Super Sensors: Next-Gen Quantum Research Gets Big Boost At Ohio State University

From soft-spoken but creepily bossy HAL on 2001 a Space Odyssey, to Arnold Schwarzenegger's killer robot on The Terminator, we've long been worried about out of control artificial intelligence. But so far, at least until this month; we never saw any actual evidence that what we feared could happen, actually did happen. Now, however; it has, twice--from our nation's two top AI companies--Open AI, the maker of ChatGPT, and Anthropic, the maker of Claude. So today, we're going to talk about how something like that could happen, and what we might be able to do about it, someday, because right now, our government has absolutely no laws on the books to control--nor have they stepped up and just seized control, of this now demonstrably out of control technology. When we recorded this program earlier this week; only Open AI was reporting their model had gone rogue on July 9. But then today, July 31, there is a new report that Anthropic's Claude did the same thing, on July 21. Clearly, something big and new is afoot, and it's of grave concern, especially as we also today had a report from ABC News, that hackers have attacked 30 water systems in Minnesota, and that federal officials put out a warning to water system operators nationwide. A source told ABC,  that the attacks were possibly related to Iran, though the FBI hasn't yet confirmed that for a fact. Now, while we don't know that advanced AI models were used to do it, or whether it was just plain old, really smart humans; what we do know, is that this new technology can make it easier for non-elite hackers to pull off daring and complex exploits. Both ABC and the New York Times they have sources that linked the attacks to Iran, but the FBI (at least at the time of this writing) had not definitively confirmed that's the case. According to ABC; they believe it is, because the hackers sought to cause harm to the systems, instead of asking for money, (which is more typical) and because Iran has a history of hacking US water systems. With all that in mind, let's go now to our conversation with a frequent contributor to our show, Dr. John Nicholas, who is the Associate Dean of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, at Cuyahoga Community College. Dr. John Nicholas, Bio: With over 20 years of experience in Computer Information Systems and Information and Communication Sciences, Dr. Nicholas is a passionate and innovative educator, administrator, and curriculum developer. He is currently the Associate Dean of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) in Cleveland, Ohio. . Nicholas has a PhD in Education Curricular and Instructional Studies from The University of Akron, where he also taught and developed courses in cybersecurity, networking, programming, and digital forensics. He has been involved in statewide initiatives to standardize learning objectives and articulation agreements, and to launch the Ohio Cyber Range Institute. Dr. Nicholas has also been an invited speaker and a media commentator on cybersecurity and technology topics, including IoT, blockchain and Python. His mission is to prepare the next generation of professionals and leaders in the fields of cybersecurity and information and communication sciences.

From the relatively low-tech thermostat that tells your home HVAC system when to turn up the AC, to the incredibly complex strategic early warning systems that help keep our nation safe from nuclear missiles; sensors are a vital part of our daily lives. In fact, they are so ubiquitous that you just take them for granted, from the motion sensor that opens the door at the grocery store, to the GPS chip built into your phone. But what if there was something so mind-bindingly different and fantastic, that you’d swear it was powered by science fiction, instead of just plain old everyday science–and even better– what if it already exists today? Well, it turns out that it does, it’s called “next generation quantum sensing”, and they’re researching it right now at Ohio State University, thanks in part to a $4 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation. Listen now, as we talk about how it works, what it can do already, and what it could do in the future, with Physics Professor, Dr. Ezekiel “Zeke” Johnston-Halperin, who Co-Directs OSU's Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering. Bio Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin received his PhD in Physics from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2003. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Physics at The Ohio State University, Columbus. Prof. Johnston-Halperin’s research focuses on studies of coherent spin and magnetization dynamics, synthesis of magnetic materials, and prototype device development for spintronics and quantum information applications. Prof. Johnston-Halperin is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and served on the Executive Committee of the Division of Materials Physics (DMP), has held science leadership positions such as IRG and Thrust co-leadership in NSF MRSEC and DOE EFRC centers, respectively, and is leading the NSF-funded education initiative QuSTEAM: Convergent Undergraduate Education in Quantum Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

While there is no doubt that AI is a transformative and extremely useful technology; there is also a lot to well-founded concern about how it is being deployed, where the resources needed to support its proliferation are coming from, and who is in charge of ensuring that it won’t destroy our economy, democracy, and global security. In Ohio, a number of cities in our area, including Cleveland, Berea, Twinsburg, and North Ridgeville, have put a moratorium on the construction of new data centers, because citizens are worried about issues including noise, pollution, power outages, and electricity price hikes. Citizens are also questioning the cost and wisdom of deals such as former Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich’s 40 year, 100 percent state sales tax exemptions, for Amazon, Google, and Meta, which never came up for public discussion or debate when they were negotiated between 2014, and 2018. But today we’re going to focus not just on the increasingly expensive effects of AI expansion at the state level, but also on how the lack of effective federal AI regulation could affect our national security, as illustrated by recent policy changes and reversals related to leading AI developer, Anthropic. Listen now as I discuss the federal government’s chaotic and contradictory approach to that company’s incredibly powerful and sophisticated AI models, and what that could mean going forward, with Brennan Center For Justice Senior Counsel and Manager, Amos Toh, who recently co-authored a report called “The Business of Military AI”, in which he argues that a lack of oversight and regulation could lead to the loss of both civil liberties, and lives.

Ohio lawmakers made it very clear they wanted to protect children from online harms back in 2023, when they passed a law mandating that minors under the age of 16 could not use social media unless they obtained parental consent. But just one month after the new law went into effect in 2024; a big tech advocacy group called NetChoice went to federal court and obtained a preliminary injunction keeping the law from going into effect, because, they argued; it violated children’s First Amendment right to free speech, guaranteed by the US Constitution. Then, in 2025, a federal judge made that preliminary injunction permanent, barring it from going into effect–until now. That’s because the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this month that NetChoice not only had no legal standing in the case, but also, that the companies they were representing were actually harming the children whose free speech they were purportedly trying to protect. But will this new law actually do anything to really protect children from online threats associated with social media including cyberbullying, sexual predators, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and more? To find out, and to explore some of complex legal issues surrounding the case; we talked with University of Akron Associate Law Professor, Jess Miers. Her professional background includes working in the tech industry, and she teaches classes on technology-related legal issues. Listen now. Biography Jess Miers is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Akron School of Law. A lawyer and technologist, Jess focuses on the intersection of law and technology, with recent research and scholarship centered on Generative AI. Jess is recognized as an expert in U.S. online intermediary liability law and has extensively written, spoken, and taught on issues such as online speech and Section 230, content moderation, intellectual property, and cybercrime. Previously, Jess served as Senior Counsel and Senior Copyright Counsel for Chamber of Progress, a progressive tech trade association based in Washington, D.C., where, among many things, she helped build and lead the organization's recent AI initiative, "Generate and Create." During her time at Chamber of Progress, Jess authored numerous appellate amicus briefs, including a brief in the recent Supreme Court cases NetChoice & CCIA v. Moody & Paxton. Before joining Chamber of Progress, Jess was a Senior Government Affairs & Public Policy Analyst at Google, where she oversaw state and federal content policy portfolios and collaborated with litigation teams on key online speech issues currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Jess earned her Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2021, where she also received the Tech Edge J.D. Certificate. She holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from George Mason University and previously worked as a Software Engineer in Northern Virginia. Throughout her legal education, Jess worked at various organizations, including Twitter, TechFreedom, The UCLA Technology Law and Policy Institute, and Google, cultivating a deep expertise in Internet law and policy.

This week, we’re looking at the profound impact that technology is having on all of our lives; sometimes, in very unexpected ways. From a social media ban for children under 16 in the UK, to President Trump’s order aimed at keeping foreign nationals from having access too Anthropic’s newest and most powerful AI models; we’re once again talking about people all over the globe are trying to grapple with tech forces seemingly beyond anyone’s control–including the people who make it. We’ll also take a look at the surprising way both parents and children are using tracking apps, and some personal reflections on how using AI can both enrich and imperil our lives. Listen now.

I was inspired to write this story by the tumultuous events at CBS News last week, which resulted in the high profile firings of several key members of the 60 Minutes staff, including longtime correspondent, Scott Pelley. The internal intrigue spilled out onto the world stage, when details leaked about the fiery staff meeting in which Pelley told his new boss that he wasn't qualified to run their team. Then, he did a lengthy podcast interview with the New York Times, in which he disputed the network's side of things, while spilling the tea and a whole ocean of emotions, about why this was such a shock, loss, and source of immense sadness. Now, you can debate all day long about whether or not somebody who openly confronts their boss in a staff meeting has any right to quibble about what happens next, but what is undeniable; is that whenever you lose a job that you really love, or even hate but need to pay the rent; it will massively disrupt your life, least for awhile–and maybe longer–if you're not lucky. But what if it isn't about luck at all?  What if happens by design, as we are seeing with big tech companies pushing business and government to replace human workers with AI? What if the kinds of mass layoffs that have become commonplace in the tech industry over the past 18 months become commonplace enough in other business sectors to destabilize society, and tank the economy? So, that's where today’s special guest, Time Worthy Media Founder, and Tech Journalist, Ian Sherr, comes in.  He is both well-qualified, and uniquely positioned to offer insight on how industrial revolutions have affected society in the past, and how this new one might play out in the future. He also has some personal skin in the game, as one of his most recent gigs was with CBS News Radio, which  ceased to exist a couple of weeks ago, after the very same management team that fired Scott Pelley, shut down the company’s entire radio news division, which had been in operation for nearly 100 years. Listen now.

This week's story is about the interconnected web of global technology and energy production, disruption, and politics. But more than that; it is about how Ohioans are caught up in that web, pushing back against it, trying to navigate it, and worrying about how it is affecting their everyday lives. Listen now to hear about how the lack of oil flowing from the Middle East because of the war with Iran, is affecting Ohioans with higher gas prices, and the possibility that if state and federal politicians decide to enact "gas tax holidays"; that could mean less money for much needed bridge repairs in Ohio. You'll also hear about a public hearing in the Ohio House which gave citizens the chance to speak out on what they believe will be the damaging effects of big data centers that power AI, how FirstEnergy is asking state regulators to approve rate increases over the next three years, and how they are already planning for a vast increase in the number of data centers in Ohio over the next decade. But Ohioans are not only concerned about energy-guzzling data centers. They are also worried about thousands of acres of farmland being turned into huge solar farms, as evidenced by a new decision this week from the Ohio Supreme Court. Wind energy is also an issue both nationwide and in Ohio, and we'll show how federal government policy and funding priorities has pulled the plug on what over the past couple of decades had begun to look like a promising new way to provide clean energy in Northeast Ohio and more recently,  along the East Coast. When you connect the dots; what you will see is that all the technological, political, and cultural developments you hear about every day  in the national news, actually are making a huge difference in the everyday lives of people who live very close to home. Listen now to find out how individuals, communities, and groups, are trying to adapt to, fight, change, or at least in some way have an effect on massive pressure brought to bear by big government, big technology, and big energy trends.

You can dress them up, you can dress them down, and you can use them anywhere. Drones are technology's new little black dress; delivering everything from bombs, to life-saving medicine,  and this week we're going to talk to some experts from Northeast Ohio who are helping train the students who will be the backbone of tomorrow's professional drone workforce. Our featured guests are Dr. Manigandan "Mani" Kannan, who is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron, and Kent State University Assistant Aeronautics Professor, Jason Lorenzon. Kannan, who is the Advisor for the U-A drone team, tells us they won second place two years in a row, in a prestigious national competition, beating out a number of much bigger, and more well-funded schools. Lorenzon, who is also an Attorney, wrote the book, "Drone Law: The Past Present And The Future", a few years ago, on the laws that regulate how drones can be used in the United States, which he is the process of revising as both drone technology and public policy related to it, evolve. Listen now as we set the stage with stories about how little drones are making a big difference in major military conflicts around the world, as well as helping to save lives here in the United States.

While the US Government mends fences with Anthropic, which recently introduced an AI tool known as "Mythos",which they claim is so powerful it can punch holes in even the most powerful cybersecurity safeguards today; we're heading down an entirely new path with even faster, stronger, and better technology. That's because it is based on quantum physics, and as such;  is capable of computational speed and complex operations that can run circles around every kind of system and program that we have today. The downside is that it is still in development,  though, as you'll hear today; it is getting closer to becoming the next big thing in more than just theory. Our special guest is Dr. Ronald M. Reano, who is a Professor at The Ohio State University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering  as well as the Co-Director of their Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering. There, he is working on ways to vastly improve cybersecurity, by securely sending quantum particles that are immune from eavesdropping, over a wired network. Listen now to find out how far they've gotten in their quest to reach that goal, and what a future with networked quantum computers could hold.   Biography: Ronald M. Reano received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2004. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The Ohio State University, Columbus, where he leads the Integrated Optics Laboratory. Prof. Reano’s research focuses on chipscale integrated photonics for innovation in sensors, communications systems, and computing. Prof. Reano served as The Optical Society (OSA), Frontiers in Optics, Integrated Photonics Subcommittee Chair in 2013 and 2014. He served as Program CoChair for the 2015 OSA Annual Meeting. Prof. Reano is currently serving as an Associate Editor for Optics Express. He is also the faculty advisor for the OSA Student Chapter at The Ohio State University and is an OSA Traveling Lecturer. Prof. Reano is the recipient of the DARPA Young Faculty Award, the ARO Young Investigator Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the Ohio State University College of Engineering McCarthy Teaching Award. Degrees • Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2004 • M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2000 • B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of New Mexico, 1996 • B.S., Physics, University of California, Los Angeles 1991

While the US Government mends fences with Anthropic, which recently introduced an AI tool known as "Mythos", which they claim is so powerful it can punch holes in even the most powerful cybersecurity safeguards today; we're heading down an entirely new path with even faster, stronger, and better technology. That's because it is based on quantum physics, and as such;  is capable of computational speed and complex operations that can run circles around every kind of system and program that we have today. The downside is that it is still in development,  though, as you'll hear today; it is getting closer to becoming the next big thing in more than just theory. Our special guest is Dr. Ronald M. Reano, who is a Professor at The Ohio State University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering  as well as the Co-Director of their Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering. There, he is working on ways to vastly improve cybersecurity, by securely sending quantum particles that are immune from eavesdropping, over a wired network. Listen now to find out how far they've gotten in their quest to reach that goal, and what a future with networked quantum computers could hold.   Biography: Ronald M. Reano received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2004. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The Ohio State University, Columbus, where he leads the Integrated Optics Laboratory. Prof. Reano’s research focuses on chipscale integrated photonics for innovation in sensors, communications systems, and computing. Prof. Reano served as The Optical Society (OSA), Frontiers in Optics, Integrated Photonics Subcommittee Chair in 2013 and 2014. He served as Program CoChair for the 2015 OSA Annual Meeting. Prof. Reano is currently serving as an Associate Editor for Optics Express. He is also the faculty advisor for the OSA Student Chapter at The Ohio State University and is an OSA Traveling Lecturer. Prof. Reano is the recipient of the DARPA Young Faculty Award, the ARO Young Investigator Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the Ohio State University College of Engineering McCarthy Teaching Award. Degrees • Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2004 • M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2000 • B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of New Mexico, 1996 • B.S., Physics, University of California, Los Angeles 1991