When UNC basketball player Evan Smith runs out onto the floor of the Dean Smith Center, he wears the number 32 across his back. But as the last-ever varsity walk-on from the now-defunct JV basketball team, Smith’s journey to Roy Williams Court wasn’t quite like theirs.
“The Wild West:” Five years in, a look at NIL
By Annika Duneja When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) in 2021, people knew…
Growing Roots – Nik Narain: Music, Drag and Comedy
Nik Narain is a science communicator who sings, performs stand-up comedy and does drag. He incorporates science into his art and also uses art to express his identity. Narain creates his own original music that he performs at open mic nights at local establishments in the Triangle. His comedy is a mixture of his personality and his academic background. As Narain develops his art, he grows his own roots in the queer community and in Durham.
Chasing Velocity: Baseball’s Pitching Analytics Revolution
What started as the “eye-test” has evolved into so much more. The analytical revolution is imbedded within America’s pastime, but are the numbers too much? Media Hub’s Grace Nugent talks to experts both past and present on how analytics have changed pitching.
How AI Could Solve Natural History’s Biggest Research Challenge
Natural history museums face massive backlogs of undigitized specimens and data. Researchers are using AI to speed up tasks like reading handwritten notes, analyzing images and processing video. While not perfect, these tools can save time and expand research, helping scientists better understand biodiversity, despite environmental costs and technical limitations.
Chasing Velocity: How analytics changed pitching
This video explores how innovations in technology and data analytics have changed the way we approach the art of pitching in baseball.
The Scoop: Nutrition
This multimedia package explores differences between U.S. and European food systems through reporting, photos and audio. While Americans focus on additives like dyes, experts say overall diet quality matters more. The story highlights processed foods, misleading “clean labels,” and barriers to accessing fresh, nutritious options, emphasizing whole foods and informed choices.
The Classroom Under Watch: AI Surveillance in Schools and the Ethics Behind It
This investigative podcast looks at how AI-based surveillance tools are being used in schools across the state, drawing on specific local cases. It examines the legal frameworks that govern student monitoring, alongside the ethical concerns around privacy, consent, and the student experience. UNC Professor Sun-ha Hong helps unpack these cases and their potential implications.
Embryo Donation: Medicine, Ethics and the Making of Families
Story by Regan Rhymes This story explores embryo donation as a growing pathway to parenthood,…
Data vs. Injuries in Sports: How Colleges are Using Data to Change the Game
This is an audio story about how college sports programs are working to fight injuries through analytics and technology. It takes a look into the work of the Wake Forest Pitching lab and the UNC Women’s Soccer team, highlighting how each team looks to minimize injuries in sports.