Ben WaberAug 27, 2023
My oldest wanted to go to the Retro World Expo video game convention today, and beyond seeing ungodly Tetris skills on display, I also enjoyed this impressive real life Mario Kart car outside. While my kid was otherwise occupied there, I was also able to listen to some great talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist! (1/9)
Show threadBen WaberAug 27, 2023
First was a great talk by Andrew Whiten on animal #culture at the #LearningSalon. Whiten explains how research into social learning, and even culture, in non-human animals has exploded recently, and he explores some of the implications of that research here. You can probably skip the discussion afterwards though https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqlGMc5vAh0 (2/9) #anthropology #sociology
The Learning Salon - Andrew Whiten

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Show threadBen WaberAug 27, 2023
Next was a nice talk by Nick Bloom on working from home at the Royal Economic Society. While I'm not a huge fan of productivity self-report surveys, Bloom's insight into preferences and changing corporate strategies is impressive and essential to understand moving forward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkXFwkGqGx8 (3/9) #economics #work #RemoteWork
RES 2022 Annual Conference: Hahn lecture with Prof Nicholas Bloom - The future of working from home

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Show threadBen WaberAug 27, 2023
Next was a timely conversation with David Karpf on why the internet sucks right now on the Reimagining the Internet podcast. There's examination of the recent Reddit blackout, platform enshitification, regulation, and more https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9wdWJsaWNpbmZyYXN0cnVjdHVyZS5vcmcvZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0/episode/aHR0cHM6Ly9wdWJsaWNpbmZyYXN0cnVjdHVyZS5vcmcvP3Bvc3RfdHlwZT1wb2RjYXN0JnA9MTM0Mg?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjQtPbj7fuAAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA (4/9)
Reimagining the Internet - 83. A History of Why the Internet Sucks Right Now with Dave Karpf

2010s online activism, the Reddit blackout, antitrust, academic data access, Newt Gingrich, enshitifcation. We brought scholar/activist Dave Karpf on to talk about his work leading fellow academics to fight for data access standards, and we ended up with a Reimagining greatest hits. Dave Karpf is associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs… Continue reading 83. A History of Why the Internet Sucks Right Now with Dave Karpf

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Show threadBen WaberAug 27, 2023
Next was an important slate of talks on consumption, the slave trade, and rituals in 18th century Africa at #CRASSH. I particularly liked Liza Gijanto's talk on commerce and daily life on the Senegambia coast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjYHgriNZ7Q (5/9) #sociology #Africa #slavery
CRASSH | 18th Century Africa, 11 June 2021

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Show threadBen WaberAug 27, 2023
Next was an interesting talk by Eric Melandur on the influence of railway expansion on social movements in #Sweden at the Toulouse School of Economics. While this is a fairly specific topic, the implications of quantifying the interplay between social change and technology here is intriguing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26p-P6morp4 (6/9)
Big Data in Economic History Conference - Eric Melander

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Show threadBen Waber
Next was an engaging discussion with David Wolpert on the no free lunch theorems and #epistemology at @sfiscience. The central point here - that assumptions are baked into every model of the world - is one often ignored in science and tech, and Wolpert convincingly argues that acknowledging those assumptions is the only way to make real progress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7EUBbZtRxU (7/9)
David Wolpert on The No Free Lunch Theorems and Why They Undermine The Scientific Method

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Aug 27, 2023 at 3:40amWeb
Show threadBen WaberAug 27, 2023
Next was an insightful talk by Vishal Gupta on geographical dissimilarities, team member influence, and emotion at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. Through two studies Gupta shows that for teams to access the benefits of having team members with geographically diverse backgrounds, team dynamics and influence have to be carefully managed. I especially liked how Gupta distinguishes between initial and long-term effects here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iBi6YOplVk (8/9) #teams #management
GEOGRAPHICAL DISSIMILARITY AND TEAM MEMBER INFLUENCE: DO EMOTIONS EXPERIENCED IN THE INITIAL TEAM...

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Show threadBen WaberAug 27, 2023
Last was an amazing talk by @Mer__edith on AI and social control at Rutgers. While this talk is over two years old, it's still vital today and Whittaker is prescient with her insight into many of the problems with the uncritical advance of technology in general and AI specifically. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WzX5Q_q3vY (9/9) #AI #AIEthics
Keynote: Meredith Whittaker

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Show threadJillAug 27, 2023
@bwaber @Mer__edith She is an amazing human and co-wrote AI NOW Institute’s 2023 Landscape Report, Confonting Tech Power. Used this info. to write Biden and my congressional reps. https://ainowinstitute.org/2023-landscape
2023 Landscape

Our latest report diagnoses concentration of power in the tech industry as a pressing challenge – and points the path forward to seize this moment of change.

AI Now Institute