Daniel Kreiss is back on the podcast with his new book Prototype Politics: Technology-Intensive Campaigning and the Data of Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2016). Kreiss is associate professor in the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an affiliated fellow of the Information Society Project at Yale Law Sc ... Show More
Yesterday
Miguel Sicart, "Playing Software: Homo Ludens in Computational Culture" (MIT Press, 2023)
The play element at the heart of our interactions with computers—and how it drives the best and the worst manifestations of the information age.
Whether we interact with video games or spreadsheets or social media, playing with software shapes every facet of our lives. In Playing ... Show More
1h 1m
Feb 26
Honghong Tinn, "Island Tinkerers: Innovation and Transformation in the Making of Taiwan's Computing Industry" (MIT Press, 2024)
How Taiwan rose to global prominence in high tech manufacturing, from computer maker to the world's leading chip manufacturer. How did Taiwan, a former Japanese colony and the last fortress of the defeated Chinese Nationalists, ascend to such heights in high-tech manufacturing? I ... Show More
1h 12m
May 2024
All About Money? Elections, Campaign Spending and the Effects on Democracy
Election campaigns are becoming ever more expensive, with many parties and candidates spending large sums of money on advertising, campaign materials, and staff. But how does money affect campaign environment and electoral outcomes? Does more money mean better chances of winning? ... Show More
26m 22s
Nov 2020
Homebrew VC Hunter Walk Talks Twitter, TikTok, and Tech in the Time of Biden
During Donald Trump’s presidency, tech products became explicitly political. Operatives from both sides picked apart their algorithms and features, examining how they shaped society’s beliefs. And the companies, meanwhile, made choices about what parts of the administration they’ ... Show More
58m 53s
Sep 2023
AI can be democracy’s ally—but not if it works for Big Tech
Kennedy School Lecturer in Public Policy Bruce Schneier says Artificial Intelligence has the potential to transform the democratic process in ways that could be good, bad, and potentially mind-boggling. The important thing, he says, will be to use regulation and other tools to ma ... Show More
43m 53s
May 2024
Political ads are embracing legal loopholes and playing dirty
Political advertising in the UK has been a largely regulated space, that us up until about a decade ago.Historically, political advertising has been banned from broadcast aside from a small allotted period of time in the run up to an election. However, as the times are-a-changin, ... Show More
22m 36s