We hear about algorithms all the time, but what is an algorithm exactly? This hour, we learn about how algorithms work, a bit about their history, and how they're impacting our culture.

GUESTS: 

• Ed Finn: Author of What Algorithms Want: Imagination in the Age of Computing, and founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University

• Bruce Gil: Reporter for Quartz

• Liz Pelly: Writer and editor, whose forthcoming book is Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist

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Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 22, 2024.

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