Tech Refactored
95 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsWe explore the intersection of technology, law, and society with experts and scholars.
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Episodes
The AI and Creative Filmmaking Design Hackathon
May 12, 2023 19:43 - 63 MBThe Nebraska Technology and Governance Center, Cinema 16, and Ash Eliza Smith, Robert Twomey and NovySan from the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts organized and co-hosted a one-day intensive AI film-making Hackathon in April 2023 where creatives offered up speculative visions of the future and emergent system designs to offer us clues and strategies of ways that we can shape an interspecies future. In this episode, Gus highlights the process and creative workflows throughout th...
Large Language Models
May 12, 2023 19:42 - 126 MBThis special episode of Tech Refactored is co-produced by a student fellows group consisting of Lauren Bruning, Diego Villalpando, Baba Yussif, and Niloofar Mansoor. Niloofar joins Gus for a conversation with Mrinal Rawool, a PhD student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Mrinal, Niloofar, and Gus discuss large language models such as Chat GPT, examining how they work, use cases, and the impacts these models have in society.
Cybersecurity Challenges in Agriculture Software
May 12, 2023 19:42 - 139 MBIn this special episode of Tech Refactored, Salome Perez and Amy Barry, both student fellows at the NGTC, host the show to discuss the role of software in agriculture. Salome and Amy are joined by George Grispos, Assistant Professor in Cybersecurity at UNO, and Santosh Pitla, Associate Professor in Advance Machinery Systems at UNL. Together they examine the many cybersecurity challenges faced in the agriculture space.
CRISPR: How the IP Is Affecting Innovation
May 12, 2023 19:42 - 92.8 MBSamantha Zyontz, an Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Law, returns to the podcast to expand on the conversation about CRISPR from an episode of Tech Refactored released in February of 2021. Despite the dispute over who owns the IP, companies have been developing products and technologies that use CRISPR. Samantha and Gus discuss these technologies, how the IP is affecting innovation, and much more.
Commercial Spyware: The Past, Present, and Future
May 12, 2023 19:41 - 110 MBAsaf Lubin, Associate Professor of Law at Indiana University, joins the podcast to discuss commercial spyware. Asaf and Gus examine how countries around the world use spyware, new technologies within spyware, and how it's developed and sold by private companies.
Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
May 12, 2023 19:41 - 106 MBJerry Hudgins, Professor and Chair of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins the podcast to discuss small modular nuclear reactors. The Nebraska Public Power District recently received approval to study potential sites across the state for these reactors. Jerry and Gus discuss what small modular nuclear reactors are, how they work, and how they can complement the usage of existing renewable energy sources.
The ENIAC: The Six Women Who Programmed the World's First Modern Computer
May 12, 2023 19:29 - 103 MBKathy Kleiman joins the podcast to discuss her recent book, Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World's First Modern Computer. Kathy and Gus start their conversation with background on the ENIAC computer itself – how it was funded, what its purpose was, and how it worked. Kleiman then explains the extraordinary story of the six women who were hired to program the ENIAC.
The Silicon Valley Bank Collapse
May 12, 2023 19:27 - 108 MBEric Alston joins the podcast to discuss the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, marking the largest failure of a United States bank since 2008. Eric and Gus examine why and how this happened, the regulatory oversight of banks, and much more.
The East Palestine Train Derailment
May 12, 2023 19:27 - 93.5 MBMarc Scribner, a Senior Transportation Policy Analyst at Reason Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss the East Palestine train derailment. Marc outlines potential causes of the incident and debunks some of the finger pointing claims on Twitter before shifting gears to train regulation more broadly. Gus and Marc also discuss new technologies being implemented into modern trains and rail systems.
Privacy in Public: Carpenter Test, Pole Cameras, and the Fourth Amendment
May 12, 2023 19:26 - 100 MBMatthew Tokson, Law Professor at the University of Utah, joins the show to discuss a range of issues around privacy in public spaces, your own backyard, and more.
Social Media Usage by State Departments of Transportation | Structural Engineering and Earthquakes
May 12, 2023 19:26 - 94 MBChristine Wittich, a Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor at the University of Nebraska, joins the show to continue our discussion on earthquakes from last week, but this time from a structural engineering perspective. We initially planned to discuss Christine's research on the usage of social media by state departments of transportation during emergencies, but given Christine's expertise on structural engineering and the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria, we discuss both topi...
The Turkey-Syria Earthquake: What Causes Earthquakes?
May 12, 2023 19:25 - 97 MBOn February 6th, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in Turkey and Syria, causing widespread damage across the region and tens of thousands of fatalities. Cara Burberry, a structural geologist and Professor in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department at the University of Nebraska, joins the show to explain what causes earthquakes.
Statistical Analysis in Forensic Bullet Matching
May 12, 2023 19:25 - 70.6 MBHeike Hofmann, Professor of Statistics at Iowa State University, joins the show to discuss forensic bullet matching. Hofmann explains how bullet striations are created, how she uses statistical analysis when matching bullets, how she became involved in this field, and much more.
Energy Usage of Crypto Mining Facilities in Nebraska
May 12, 2023 19:24 - 71.9 MBNatalia Alamdari, a reporter for Flatwater Free Press, joins the podcast to discuss her recent article, Crypto needs cheap energy. It found a whole bunch in Nebraska. The article explores recent developments in cryptomining across Nebraska, focusing on a facility in Kearney that uses as much energy annually as the entire city itself. Natalia and Gus discuss the challenges these types of facilities present to communities.
Communications Policy and the BEAD Program in 2023
May 12, 2023 19:24 - 98.1 MBWhat's on the horizon for the NTIA's $42 billion BEAD Program (Broadband Equity Access and Deployment) in 2023? Mike Romano, the Executive Vice President of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, joins Gus to discuss BEAD and developments in communication policy including municipal broadband legislation, rural telecom carriers perspectives on national security and robocalls, and more.
AI in Traffic Management Systems
May 12, 2023 19:23 - 98.7 MBGus is joined by Baher Abdulhai, a Professor in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto. Together they explore a range of topics including how AI can be used to pace traffic and mitigate congestion, autonomous vehicles, increasing efficiency on roadways through advanced traffic management, simulations for dynamic transportation networks, and emerging technologies in the field.
Tech Policy in 2023: What's on the Horizon
May 12, 2023 19:23 - 107 MBShane Tews, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Gus to examine several contemporary tech policy issues as we move into 2023. Together they discuss the BEAD program, antitrust, Section 230, the CHIPS Act, cybersecurity, Chat GPT, AI, and more.
Drones as a Research Tool
May 12, 2023 19:22 - 99.8 MBGus is joined by Justin Bradley, co-director of NIMBUS Lab at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. From using drones to monitor beavers in Alaska, to taking soil samples on the great plains, Justin and his team at NIMBUS are developing innovative ways to use drones as a research tool. Together they discuss autonomous operation of drones in swarms, interacting with the physical environment, and the challenges presented as he develops these technologies.
Copyright Law and Computer Software
May 12, 2023 19:22 - 95.3 MBZvi Rosen, Professor at the Southern Illinois University School of Law, joins Gus to discuss copyright law. Rosen, a copyright expert, shares some history on copyright law before turning to the main focus of the conversation: how copyright law applies to computer software.
Trust and Safety, Content Moderation, and Careers in Tech
May 12, 2023 19:21 - 109 MBJess Miers, Legal Advocacy Counsel at Chamber of Progress, joins Gus to discuss trust and safety on the internet. Together they examine content moderation policies, business and technical decisions made by online platforms, and Section 230. Prior to joining the team at Chamber of Progress, Miers worked as a Policy Analyst at Google. She discusses her experiences working with Google's engineering teams on policy issues, and how she shaped her own career path starting at Santa Clara Universi...
Section 230, Internet Law, and Emoji Law
May 12, 2023 19:21 - 34.6 MBEric Goldman, Law Professor at Santa Clara University, joins the show to discuss Section 230 as he and Gus examine its origins, and also four current SCOTUS cases that could potentially impact the future of the internet. Together they also touch on Emoji Law and how Internet Law is changing over time. Goldman runs the award-winning Technology & Marketing Law Blog, and has long been a go-to source on Internet Law. Goldman is also the Associate Dean for Research, Co-director of the High Te...
Open Source Software
May 12, 2023 19:20 - 34.5 MBOpen source is everywhere – over 97% of software uses it in some capacity. It's free to use, but who creates it and why? Who maintains it? What are the security concerns? Kyle Langvardt fills in as host to discuss open source software with Chinmayi Sharma, Scholar in Residence at the Strauss Center, and Lecturer at the University of Texas. Together they examine many of the topics addressed in Sharma's paper, "Tragedy of the Digital Commons".
What's Happening With Twitter and FTX?
May 12, 2023 19:20 - 33 MBOn this episode of Tech Refactored, Gus is joined by Nebraska College of Law Professors Kyle Langvardt and James Tierney. Together they discuss the latest confusing and controversial happenings with Twitter – the blue check mark, content moderation, and Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform from a corporate governance perspective. Later in the episode, they shift the conversation to the FTX debacle and cryptocurrency, and discuss what parallels may exist between Twitter and FTX.
Do People Care Where Their Data Are Stored?
May 12, 2023 19:19 - 93 MBOn this episode, Gus talks with Jeff Prince, Professor of Business Economics at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Together they examine topics from multiple papers written by Jeff including his most recent work, "Do People Around the World Care Whether Their Data Are Stored Locally". Later in the episode, they discuss Jeff's time at the FCC, where he previously served as the Chief Economist.
Google's DeepMind AI Changing Biology and Solving Protein Structures
May 12, 2023 19:19 - 28.2 MBThis episode is a rerun that initially aired on September 22, 2021. This rerun comes on the heels of Google's recent developments in its AlphaFold AI program, as it has predicted the 3D structure of every known protein. Gus is joined by Nicole Buan and Juan Chi, both researchers at the University of Nebraska, who help us understand what this means for their field.
S2E40 - Roadside Barriers, Test Crashes, and Enhancing Safety with Cody Stolle
May 12, 2022 18:29 - 47.7 MBHow do cities and states decide what roads have rails or barriers? Who designs those? What roadside factors lead to crashes? The researchers who are asking these questions are technologists, engineers, and quite literally life savers. Cody Stolle is a research professor in the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska. He is also a researcher with the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, part of the Mid-America Transportation Center. He studies, among othe...
S2E39 - The Public Insight Lab
May 04, 2022 21:13 - 26.3 MBValerie Jones is founder of the Public Insight Lab, she's also a fellow and grantee at the Nebraska Governance and Technology Center. She sits down with Gus to talk about this new interdisciplinary research lab, which will fuel social media research on campus using state-of-the-art social and digital media analytics software. Faculty affiliated with the lab engage with researchers across campus to enhance existing and future research projects with social and digital media analysis. Resear...
S2E37 - Sue Glueck on Life and Technology
May 04, 2022 21:12 - 33 MBMost professionals will tell you, career paths are rarely a straight line. On this episode guest co-hosts Elana Zeide and Elsbeth Magilton welcome our advisory board member, Sue Glueck. Glueck is the Senior Director of Academic Relations for Microsoft Corporation’s legal department where she works on AI and ethics, the future of work, privacy, and a myriad of other topics. In March 2022 she met group of law and graduate students at Nebraska about figuring out “Life After Graduation.” She sp...
S2E36 - Cybersecurity and Insuring Your Everyday Life
May 04, 2022 21:12 - 32.5 MBEvery day it seems cybersecurity is in the news. From data breaches to ransomware to national security, these incidents have become a feature of every day life. And they affect everything from individuals and small businesses to nation-state actors. On this episode we’re joined by Asaf Lubin to help us understand the challenges of cybersecurity generally and, in particular, the role of cybersecurity insurance in addressing some of these concerns. Asaf is an Associate Professor of Law at ...
S2E35 - The Great Plains Irrigation Experiment with Rezaul Mahmood
May 04, 2022 21:11 - 24.9 MBIn this episode Gus talks to Rezaul Mahmood, a professor at the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is also an applied climatologist and the director of the High Plains Regional Climate Center. In 2021, Dr. Mahmood received a supplemental grant from the Nebraska Governance and Technology Center, a program designed to provide supplemental research funding to teams that are already engaged in active internally or externally funded research at the Universit...
S2E34 - Flyover Fictions Pt 3: Desert Skin & Microbial Glyphs
May 04, 2022 21:11 - 21.8 MBIn the third episode in this series we again speak with Ash Eliza Smith on their project called “Flyover Fictions,” that pairs scientists with artists to create digital books. For the second half of the episode, Professor Kyle Langvardt sits down with one of these pairs, Joshua Herr and Yasaman Sheri , whose digital project is titled, “Desert Skin & Microbial Glyphs.” This is the final episode in the series that will explore the digital books in the Flyover research platform. Click here t...
S2E33 - Leadership, Innovation, and Management with Matt Perault
May 04, 2022 21:10 - 32.9 MBOn this episode we explore what leadership and innovation look like in the industry and in academia focused on the tech sector. Matt Perault is the director of the Center on Technology Policy at University of North Carolina’s School of Information & Library Science. He previously led the Center on Science & Technology Policy at Duke University. Before returning to academia, Matt was a director on the public policy team and the head of the global policy development team at Facebook. He cove...
S2E32 - The Role of Think Tanks: A Conversation With Alec Stapp Founder of the Institute for Progress
May 04, 2022 21:09 - 33.9 MBAlec Stapp is the co-founder and co-CEO of the Institute for Progress, a recently-launched think tank dedicated to accelerating scientific, technological, and industrial progress while safeguarding humanity’s future. Gus spoke with Alec Stapp about how he thinks about the goals of his his think tank and modern challenges in advancing scientific, tech, and industrial progress.
S2E31 - Farm Fresh Broadband with Christopher Ali
May 04, 2022 21:09 - 33.4 MBDr. Ali joins the podcast to talk about his book, Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity. He was part of our spring speaker series, visiting Nebraska for a joint event with the Rural Reconciliation Project. His work provides an analysis of U.S. broadband policy and the rural–urban digital divide, with a proposal for a new national rural broadband plan. Ep Notes: Related Topic Research/Articles: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/06/opinion/rural-broadband-fcc.html h...
S2E30 - Flyover Fictions Part 2: Flush
May 04, 2022 21:08 - 28.8 MBIn the second episode in this series we again speak with Ash Eliza Smith on their project called “Flyover Fictions,” that pairs scientists with artists to create digital books. Gus also sits down with one of these pairs, Andrea González Garrán and Shannon Bartelt-Hunt , whose digital project is titled, “Flush.” This is the second episode in a series of 3 that will explores the digital books in the Flyover research platform. Click here to listen to episode 1. Checkout all the projects: ht...
S2E29 - Mapping Broadband Connections Across America
May 04, 2022 21:04 - 24.1 MBLast year Congress allocated $48 billion, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to broadband (internet) access. But more than the money, we need to know where we need broadband before we can build it. Our guest for this episode, Sarah Oh Lam, talks to us about the Tech Policy Institute’s (TPI) Broadband Map Project. Follow Sarah on Twitter: @sarahecon Related Topic Research/Articles: Comments filed with NTIA State of Broadband Report TPI Broadband Map
S2E28 - The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values with Brian Christian
May 04, 2022 21:03 - 34.2 MBBest selling author Brian Christian joins the podcast to discuss machine learning and his latest book, The Alignment Problem. Brian and Gus cover the alignment problem - when what we intend to teach machines to do, isn’t what they do - and the many challenges and concerns surrounding artificial intelligence and machine learning. This episode is the first featuring a speaker from this semester’s speaker series, a part of the Nebraska Governance and Technology Center’s Fellows Program. Comin...
Flyover Fictions Part 1: Codex Nebolusian
May 04, 2022 21:03 - 29.3 MBAsh Eliza Smith is one our center fellows, a professor in emerging media arts, a speculative artist, a designer, and a researcher. She is leading a project called, “Flyover Fictions” that pairs scientists with artists to create digital books. On this episode we speak with Ash and interview one of these pairs, Santosh Pitla and Parrr Geng, whose digital project is titled, “Codex Nebolusian.” This is the first episode in a series of 3 that will explore the digital books in the Flyover resea...
S2E26 - The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
May 04, 2022 21:02 - 25.3 MBWe’re revisiting the supply chain with a new focus: the pharmaceutical industry. Joining us is Leon Xu, an Assistant Professor in the Supply Chain Management & Analytics Department at the University of Nebraska. Leon and Gus dive into the significant challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system, such as drug shortages, the opioid crisis, and exorbitant drug prices — all of which can find their root causes in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Related Articles Provided by our guest: Drug and ...
S2E25 - I’m Just An (Antitrust) Bill on Capitol Hill
May 04, 2022 21:01 - 27.9 MBOn this episode Jennifer Huddleston, the director of Technology and Innovation Policy at the American Action Forum, comes back on the show to discuss some of the latest antitrust bills shaking up the business and tech world this month, and we learn more about the legislative process on how a bill becomes law and the committee processes. Jennifer joined us in June 2021 to discuss some of these bills at their initial introduction, and you can find that discussion here. While a great episode ...
S2E24 - Do you trust that algorithm?
May 04, 2022 21:01 - 33.1 MBThis week we’re joined by Derek Bambauer, a professor of law at the University of Arizona, where he teaches Internet law and intellectual property. We’re discussing his latest paper with Michael Risch on the rise of algorithm-driven decision making enabled by Big Data. Derek explains what algorithms are, how they work, and we get into the depths of why people trust (or don’t trust) algorithms. Episode Notes: You can find their paper ‘Worse Than Human?’ online.
S2E23 - A Crossover Episode with the Girls Code Lincoln Podcast
May 04, 2022 21:00 - 25.3 MBThis week we're featuring an episode from Girls Code Lincoln, a local nonprofit which we support in their endeavor to empower girls to learn more about STEM and technology. Elsbeth Magilton and Aakriti Agrawal profile Hollywood starlet Hedy Lamarr and interview Ash Banaszek, Associate of User Experience, at Union Pacific Railroad about their career, education, failures, and successes. Each month they profile a historical woman in STEM and introduce listeners to a coder in or from the ...
S2E22 - Revisiting Culturally Rerouting The Oregon Trail
May 04, 2022 20:59 - 25.6 MBAll Episodes Delete Edit S2E22 - Revisiting Culturally Rerouting The Oregon Trail MM January 05, 2022 Nebraska Governance and Technology Center Season: 2 Episode: 22 Description As we plan a few forthcoming Tech Refactored projects for our listeners, we re-visit one of our favorite episodes--Culturally Rerouting the Oregon Trail. We'll be back with new episodes soon! Original description: We're discussing the role of video games in shaping popular understandings of history - specificall...
S2E21 - Meet the Nebraska Tech Collaborative with Jona Van Deun
May 04, 2022 20:58 - 28.8 MBOn this episode Elsbeth welcomes Jona Van Deun, the executive director of the Nebraska Tech Collaborative. The collaborative is a a business-led workforce initiative committed to convening leaders from government, education, and not-for-profit organizations across the state to develop, attract, and retain tech-talent and entrepreneurs to Nebraska. Note: Tech Refactored is on winter break! There will be no new episode next week as our team spends time with their families--see you in 2022!
S2E20 - Yes, That Laser is Tracking Your Eye Movements
December 17, 2021 19:21 - 49 MBIt’s the 50th episode of Tech Refactored! We’ve talked about so many different technologies - but this is one of the coolest and scariest! On this episode Gus is joined by on of our faculty fellows, Dr. Bonita Sharif. Dr. Sharif is an expert in the use of eye tracking technologies to enhance the efficiency of software programmers in searching through thousands of lines of code.
S2E19 - Saying Goodbye to the 3G Network
December 17, 2021 19:20 - 69.7 MBNew technology is great -- but adopting new technology often means moving on from older generations of technology. Take, for instance, 3G cellular networks. Cellular providers are in the process of turning off their 3G networks over the next several months, so that the spectrum currently used to offer 3G service can be repurposed for higher-speed 5G services. To look at some of the challenges that go with these transitions, the show welcomes Harold Feld, Senior Vice President at Public Kno...
S2E18 - Can I Sue Facebook for That Thing My Uncle Posted? The Legal History of Section 230
December 02, 2021 16:38 - 49.7 MBOn this episode we welcome Brent Skorup, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to explore his work on the legal history of the often politicized Section 230. Section 230 is a section of the United States Communications Decency Act that provides immunities for website and social media platforms regarding content posted by users and other third-parties - and it is often used as political fodder. Brent helps us break down the highly politicized, famous/infa...
S2E17 - Societies of Subjugation: Xinjiang and Beyond with Khaled Beydoun
November 23, 2021 21:33 - 61 MBThis weeks host, Kyle Langvardt, sits down with his friend Khaled Beydoun to discuss Islamophobia and surveillance. Beydoun is the author of the critically acclaimed American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear and co-editor of Islamophobia and the Law. His next book, The New Crusades: Islamophobia, the World and the Wars Between will be published in 2021 with the University of California Press.
S2E16 - The Supply Chain and Your Dinner Table
November 17, 2021 22:06 - 54.3 MBEarlier this fall we released the TR/∂T (of the moment) episode ‘Supply Chain Shortages and the Cost of Building Fiber Networks,’ but one trip to the grocery store or the gas station and it’s clear: fiber and broadband aren’t the only industry being impacted. On this episode we welcome Erkut Sönmez, an associate professor of supply chain management and analytics at the University of Nebraska and one of our center’s Faculty Fellows to discuss problems that arise with the development of new ...
S2E15 - New for Old: Technology in Historic Preservation
November 17, 2021 21:44 - 29.7 MBOn this episode we talk with John Rissetto, the State Environmental Coordinator with the USDA-Farm Service Agency for Nebraska. He and Gus discuss the curious juxtaposition between protecting the old by leveraging the new, such as the use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) in archeology and how it was used to find historic trails and buildings in Nebraska that are not discernible to the naked eye. Thank you to the Preservation Association of Lincoln and Ryan Reed for suggesting this to...