Diginauts

Starting with the latest technological breakthroughs, corporate innovations, and scientific discoveries, hosts Eric Fader and Deron Sedy examine today’s digital society. Join us in discussing ethics, culture, business, social interaction — and just plain what it means to be human — against a digital landscape that evolves at an ever-accelerating pace.

Diginauts 0004 — How Long Would You Like To Live, Copyright for Non-humans, New Words for Tech Concepts

Diginauts episode 4
Diginauts episode 4

Podcast: Download (Duration: 58:20 — 80.6MB) | Embed

  • segment 1, Top of Mind–Obama points us to Mars (0:00): This week saw some developments in subjects we’ve discussed in each of our earlier episodes.
    • from episode 3: global climate change — Cornell scientists predict a significant increase in the odds of a megadrought in the southwest US, and meanwhile 150 countries are gathering to discuss lowering HFCs.
    • from episode 2: U.S. Mission to Mars — President Obama announced his administration’s collaboration with six private companies to get humans to Mars by 2030, but a study from UC Irvine shows that astronauts still have a long way to go in overcoming radiation.
    • from episode 1: self-driving cars –In the same week that photos have shown up of Google’s self-driving minivans, another accident involving a driverless car has led the German government to label autopilot a ‘Traffic Hazard.’
  • segment 2, Juris Prudent–Monkey Selfie (29:01): Photographer David Slater claimed rights to an image taken by a macaque, but some outlets say the image is public domain because the photographer didn’t take it, and a judge dismissed the case.  PETA is revisiting the case, arguing that in fact the monkey should own the rights.
  • segment 3, Semantically Incorrect–Audio Books (36:48):  Deron hates claiming he ‘read’ an audiobook, and wants to suggest a new word.  Do you agree with his selection?
  • segment 4, What’s Your Take?–Human Longevity (46:26): Researchers theorize there might be a natural maximum to human lifespans… and we’ve reached it.  But tech billionaires are driving to “cure” death.  Should humans push to live longer and longer?

Tweet @DigitalDeron or @efader with your opinions, or give us a call and leave a voice message.

 

Diginauts 0003 — Google is listening, Irreversible Global Warming, Mourning Death Digitally

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:02:54 — 86.8MB) | Embed

  • segment 1, Top of Mind–Carbon Tipping Point (0:00): Earth’s atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentration is now above 400ppm.  Is there any way we’ll ever get back below that number?  Scientists are pretty sure that for the immediate future, the answer is no.
  • segment 2, Future File–Log In with Your Brain Waves (15:06): In the future, you might be able to authenticate into your computer by having your brain scanned.  But will scanning your brain introduce even more of a privacy concern?  One thing is sure, the way we do it now is wrong, all wrong.
  • segment 3, Let’s Hash It Out–Google’s Hardware Launch Event (28:37):  Google previewed it’s Pixel phones, a new Chromecast update,   In particular, Google Home is here, and it’s ready to listen to your every word.  They say they’re building a personalized Google for each individual.  We say they’re making a big grab into privacy.  What do you think?
  • segment 4, What’s Your Take?–Digital Afterlife (45:10): When her friend Roman died in a tragic car accident, San Francisco entrepreneur Eugenia Kudya decided to task her AI start-up with creating a chatbot based on his personality.  She saw it as a digital monument to him, and a way to deal with her loss.  Some of her friends find it a “disturbing” and “half-baked,” but others found it therapeutic.  Would you want such a monument left behind after your death? Can computers come anywhere close to capturing a human personality?  What’s your take?

Tweet us!  We are @efader and @DigitalDeron.  Or give us a call and leave a voice message for us to include in the show.

Diginauts 0002 — Songs from Machines, False Memories, & Mechanical Emotion Detection

Diginauts 0002
Diginauts 0002

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:02:35 — 86.4MB) | Embed

  • segment 1, Top of Mind–False Memories (0:00): A researcher has demonstrated that she can elicit from people memories of things that never happened.  She has managed to convince everyday people that they committed a petty crime in their childhood.  What are the implications for our criminal law system?
  • segment 2, Future File–Music Composed by AI (11:47): Researches at a Sony laboratory in Paris have used software to analyze the style of musicians and use this knowledge to compose original pieces of music.  We react live to these machine-created songs…  Maybe don’t expect robots to headline Coachella any time soon.
  • segment 3, Most Disruptive–Tardigrade Proteins or Transiting the Solar System (24:45): Each of us selected a story from this month that he thought would have the greatest long-term impact on humanity.  One of us picked Elon Musk’s release of plans to travel to Mars and beyond.  The other said that research identifying the  “damage suppressing” protein in tardigrades could change medicine.
  • segment 4, Mailbag (39:21): Time to share some of what you said about the previous episode.
  • segment 5, What’s Your Take?–WiFi That Detects Your Emotions (52:24):  MIT researchers have developed a technology called EQ-Radio, which uses standard wi-fi to monitor heart and breathing rate in humans, and from that gauge their emotional state with 87% accuracy.  Do you see this as a boon to industries like entertainment and medicine? Or is it another example of machine invasiveness into human life?

Tweet us!  Deron is @DigitalDeron and Eric is @efader.

Diginauts 0001 — Autonomous Cars, Weaponized Drones, Your Children’s Pictures on Facebook

diginauts-0001-wide
diginauts-0001-wide

Podcast: Download (Duration: 54:25 — 76.2MB) | Embed

  • segment 1, Top of Mind–Driverless Cars (0:00): Uber is experimenting with driverless cars in Pittsburgh, with the goal of “making self-driving Ubers a reality.”  We discuss Uber’s pilot program, Tesla’s first fatality, and the implications to the future of human transportation.
  • segment 2, Juris Prudent–Weaponized Drones (14:54): North Dakota has a law on the books now that explicitly authorizes the addition of non-lethal weapons on unmanned air vehicles.  (Although “non-lethal” is not defined.)  After the police shootout ended in Dallas by a bomb-toting robot, what are the implications to law enforcement?
  • segment 3, Future File–Nanofish in Your Body (28.26): Scientists are pioneering creation of “Nanofish” to deliver medicine inside your body.  We discuss Deron’s feeling that he loves technology right up until the point where it goes inside you.
  • segment 4, What’s Your Take?–Baby Pictures on Facebook (40:23) An 18-year-old in Austria has filed a lawsuit against her parents for a childhood of sharing embarrassing photos on Facebook. Join this conversation with us for next week.  Do you share (or overshare) pics of your children on social media? Are you worried about the digital footprint you’re creating for them, before they’ve even come of age? Tweet us or Give us a call and leave a voicemail for us to share in next week’s show!

Tweet us!  Deron is @DigitalDeron and Eric is @efader.

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