mins
  • A Theoretical Framework for Neuromorphic Technology?

    A Theoretical Framework for Neuromorphic Technology?
    Nov 7 2025

    Sunny talks to Dr Brad Aimone from Sandia National Laboratories who works with the world’s biggest neuromorphic platforms. He explains how this allows him to think deeply about what such platforms are good for and how we might be able to get to a theory of neuromorphic computational power. After the interview, discussion follows with Giulia and Ralph.
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Neurons Close the Loop from Insect Perception to Action

    Neurons Close the Loop from Insect Perception to Action
    Nov 1 2025

    Sunny talks to Prof Barbara Webb from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland​, who uses physical robots to validate neural mechanisms in crickets, ants, and bees. She talks about her work inspired by the philosophy that biological cognition can only be truly understood by building complete sensory-motor loops that work in the real world. After the interview, discussion follows with Giulia and Ralph.
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    44 mins
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