How algorithms shape our world, for better and for worse

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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