Show for December 11, 2011. Oh, the Machinery!
Yes, people have been fretting that mechanization would render them redundant ever since the early industrial revolution. And though predictions of deep and persistent “technological unemployment” have failed to come true in the past, MIT researchers Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee say this time it’s for real. In their new book, Race Against the Machine, they argue that the current “jobless recovery” is in large part due to advances in machine intelligence and other technologies. I spoke to Erik Brynjolfsson about the problem and some possible fixes. I also played a bit of my 2010 interview with composer David Cope, who’s trained computers to write classical music in the manner of Bach, Beethoven and others. You can listen to that here.
The idea that machines will take our jobs isn’t new, of course. In fact, it was considered pretty hoary by the time of this 1931 article from Modern Mechanix. Read it here.
Click the arrow above to listen. If you don’t have Flash player or have other playback problems, click this link for the MP3.
Show for September 25, 2011. Down and Out in Dogpatch, Pt. 2
In part 1 of this two-part series, I talked to sociologist and writer Teresa Gowan about her years among the homeless recyclers of San Francisco’s Dogpatch district. As we walked through the neighborhood, Teresa described how much it’s changed. Most of the homeless have been pushed out, and therein hangs a tale of societal attitudes—toward poverty, property and rootlessness—going back hundreds of years. In this second and final part of the series, we found out where some of Dogpatch’s remaining homeless are holing up and how they’re hanging on.
Maya (front left), Iona (back) and Teresa.
Click the “play” arrow above to listen to the show, or download the MP3 here (if using a Mac, control-click the link and choose “Save Link As…” If using a PC, right-click and choose Save Target As…”)
Show for Aug 28, 2011: After Recession
What happens if and when America recovers from the current economic crisis? Do things go back to normal? Not necessarily, and certainly not for everybody, says Don Peck, features editor of The Atlantic. In his new book, Pinched, he cites voluminous evidence that deep recessions leave lasting scars, and we may never be quite the same again. He says we need to take immediate action to limit the damage, and that the current narrow focus on government debt is wrongheaded. Economist Stephen Rose is less worried about America’s long-term prospects, but he too says government needs to do more to aid recovery.
Click the “play” arrow above to listen to the show, or download the MP3 here (if using a Mac, control-click the link and choose “Save Link As…” If using a PC, right-click and choose Save Target As…”)
Show for May 2, 2010. Political Scientist Brendan Nyhan; Wealth Reporter Robert Frank
Two entertaining, eye-opening and unsettling conversations highlight the shaky relationship between reality and perception. Political scientist Brendan Nyhan studies the impact of facts on political views, and finds that often, information doesn’t change minds. Wall Street Journal reporter Robert Frank says that despite fears that they’d lose their fortunes during the financial crisis, many of the wealthiest Americans are doing better than ever, the gap between rich and poor has grown and a new class divide may be emerging—between the rich and super-rich.
Click the arrow above to listen to the show. If you lack Flash player or have other playback problems, click this link for the MP3.
Visit Brendan Nyhan’s blog.
Read The Wealth Report by Robert Frank
