Computer scientist Paris Smaragdis on "machine listening"

As a music student in college, Paris Smaragdis taught computers how to play more life-like music. Today, the 2006 TR35 winner teaches them how to listen better. We recently talked with him about how–and why–he made that transition. For Smaragdis, machine listening could provide solutions to all sorts of unexpected problems, from security and building engineering to accident investigation.