The partial government shutdown hasn't disrupted operations at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois yet, but  their super computer rellies on funding from the National Science Foundation, which is currently closed. 

A new engineering research center was officially launched at the University of Illinois Thursday, with the goal of cramming more power into smaller spaces.  The Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems - POETS for short - will take on the challenges of improving mobile electronics and vehicle design.

Today on Focus, host Jim Meadows talks with the Former Director of the National Science Foundation, Subra Suresh.

Guest: Jim Holt.

Author Jim Holt is not satisfied with the regular responses to the question "Why are we here?" There are many more possible answers, says Holt, than the old God versus the Big Bang debate would suggest. This hour on Focus, we'll listen back to a conversation with Holt about his new book Why Does the World Exist? He'll talk about his correspondence with philosophers, physicists, and a Buddhist monk in his quest for big answers.