Rebecca Smith Pollard published a book of poems to mark the U.S. centennial in 1876, and also a novel with some questionable messages. She also developed a method to teach children to read that was ahead of its time.
Jun 15
The Life and Afterlife of Casimir Pulaski
Pulaski is often built up into an almost mythic figure who represents patriotism, bravery, freedom, independence, and the U.S. as a melting pot. a nation of immigrants. But there’s also a very different version of his story. Research: “Benjamin Franklin to George Washington, 29 M ... Show More
45m 10s
Oct 2024
Technology and artificial intelligence
<p>We start with the world's first general purpose electronic computer, the ENIAC, built in 1946 by a team of female mathematicians including Kathleen Kay McNulty. We speak to Gini Mauchly Calcerano, daughter of Kathleen Kay McNulty, who developed ENIAC.</p><p>Then we hear about ... Show More
50m 52s
Jan 2025
Antonio A. Casilli, "Waiting for Robots: The Hired Hands of Automation" (U Chicago Press, 2025)
Artificial Intelligence fuels both enthusiasm and panic. Technologists are inclined to give their creations leeway, pretend they’re animated beings, and consider them efficient. As users, we may complain when these technologies don’t obey, or worry about their influence on our ch ... Show More
52m 32s
<p>Ken Goldberg is at the forefront of robotics — which means he tries to teach machines to do things humans find trivial.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://goldberg.berkeley.edu/">Ken Goldberg</a>, professor of industrial engineering and operat ... Show More