Positive Feedback Loop: Recent Episodes
Positive Feedback Loop
Positive Feedback Loop! We discuss tech, history, and culture and we have fun disagreeing with each other. ;-) Co-hosts: Luis, Ray, and Steph. Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/thepflpodcast!
"Lost episodes" (episodes we've removed): Ep.38 (Watercooler chat - mind-reading robots eat your money)
In this episode, you’ll learn what midwifery is all about from a professional midwife who runs a birth center in Northern California. Our special guest Allison Blackham talks about the relationship midwifery has with the healthcare industry, the history of midwifery, the risks and rewards of childbirth, and even the odd requests she has gotten from expecting families. Learn about how COVID-19 has impacted her practice and what childbirth might look like in the future.
When you think of authority, what is the first color that you think of? What is authority? What are social contracts? Where does authority come from? What is the difference between power and authority? Commercial: Listen to more episodes! Looking through The Power of Political Authority, a book by Michael Huemer. Implicit and explicit consent. What if you started as a non-citizen? What is the role of religion in political authority? What is a nation state? Is the United States a nation state? We discuss a little about diversity and geography and how that affects power dynamics globally. Does power belong with the strongest person? How has warfare changed? If the president is removed from office and loses authority, will he lose power and influence?
Why do we have leap day and when does the world actually skip leap day? What is your preferred calendar? Let’s ponder how and why we measure time in this episode all about everything you might not know about calendar systems.
In this episode, we begin by pondering past moments of jealousy and defining what jealousy really is. Then we dig into: jealousy vs. envy, comparing ourselves to others, and resources as limited vs. abundant. We also talk about how to deal with jealousy, including giving a word to the opposite of jealousy (inspired by Stella the dog!) and how we feel empathy. Commercial brought to you by Thieves. Bonus material: we try to invent a musical version of “Stay Crazy”.
In this episode, we talk about what quantum internet is and how it differs from the internet as we know it today. Photons, hacking, teleporting, qubits, quantum state, entanglement, and more. If you want to understand more about quantum internet, listen to this episode! Brought to you by Positive Feedback Loop. Commercial: Deep Space Realtors.
What is a consumer? Producers vs. consumers in the ecological world What is the difference between consumerism and materialism? Are consumers more empowered than before? Protecting consumers Marketing and consumer behavior The obsession with acquisition Black Friday Morality and Spending (e.g., “Fair Trade”) Customizing consumerism Clothing subscription services Waste vs. Giving to the Needy Minimalism
With guest Pascal Guyon! Pascal is a musician, an investor, and more. In this episode, he shares his insights about the music industry and where it’s headed.
Our guest was Lyn Ulbricht of the Free Ross movement. Ross Ulbricht was convicted of crimes associated with the Silk Road. Topics discussed in this episode: Ross’s experience in federal prison. Libertarian philosophy. Becoming a public figure; opportunities for public speaking. Learning about law, government, and rights. Seeking clemency. Experiences with the media. Having a family member in prison. The courtroom experience. Internet privacy. Is the law keeping up with technology? The War on Drugs. Is understanding of new technologies a generational capability—can someone of another generation fairly judge a crime done with a technology he/she doesn’t understand? Is Ross’s sentence fair, and what was the purpose of his sentence? Will other marketplaces like Silk Road exist after this? Is this a tipping point in history? The petition (started July 2018); 60k signatures in the first month, now nearing 141k. What should a nonviolent charge look like? The damage of nonviolent crimes. Vicarious liability. What is life like in federal prison? What does this mean for the future of nonviolent crimes, especially those that use new technologies like bitcoin and the dark web?
Is memory reliable? Has technology changed how we remember? What is the purpose of memory? How do you want to be remembered? All this and more in this episode about memory.
Ray and Steph recorded this week without Luis, but he’ll be back next week! In this episode about events, Ray and Steph discuss some memorable events and try to determine what defines an event. Does an event have to have a purpose, a focus? Hackathons, VR, Facebook Live. Event logs in computing. Event as initiation. Burning man. An unplanned event. In this episode, we wax philosophical to analyze how culture has shaped events (and how events have shaped culture). Commercial: Escape the Event.
In this episode we define truth and we compare truth vs. reality. Then, we talk about the role of data in truth-seeking, and ask, will the truth set us free? Is ignorance bliss? What does it mean to be a truth seeker? The responsibility of truth, painful truths, perceptions of truth, truth vs. belief, truth in religion and science. What is the value of truth? Do you challenge truth? Uncomfortable truths. Avoiding the truth. Also, enjoy our commercial: the Truthify App.
In this episode we start with some stories about famous liars. Then we talk about types of lies. We discuss pathological liars, influence, the dating world, and employment. Commercial: Lie Detector Siren. Are we lying more? Social media, justification, blockchain’s impact, why and when we lie, social pressure.
What happens—or could happen—to our data after we die? Listen to Ray, Luis, and Steph talk about the possibilities.
In this episode, we talk about forms of meditation and prayer. We discuss topics such as Tai Chi, taking the time to think, running as meditation, Ray's temple visit, the role of silence, the rhythms of our bodies, chanting, ASMR, breathing, singing, flying, and slowing down. Also, joining us during the commercial for a "moment of ohm."
In this episode, we talk about attention. Have our attention spans gotten longer or shorter or stayed the same? What distracts us? How does the future of marketing impact our attention? Can AI lose attention, or is AI attention limited? What are the dimensions of attention? Is attention quality tied to the quality of our relationships? Cultural attention cues—what does attention look like? What metrics do marketers use to measure attention? What are the biometric markers for attention?
What defines an influencer? The Present: How much do influencers get paid? How do you become an influencer? What is more effective for advertising: macro-influencers or micro-influencers? The dark side of influencer marketing The Past: The history of influencers — Ancient Rome, Coco Wine, Vaudeville, etc. Commercial: DinnerSmash The Future: AI influencers, the future of human influencers, the shifting power of influencers
What are some popular conspiracy theories? Can a conspiracy theory be proven wrong? How have social media propagated conspiracy theories and what are the implications for free speech? Should communication platforms limit or block conspiracy theorists? What is your favorite conspiracy theory?
What Kari is working on at Screen Door Labs, what augmented reality can do for first responders, AR features that are well-suited for serving first responders, the hardware she has worked with, and where Kari thinks the future of AR is headed. We also discuss one-way and two-way AR.
Commercial: Screen Door Labs
We begin the second half of the episode talking about Google Glass and Magic Leap. Kari then discusses her point of view on AR and privacy. Will AR add fashion to utility? What is the future for AR in B2B and B2C markets? We then talk about the startup environment in which Screen Door Labs is growing, including accelerator programs.
From online forums of the 1980s to social media and beyond Forms of spam Why do people send spam? Statistician Paul Graham Robo calls Spam vs. scams CAN-SPAM Act Commercial: Future Spam Protection Spam in social media, online reviews, etc. Fake followers and bot engagement Is spam in the eye of the receiver? What is spam, really? How can you avoid being spammy? Bonus: Stay crazy. Kaw kaw!
What is Compassion Fatigue? The difference between Compassion Fatigue and Burnout The Green Cross Charles Figley and the Figley Institute Commercial: Robot Patients Caring for aging parents Resilience Survivor vs. victim mentality Post-traumatic growth Experiences that can result in compassion fatigue How to treat compassion fatigue
A special thanks to Alex Straley, a leadership development consultant at IBM, for joining us! Alex's views in this episode are solely his own and does not represent IBM. Episode notes: Characteristics of bad bosses What makes a bad boss “bad”? There is not one kind of management Managers vs. leaders Military leadership Cruel work environments Why are we mean to each other in the workplace? Commercial: Doppelgang Giving feedback to a manager How to be a better manager Be ready to be wrong What it means to put yourself in someone else’s shoes The golden rule vs. the platinum rule The impact of personality and environment on behavior The importance of habit-building What do my employees need to succeed? Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/astraley/
Episode notes: What is a nation-state? Globalization and local communities How will Bitnation redefine the nation-state? Security and jurisdiction Government is like an icecream shop Globalization and the preservation of culture The potential for private armies Governments’ roles in genocides War and land/conflict The Pangea app The technology of Bitnation Commercial Privacy and security Carrots and sticks The protection of identity on the blockchain Crime in a borderless nation Reputation vs. being unknown A liquid economy The acceptance of crypto-governance Decentralized Borderless Nation (DBN) exit option Pseudonymity
Bitnation Homepage: https://bitnation.co/
Sandra Miller Intro What is Democracy.Earth? Origins of Democracy Earth Foundation Democracy and voting Problem to be solved- Corruption Commercial - DemocracyEarth Ambassador Program How do you prove your identity without a third party? Facebook as an authoritarian regime Trust How the Internet has changed David Bowie analogy about the internet How you can get involved!
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/05/19/digital-gap-between-rural-and-nonrural-america-persists/ The Future of Democracy | Santiago Siri | TEDxStPeterPort - https://youtu.be/yGmGWZCE4h0 https://www.democracy.earth/ https://github.com/DemocracyEarth/ambassadors/blob/master/README.md
Note: Ray meant to say bitcoin rewards for mining will end in 2140 (not 2040)
We start with our first memories of the Internet. Then we discuss fake news and echo chambers. Can we find good sources and can we trust the press? What is a good incentive structure for journalism? Is journalism (or can it be) unbiased? Infographics and data without context. Listening and understanding vs. winning arguments. Outrage: our biological flaw. Is sensationalism fake news? The breakdown of trust. [Commercial: Commercial Tracker 300.] Virality based on outrage: Ken Bone and Hugh Mungus. Getting the public’s attention: Kony 2012. Finding information online. We end this episode with a discussion of being ethical about what we put online.
This episode is all about why and how to forgive, gaining back trust, making mistakes, the purpose of forgiveness, and more. Commercial: Confessional
Utopia 3: How Do We Get There?
From the perspective of inputs How do you make real your utopic vision of the future? Barriers to reaching utopia Types of utopias, e.g., techno-utopia, eco-utopia, agrarian utopia The near future: what can we do to get on a trajectory toward utopia How do you reach Mormon utopia? Utopia: do we need to share core values? The role of culture in utopia Economic utopia and blockchain Commercial: Stella AI Value creation and exchange in utopia If there’s no work in the future, will there be currency? Do you trust your image of utopia? The role of trust in utopia Start with yourself first Reaching for utopia
Perception, crafting an apology, timing, blame, responsibility, hurt, guilt, and more! Examples include: Kitchenaid, Amazon reviews, Dove, Netflix, Apple, a steakhouse in Brighton MA, Electronic Arts, Tesla, etc.
We’ve discussed what Utopia might look like, but how do you get there? The future of Artificial Intelligence Utopia or Eutopia? Commercial The future of work Will technological trends take us to a dystopia?
Episode notes: What are we grateful for? Is gratitude natural? The benefits of being grateful Daily gratitude Commercial: Presidentially Pardoned Turkeys When you shouldn’t be grateful Grateful for challenges
In this episode, the three co-hosts describe their very different concepts of utopia.
Episode notes: Mormon Utopia Is modern society the past’s utopia? What is consciousness? Do any two people imagine the same utopia? Ray’s utopia: all people become one unified energy outside of time Matryoshka Brain Static vs. dynamic world Luis’s utopia of work and leisure as choices Is a utopia a perfect world, and if so, can imperfect people live in it? Are we capable of imagining a true utopia? Will we overcome mortality, or at least aging? What are you willing to give up to achieve utopia? Forms of government Commercial: Utopios Utopia in pop culture: Star Trek Death in utopia Are we already living in a utopia? Moral agency AI of the future
Episode notes: What are pets? Being a “pet parent” What’s in an animal’s mind? Humans raised by animals Do animals feel emotions similar to humans’? Commercial: Petcestry Genomics Why do we have pets? Homeless pets People who poison other people’s pets Ray’s chameleon Luis’s dog Steph’s dog Worm charming Are people like their pets? Caring for pets vs. children Street cats Seeing-eye dogs Vanity pets and breeding
Most destructive diseases in history Contagion Social contagion The spread of ideas Should you vaccinate your child? Travel and disease The Anthrax story Disease in war Suicide contagion Commercial: Minority animal diseases World of Warcraft and the CDC Studying the spread of disease Google Flu Trends Dancing Plague of 1518 Fictitious monsters on the Internet Leprosy colonies Zombies Network theory
Episode notes: MIT’s Moral Machine test Who would you save? Fate and interference, guilt Kant’s autonomous morality Utilitarianism Patience with people vs. machines MBTA and Amtrak stories Consumer comfort with driverless cars Blame in autonomous vehicle accidents The future of machine autonomy Applying moral frameworks in the context of changing technology
This is a Listeners’ Choice episode! The topic ("the importance of celebration”) was submitted by Akshay. We also talked about birthdays, which was submitted by Jan Marie! Episode notes: Is “celebrating the everyday” really a celebration? Celebrations as checkpoints Celebration vs. recurring holidays Luis’ story about his mother’s gifts Ray on Turkish weddings and communal lamb Is celebration a group activity? History/etymology of celebration Two types of celebration (surprise vs. expected) Steph on Utah’s and the LDS Church’s celebration of Pioneer Day Luis on Cuban celebrations Commercial: Chainsaw the Clown / Murder Clowns LLC What’s the purpose of celebrating? Holiday anxiety Funerals Birthdays Celebration pet peeves
Episode notes: What we did before we started the MBA program The role of diversity and different types of diversity Choosing extracurriculars What is a case competition? “Teaming” A clear vision vs. experimentation Commercial: Bartholomew's School for Shady Business How to network effectively Skills for learning in the classroom
What is a “golden age”? How do we know if we are in a golden age? The golden ages of media: television, information, radio, video games… The golden age of hip hop Are we able to identify a golden age while we’re in it? Commercial: Customized Element Ages The golden age of television The metrics for identifying a golden age Is ubiquity or acceleration a sign of a technology’s golden age? Are golden ages in “the chasm”?
What defines sleep? What’s your common sleep position? Why do we sleep? Sleep deprivation The relationship of anxiety and sleep Sleep apnea and night terrors Naps and siestas Commercial: Hypernation Pills Sleep paralysis and kanashibari Cultural views of sleep Debunking bunker: Does turkey make you sleepy? Food and sleep: Rip Van Winkle, pizza dreams How to fall asleep or sleep well Relationships and sleep (fairytales vs. reality) Vulnerability Sleeping in public and social norms “Sleep ecologies” Sleep in different parts of the world
Baby Bowling Thomas Gotchi “Nothing” Barry Berries The Screaming Room Ray’s Fireworks Barn Snow Box
Special episode We visited the Popnology Exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Science! In this episode we discuss some topics that come up in the exhibit, such as: Lots of robotic arms (e.g., Baxter!) Space Elevator What the smartphone has replaced The love for retro Digital vs. 35mm photography 3-D printed cars A world with flying cars The wall of tech prophecies (did they really envision the future?) Pop culture influenced by research …and research influenced by pop culture Sustainability and escapism: will we need to leave planet earth? What was the point of the Popnology Exhibit?
What is a MOOC? Are MOOCs more interesting than normal college courses? Are MOOCs the future? Are online courses effective? The role of online learning in the workplace Who learns online? Can one put online learning on a resume? Commercial: Pifflorations You can learn just about anything online Online misinformation: how do you know what’s true? The modularization of content Reading the news The importance of context and source Can online learning replace the traditional college experience?
Ep. 32: Venture Capital (with Carlo Santelli of Stonehenge Capital)
Carlo Santelli explains growth capital The role of venture capital in community development Trends in the private equity and venture capital worlds Are the unicorns in a bubble? Networking in the VC world Does size matter? The management team The college majors that will prepare you for working in the industry How has technology changed the world of venture capital? How to identify the right investors What is the geography of venture capital? Venture capitalists as portrayed in pop culture (e.g., Shark Tank) The goal of venture capital
When are you most bored? Are children more prone to boredom than adults? Inactivity vs. boredom Is boredom related to imagination, motivation, energy? Boredom as a lack of freedom Boredom from entertainment overload Boredom as a source of innovation and creativity Commercial: Bartholomew’s School for Active Children Are we more bored as a society than we used to be? Choice paralysis / overload / FOMO Boredom and dissatisfaction Are people with depression more prone to boredom? Being bored during work vs. leisure time Is any event inherently boring or does it vary by person? Is boredom about choice? Is boredom one cause of drug abuse? Are some people more prone to boredom than others? Are the thrill-seekers among us the more prone to boredom? Embrace the boredom
Independence as control Cosmic lack of control Controlling the weather Do humans ultimately desire to conquer and control? Civilization as control over environment Do we ever desire to lose control? The spiritual side: acknowledging a lack of control The power of the brain Drugs and loss of control Modern life: too much control? Who has more control? Uncertainty and letting go Commercial: The Vacuum Cleaner for your soul Self-control Controlling our dreams (shout out to Episode 14) Control and anxiety Pursuit of control as an irritant Is there a balance between control and lack of control? The relationship between control and power Has the Internet given people more control? Internet activism How do our choices affect others? Bonus: Getting the commercial right
A conscious decision or just instinct? Process discipline vs. collaboration Cooperation vs. collaboration Organization and discipline in crime rings Do crime rings thrive because of ideology or market demand? The electronic silk road Cybercrime groups: collaborating against vs. for something Commercial: The PFL Threadless Store How to incentivize collaboration Do you prefer a collaborative culture or people with collaborative traits? Collaboration within diverse groups Collaboration vs. chaos First-ever “debunking bunker”: are crowds naturally chaotic or collaborative? The dark side: groupthink Machine-to-machine collaboration Artificial intelligence vs. Internet of Things
What is a board game? The best strategy for Monopoly German-style board games Jumanji Collaborative games Group games Kickstarter games Commercial: The Positive Feedback Loop Game Ancient games AI/machine learning 3D games Solveable vs. unsolveable games Tactile games Dominoes across cultures Games we played in high school Strategy vs. luck One-player games Why do we play games? Is there a difference between work and play?
Do we take more risks in the summer than in other seasons? Summer vacation Jobs that make it difficult to take a vacation Dangerous sports Attempts to avoid a shark bite Ways to treat a jellyfish sting Our favorite seasons The story of the grateful woman When seasons change Traveling during summer Two types of holidays Virtual reality and tourism Commercial: Invisibility Sunscreen Will there be such a thing as a virtual reality summer? Summer: away to the ocean, Europe, etc. Virtual reality providing accessibility to a new market Augmented reality for an enhanced vacation experience Democratizing augmented reality for tourism Most memorable summer activities Summer vacation to Mars Space elevator
Episode notes: Society’s fear of aging Agism Seniors and their independence Tom Leer’s song Aging for women vs. men Aging in Japanese culture The Giver Experience over mere ability The perks of being old Traveling and age Commercial: Time Paradox Box Why are younger people afraid of getting old? Expectations: seniors vs. teenagers Retirement Why seniors should podcast PFL in 40 years Senior singles Friendships help us age well Aging vs. growth The biology of aging (cellular senescence) The immortal jellyfish Anti-aging science and technology Natural ways to slow aging
Does the magic of friendship last? What is a friend? Are Facebook friends… friends? The definition of friendship: has it evolved? Friend audit Friendship in terms of database management Can friendship be one-sided? Friends you see daily and friends far away Ralph Waldo Emerson’s definition of friendship Childhood vs. adulthood friendships Friendship: serendipitous or hard work? Commercial: The Friendship Battery 100 years ago: communicating with friends Dunbar’s number Long-distance friendships How to maintain friendship Technology’s role Friendship takes time Friendship atrophy Can it be a perfect balance of give and take? Can a deep friendship be reinstated after many years of separation?
Do grades correctly reflect achievement? How are grades constructed? Grades as inaccurate predictors of success Different sources of power Professors and power The status of honor societies Competition, aspiration Commercial: Time paradox box (again!) The power dynamics of grades Do grades account for soft skills? Grades are just a simplified tool What is the future of grades? A better understanding of who people are and what they can do Is grading itself a primitive practice? Grade non-disclosure agreements Ethics and incentives: will people who are rewarded by a bad system still fight to correct that system? Grades as a metaphor for politics Taking a more holistic approach to seeing people Grades as a heuristic Does academic achievement translate to workplace achievement? Should resumes be screened by GPA? Do people in all courses really fit to a normal curve?
The synonym of genius: Einstein The IQ test Can you be a genius without realizing you are a genius? The troubled genius Artists and other creative geniuses Does genius come at a cost? Incidental genius Are you born with it? Genius as divine inspiration The role of curiosity Gifted children Can genius be taught? Beyond intellectual and creative genius Isn’t genius relative? Galileo Galilei: the risks of genius Unsuccessful genius Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison Commercial: Genius Garden The unnoticed geniuses Giving women credit for discoveries Happy Mothers Day: mothers who facilitate our learning We build upon past genius Artificial intelligence: surpassing human genius? Evolution and magical DNA Imagination
Hermione’s time turner Time zones: Stephanie lived the same day twice Boston: the city out of time The Lake House, First Edition, Primer, Back to the Future If you could time travel, what would you do? Paradox: a changed past = a changed future Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure Could you actually survive in the past? What would you wear?
Commercial: Time Paradox Box
Creating an alternate universe Evil baby orphanage If you traveled in time, who would you bring with you? Traveling back to when tyrants were teenagers You can only travel back in time to the first time machine Stephen Hawking’s huge party Time travel is dangerous business The information creation paradox Involuntary time travel, The Time Traveler’s Wife
Bonus: Steph and Luis attempt to make “flashback” sounds as they go back in time… or are they snorkeling?
Ep. 21: This Episode is Sweet Our favorite desserts Cheesecake is not a cake Stephanie’s birthday tradition Luis’ childhood experiences with cake International desserts Childhood candies that are hard to find Ray’s history with the Crunch bar Holidays, candy, and consumerism Sugar and childhood development Sugar as anesthetic Sugar is a drug Sugar in beverages The ethics of sugar: products marketed as “healthy” How orange juice is made (you’ll be horrified) The ice cream flavor all three co-hosts love Sean Spicer and Dippin’ Dots Concession stand: what do you get at the movies? Stickiness Desserts as a short-term reward Dessert cheese Anise, absynthe, and hot dogs --Commercial: Bobbin’ for Apples Why do we eat dessert last? The history of chocolate Ancient desserts Mormons, horehound hard candy, and taffy pulling The candy bomber Candy as hope and a reminder of home Guava paste Confectionary trends The rise of “healthy candy"
It’s finals period! Are you stressed? Smiling Yoga Amy Cuddy The benefits of stress Impacts of stress: self-destruction or motivation? Inside-out Is stress perception? Natural response vs. self-control Fight or flight Stress vs. worry Commercial: InAudible The ups and downs vs. chronic stress History and perspective Laurel Thatcher Ulrich: Midwife’s Tale and “well-behaved women seldom make history" Recording history in an era of digital innovation History written by artificial intelligence Experiencing history through VR Data privacy and record-keeping Journal-writing: who is your journal for? Can feeling and experience be recorded and passed on? The Giver Stress is human and normal
About Geoffrey Parker What is a platform? Demand, supply, and matching Network effects, two-sided markets, multi-sided markets The sharing economy Regulation Fun question: a historical debater Commercial: Platform Revolution, the book! International regulations Data for machine learning Driverless vehicles Crowdsourcing trust: AI, blockchain, bitcoin Security and tradeoffs in innovation
With guest Ian Mashiter, Professor and Director of Entrepreneurship Activities at BU Questrom School of Business
Why entrepreneurship is critical for the economy The relevance of entrepreneurship to large corporations “It’s really about a transformation of minds. It’s really about getting people to have an entrepreneurial way of thinking.” Entrepreneurship at Boston University Is entrepreneurship innate or can it be learned? Experiential learning as a model for entrepreneurship education The investor’s perspective Bubbles and the Internet Ian Mashiter’s history as an entrepreneur Commercial: The BUzz Lab The role of problem-solving Passion and persistence SnowMonkey The BUzz Lab resources: mentorship, Summer Accelerator program, etc. Artist entrepreneurs Hacker, Hustler, Hipster The cultural dimension to entrepreneurship Exit strategy Failure The pivot The path to entrepreneurship
What is a Bucket List? How many countries has Jen been to? A lot. What was on your bucket list when you were 5-8 years old? We add things to each other’s bucket lists What is on your “Non-bucket List”?
Commercial: The Guilterizer
What is a guilty pleasure? We create the storyline to a Lifetime Holiday Special Ray plays the photographer who is also Santa’s son BTW, who is Santa? Can you share a guilty pleasure with others? Are guilty pleasures inherently negative? Is “guilty pleasure” a misnomer? Is becoming a cyborg on your bucket list? Neurolink Would you want to live forever? Stem cell therapy Dan Bilzerian Would immortality reduce our motivation to live a fulfilled life? Is there a current social norm that will become a guilty pleasure for the next generation?
Graduate education on the high seas What’s it’s like overseeing all aspects of graduate education at a business school Introverted and extroverted leadership Giving and receiving feedback How to respond to angry tweets
Commercial break: #questromlife
The future of education BU Questrom’s Micromasters The relational aspect of digital learning MOOC certificate programs Employers and competency-based digital learning The role of industry in the future of education The spectrum of hybrid learning: where does the residential university end and online learning begin? BU’s unique MSMS program Where does education end and work begin? Hiring curious employees Are you learning what you need today or what you’ll need tomorrow? Innovation: don’t sit on your laurels Skills that have been important over the decades Do what you are passionate about
Laughter: humorous or social? Did you pick your laugh? Uncontrollable laughter When have you laughed the hardest? The giggle loop Should we do the “ha-ha” game at a PFL retreat? Trash in the Himalayas Is that funny, punk? Memes The irony of laughing at something that’s not funny Watching bad movies—on purpose The Room, Tommy Wiseau Stephanie’s high school summer of bad sci fi Blockbuster: the virtue of escaping recommendation engines Best of the Worst and Neil Breen Trying to beat Netflix’s recommendation engine Chef’s Table, Switched at Birth, and other good finds When have you laughed the hardest?
Commercial break: Laugh Assistant
Laughter is auditory Evolution and laughter Comedians as laugh-makers Evolution of humor Laughter as a way to de-stress Gallows humor, laughter as a way to cope Humor in older age Two extremes: outrage and laughter When humor goes wrong Knowing your audience Michael Richards Justine Sacco Mocking others: when people pile on Are trolls normal people? The woman who followed up with her troll Bullying on social media The implications and context of laughter Laughter because of anxiety and as a medicine for anxiety Do you practice self-censorship to avoid possible offense Or, do you feel free to say what you feel? When a comedian calls out their audience Have courage, try your best—continue to bring laughter to the world!
The biology of dreams Theories for why we dream The spiritual side of dreaming Eat late at night, get more dreams Lucid dreaming Can we really ever control our dreams? Can you dream about something you’ve never experienced? Dream genealogy
Break: Dream Sequence
Emotions in reality vs. in dreams Dreamtime (Aboriginal Australia) Is there a parallel reality for every dream? The physics of dreams Is innovation new or an iterative recombination? Are our dreams genetically carried through generations?
The Oscars Everyone is talking about the envelope fiasco Luis thinks fireworks are boring Why do we watch award shows? Snapchat is a lot like TV Oscars as recommendation system Snapchat is the long tail YouTube has awards; does Snapchat have awards? Jerry Seinfeld hates awards Could we watch the Oscars on Snapchat? How would you judge Snapchat content if it is ever-flowing?
Commercial: Awardrobes
Does anyone watch the Oscars anymore? People’s choice vs. industry professionals’ choice How does social media buzz affect award-giving? The politics of award shows There are people who understand Lord of the Rings mythology better than the producers and actors How does the source of the praise affect how you feel receiving it? Who should select the winners of the Oscars?
Pirates: not just on boats The history of media piracy Digital rights management (DRM) Streaming vs. downloading Watching House of Cards in China Buying VCDs in Turkey Access to American content in Cuba FOMO What about the little guy? Freebooting Blockchain Making games hard in reaction to piracy Commercial break: Tire Track Tracker How is piracy a temptation for different age groups? Academic materials Younger generations have grown up with the Internet It’s a transparent world
Episode 11: Honey & Nature - feat. Brian Woerner Luis and Steph start things off with guest Brian Woerner, COO of Follow the Honey http://www.followthehoney.com/ Honey tasting! You should listen to Sweet as Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison Commercial: Follow the Honey Medieval heraldry Plants are amazing Food and water, and food that contains water Does processed food get a bad rap? Humans, adaptation, and the environment What is “nature”? What is our responsibility for caring for the earth?
Episode 10: Listeners’ Choice – Football and Passion
This week’s topic: Listener’s Choice! Football. How archaeologists of the future might view football Chinese paper armor Mob football: pass the pig bladder, please American Idol vs. Bachelorette vs. American Football: which has more passionate fans? eSports need physical fitness too Spectatorship
What is a robot? Affective computing and personal robots (Cynthia Breazeal) Automation Beyond humanoid existence vs. uncanny valley Feelings and emotional purposes (Robot & Frank, Her) [SPOILER ALERT for Her 10:15–11:15] What’s shklerm? Instinct vs. knowledge The Twitter bot that became racist The Chinese Room Can a robot be a good consultant? Akinator
Commercial: Escape the Rum
What’s the difference between a robot and a tool? A refrigerating animal, the “wild freezer mammoth” Can a robot make ethical decisions? Robots and war If a robot can fool you into thinking it feels, does it matter if it really feels?
Our end of the season holiday special!
We’ve decided to call the season “Making it Beta” Christmas traditions around the world (e.g., Icelandic Yule Lads) Artificial intelligence Suborbital Santa Gift giving: experiences vs. items Commercial: Snow Box
Happy holidays, everyone!
In this special minisode we discuss privacy and how it relates to social media, photography, generations, repentance, and the future.
Episode 6: Fireworks
Public speaking: body language and anxiety Our experiences with music Podcasting is like playing the organ Ray tells his life story, which involves more crimes than you might imagine Perspectives on three communities: Mormons, Catholics, and Cubans Commercial break: Ray’s Fireworks Barn Internet privacy
Time as context Why are so many fairytales and movies about architecture? Moral of the story: TV vs. Aesop’s fables vs. real life Multiverse Theory and identity
Theme parks Luis’ parents love Indiana Jones We debate about legalizing marijuana Stoned Ape Theory Commercial break: Barry Berries Do you know your mother’s eye color? Luis’ experiences with laser eye surgery The violence in cartoons from our childhood Content addiction
Philosophy on nothingness Gossip about our editor Hyraxes! How to overload your life Learn the secret to silencing Luis "Worst Chester" Gardens and presidents Presidential Netflix watch history Luis is really just Stephanie's imagination Bacon
Starting out To sleep or not to sleep Creativity Thomas Gatchi Jell-o Casino How marshmallows are made
Our first-ever podcast! We choose a name, talk about ideation, discuss time and space, take a crazy "commercial break," and think about using jell-o as ammunition.