The Politics of Air Pollution, Ozempic, and Luddism ft. Brian Merchant April 21, 2024 TRANSCRIPT In this episode, Shobita and Jack tackle the EPA's recent efforts to increase monitoring of air pollutants, Jack's new documentary on existential risks, and the Ozempic craze. And Jack chats with Brian Merchant, a freelance journalist who focuses on tec…

CRISPR therapies, Boeing, and reconnecting with Alondra Nelson February 02, 2024 TRANSCRIPT In the first episode of 2024, Shobita and Jack reflect on the first CRISPR therapy approved by drug regulators around the world, for sickle cell disease. We also talk about the safety issues plaguing Boeing, and the Post Office scandal roiling the UK and why…

Climate Change Realpolitik, Following the Sams, and Evaluating Research ft. Sarah de Rijcke December 08, 2023 TRANSCRIPT This month, Shobita and Jack reflect on the recent COP meeting in the United Arab Emirates, recent AI news including the Biden Administration's Executive Order, the UK summit, and the fates of the two Sams: Altman and Bankman-Fri…

Electric Cars, the Problems with Tech Biographies, and Against Technoableism ft. Ashley Shew October 18, 2023 TRANSCRIPT In this episode, Shobita and Jack discuss the United Auto Worker strike, facial recognition technology in schools, and the recent biographies of Elon Musk and Sam Bankman-Fried. And, they interview Ashley Shew, author of Against …

The Long, Hot AI Summer, India's Space Mission, and Addressing Inequality through Innovation ft. Richard Jones September 13, 2023 TRANSCRIPT Jack and Shobita are back after a summer hiatus! We return talking about--of course--ChatGPT and other generative AI, the problem at Fukushima, and India's Chandrayaan Rover. Then we chat with Richard A.L. Jon…

The Importance of the Humanities, Tech Politics, and Equity in Science ft. Cassidy Sugimoto May 30, 2023 TRANSCRIPT Jack and Shobita discuss the decline in humanities majors as the number of computer and data science majors rise, and why this is will have very bad consequences. Then they chat about emerging efforts to regulate both in vitro gametog…

Abortion Politics, a Moratorium on Generative AI, and the Meaning of Emergency ft. Elizabeth Ellcessor April 25, 2023 TRANSCRIPT What makes an emergency? This month, Jack and Shobita talk to Elizabeth Ellcessor, Associate Professor in the Department of Media Studies at University of Virginia, who studies how emergency alert systems shape our unders…

The Politics of Expertise and Retelling the Story of Racism in the Pulse Oximeter ft. Amy Moran-Thomas March 19, 2023 TRANSCRIPT This month, Jack and Shobita talk about the challenges of ensuring that AI and gene editing reflect human values, and reflect on what the recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio tells us about the politics of know…

Science and Society at the White House, ChatGPT, and the Paradox of Data-Driven Agriculture February 15, 2023 TRANSCRIPT Happy New Year!! In this episode, Jack and Shobita discuss Alondra Nelson's departure from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the meaning for the position she created, Deputy Director for Science and Soc…

The Future of Academic Culture, Cryptocurrency, and Abortion ft. Aziza Ahmed December 09, 2022 TRANSCRIPT This month, Shobita and Jack talk about the recent concerns about academic culture in the science and technology studies community, how to understand FTX's recent implosion, and the bizarre logics of effective altruism. And we chat with Boston …

British Politics, the CHIPS and Science Act, and Rethinking the Green Revolution ft. Glenn Stone November 02, 2022 TRANSCRIPT Jack and Shobita chat about the disasters in British politics, the CHIPS and Science Act, and how to determine whether self-driving cars are safe. Plus we chat with anthropologist Glenn Davis Stone, Professor at Sweet Briar …

The Politics of Open Access, Alzheimer’s Research, and Ghost Work ft. Mary Gray September 13, 2022 TRANSCRIPT It's a new season of The Received Wisdom!! After their partial summer hiatus, Shobita and Jack discuss the fraud allegations that are rocking the foundations of what we know about Alzheimer's Disease, and the Biden Administration's directiv…

The TRIPS Patent Waiver and Communicating Science Differently ft. Sabrina McCormick May 14, 2022 TRANSCRIPT This month, Shobita and Jack discuss how scientists are engaging in the boiling politics of abortion in the United States, the implications of large language models (a new type of artificial intelligence), and Elon Musk's possible takeover of…

The TRIPS Patent Waiver and Communicating Science Differently ft. Sabrina McCormick March 23, 2022 TRANSCRIPT In this episode, Shobita and Jack discuss this uncertain moment in the pandemic around the world, including the latest negotiations related to the TRIPS patent waiver related to COVID vaccines. They consider emerging efforts to develop a "p…

The Myths of Genius, IP, and Surveillance ft. Chris Gilliard February 15, 2022 TRANSCRIPT This month, Jack and Shobita discuss the resignation of the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, African scientists' success in copying the Moderna vaccine and the potential long-term implications, and the politics of long COVID…

Theranos, Medical Devices, and Indigenous Knowledge on Climate Change ft. Kyle Powys Whyte January 11, 2022 TRANSCRIPT In this episode, Shobita and Jack discuss the recent conviction of the now-notorious Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO of Theranos, and what it means for tech hype. They talk about the UK government's recent decision to review the racia…

Considering an AI Bill of Rights, Facebook, and the Technological Surveillance of Truckers ft. Karen Levy November 15, 2021 TRANSCRIPT This month, Shobita and Jack discuss efforts to engage publics in the development and regulation of AI, including the AI Bill of Rights proposed by the White house, and the most recent Facebook controversies. And th…