Tag: technology

5/7/19 Show feat. Ruha Benjamin on Power and Manipulation at the Interface of Tech & Society

Featured Image by Malika Favre.

The main part of the show is an interview with sociologist Ruha Benjamin, Associate Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, where she studies the social dimensions of science, technology, and medicine. Additionally, she is the founder of the JUST DATA Lab and author of two books, People’s Science (Stanford) and Race After Technology (Polity), and editor of Captivating Technology (Duke). She writes, teaches, and speaks widely about the relationship between knowledge and power, race and citizenship, and health and justice. These are the topics discussed in the interview.

The interview is in three parts, beginning about 53 minutes in.

Science News:

Screen Shot 2019-05-08 at 6.14.28 PM

4/09/19 Show feat. Annette Zimmermann on Algorithmic Injustice

In this show, Dr. Annette Zimmermann joins Stevie in the WPRB studio. Annette is a political philosopher with Princeton University’s Center for Human Values and Center for Information and Technology Policy. We discuss artificial intelligence — what it is and what it isn’t — ethics, fairness, and how these topics come together in our world today. In particular, the current focus of her research is in the area of algorithmic injustice. This is the way through which algorithmic decision making systems (e.g. an AI computer program) could result in imbalanced outcomes for different societal groups.

Interview begins at 50 minutes.

Annette Zimmermann and her colleague (and previous guest of the show) Bendert Zevenbergen recently wrote a post for the CITP blog Freedom to Tinker on AI Ethics: Seven Traps. The piece is meant to be a “resource for readers who want to understand and navigate the public debate on the ethics of AI better, who want to contribute to ongoing discussions in an informed and nuanced way, and who want to think critically and constructively about ethical considerations in science and technology more broadly.” Indeed, it’s a great follow-up read for those interested in exploring these topics further.

Also mentioned in the show was prior work by ProPublica on algorithmic injustice. You can find articles on the topic here and a bit more here.

Science News:

Screen Shot 2019-04-15 at 4.48.56 PM.png

03/19/19 Show feat. Bendert Zevenbergen on the Internet, Regulation, and Ethics in Tech

Featured Image: Barrett Lyon, The Opte Project Mapping the Internet (2003), MoMA. Opte is a free, open source project, initiated by Lyon with the goal of making visual representations of metaphysical spaces.

In this show, Stevie brings Bendert Zevenbergen in to the WPRB studio. Ben is a professional specialist at Princeton University’s Center for Human Values and Center for Information and Technology Policy, as well as Oxford University’s Internet Institute. In the past, Ben was a practicing information technology lawyer in Europe.

Throughout the show they discuss the Internet (what is it really), why regulating it is hard – try as some government’s might, power dynamics in tech and tech policy, and much more along these lines. Interview begins at 51 minutes in.

Science news:

Playlist:playlist_show_20190319

01/29/19 Show – the Facetime bug, AI and Criminal Justice, Galloping Geckos, NASA and more

In this show, Stevie was back on the mic after a long hiatus, loading up with science news and fresh music.

Science news:

 

Playlist_2019-01-29

9/19/17 Show feat. Dave Seal, Mission Planner for Cassini Saturn Space Probe

In this episode of These Vibes, Stevie spoke with Dave Seal, a mission planner on the Cassini space probe which spent many years orbiting Saturn. Cassini operated its final maneuver, called the “Grand Finale,” and ended its observing by plunging in to Saturn just last Friday morning at 8am EST. It took a final image and took it’s last bits of data on Saturn’s atmosphere before being destroyed. Listen in to learn about the mission, its development, goals, and discoveries, and learn more about what it’s like to be a mission planner on a NASA space probe.
All that plus great music, and science news from microplastics in our seasalt to the new research on cancer cells.

Science News:

Screen Shot 2017-09-19 at 8.38.08 PM

 

9/5/17 Show feat. Edward Felten on Electronic Voting – the Good, the Bad, and the Insecure

In this edition of These Vibes, Professor Edward Felten joined us back in the studio to discuss electronic voting — what that means, what are the alternatives, the pros and cons, and the current state of voting technology in the US. Edward Felten is professor of computer science and public affairs here at Princeton University, and founding director of the Princeton Center for Information Policy. Additionally, he was Chief Technologist for the Federal Trade Commission from 2011-2015 and joined the Obama administration as Deputy US Chief Technology Officer in 2015.

Our discussion gives particular attention to usability issues with the current voting computers used in US elections and their vulnerability to attacks. Professor Felten discusses the role of hacking in the 2016 election, and, to wrap-up, what the ideal voting system would be, using our current technology.

Ed Felten previously joined us at WPRB last May to discuss the intersection of policy and technology — think self-driving cars and trucks, and AI in the criminal justice system. You can listen to that full show here, and the interview has been podcasted – find wherever you get your podcasts!

Screen Shot 2017-09-15 at 9.31.54 AM

5/30/17 Show feat. Edward Felten on Policy and Technology

In this installment of These Vibes, Professor Edward Felten, director of Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) and blogger at Freedom to Tinker. Throughout the show we discussed various interactions between policy and technology. Specifically, we dove in to the current state of the technology behind self-driving cars and their prospective impact on several aspects of our society, but specifically jobs. Next, Professor Felten described the use of a form of AI, predictive analytics, in the criminal justice system. Judges in some states use predictive analytics to determine, for example, bail. There is a potential Supreme Court case (it is being considered) on this topic coming up in the next term. And in the last part, Professor Felton gave us a primer on net neutrality and updated us as to the current state of the debate on the topic.

Science news:

Continue reading “5/30/17 Show feat. Edward Felten on Policy and Technology” →