What are the problems facing academic journals today? What changes to the system could be made to address them? How could being more open about studies that aren’t successful actually be a success strategy overall?Faye Flam is a science and medical journalist, a columnist for Bloomberg, host of the podcast Follow the Science, and the author of The Score: The Science of the Male Sex Drive.Greg and Faye discuss the importance and challenges of science journalism. Their conversation touches on the role of science journalists in translating and evaluating scientific data, the replication crisis, the influence of fraudulent research, the dynamics of public trust in science, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health communication. They also examine the issue with the growing proliferation of deepfakes, ‘fake news,’ and the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity in an increasingly digital age.*unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Show Links:Recommended Resources:Replication CrisisScience JournalAmerican Institute of PhysicsAmerican Chemical SocietyGary TaubesRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Peter M. Sandman Risk Communication WebsiteGuest Profile:Faye Flam Personal WebsiteWikipedia ProfileLinkedIn ProfileSocial Profile on XSocial Profile on BlueSkyFacebook PageHer Work:The Score: The Science of the Male Sex DriveBloomberg ArticlesForbes ArticlesFollow the Science PodcastEpisode Quotes:Science journalism and the challenge of neutrality38:23: I think that it's harder these days to sell the kind of story that I used to think was, that I still think is, kind of the heart and soul of science journalism, which is to try to separate the science from the values, try to understand why people are disagreeing, try to understand where the science has evolved, where the science might have been wrong in the past. So even something as fraught as whether sex is binary, I think at least in the past, that's something you could tackle as a journalist without taking sides, but just adding clarity and adding context and saying, you know, these people disagree because they have different values and they want to use different language. They're interpreting things differently. But there are certain aspects of biology that everybody agrees on.Rethinking failure in science10:08:  People have to rethink the meaning of failure. If you have a hypothesis that's kind of a long shot, and you test it, and you do a really good experiment, and you find out the hypothesis didn't hold up, well, you've tested that. Maybe that's something you can rule out. That should be an acceptable, perfectly normal part of science. It's not a failure per se. It's just that sometimes you have to rule something out that's a long shot.On the confidence trap of AI49:01:  One of the hazards of AI is that people—it's so confident—it answers questions with so much confidence, and it sounds so smart that people just assume it's right. And it's often not right. People call them hallucinations, but it can just be, with some subtle thing in your prompt, right? I think there is going to be a period where people are seduced into believing AI because it can be so incredibly smart, and it makes these statements with so much confidence. But a lot of it—there is this kind of chaos to it. Little changes in the prompt will completely change the answer.

When did humans learn to communicate through language? Did it coincide with the invention of fire? Or was it more a gradual process that involved much more than just making sounds with our mouths? Steven Mithen is a professor of prehistory at the University of Reading and the author of numerous books on human evolution including, The Singing Neanderthals: The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and Body, Thirst: Water and Power in the Ancient World, and most recently, The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-Million-Year Story of How Words Evolved. His work weaves together disciplines like psychology, linguistics, and genetics to chart the history and evolution of the ways our minds make sense of the world.Greg and Steven discuss the integrative nature of language evolution, the role of social and physical environments in shaping language, and the interconnectedness of music and language in bonding and communication. Steven also shares how studying ancient civilizations’ water management strategies unveils lessons for today’s global water crisis. *unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Show Links:Recommended Resources:Jerry Fodor Howard Gardner Charles Darwin Jean-Jacques RousseauJohann Gottfried HerderRichard WranghamNoam ChomskyFerdinand de SaussureLinguistic relativity - Sapir-WhorfGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at University of ReadingHis Work:The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-Million-Year Story of How Words Evolved The Prehistory of the Mind: The Cognitive Origins of Art, Religion and ScienceAfter the Ice: A Global Human History, 20,000–5000 BC The Singing Neanderthals: The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and BodyThirst: Water and Power in the Ancient WorldEpisode Quotes:Gesture evolved with language but never drove it forward17:43: Gesture has always accompanied language but never driven it forward. Music's maybe a little bit different, really. It seems to me musical sounds we make are almost more like gestures. And I think that time of moving to full bipedalism at about two million years ago, did really make bodies hugely more expressive. And it was a time when not only body language became important, but I think dance and singing, stamping feet, slapping thighs—all of that acting  as a really important way of building social bonds, of doing some sort of communication, pushed forward that social interaction communication.Language shapes perception51:14:  Different languages have different concepts of how the world is and should be seen, and that does influence how you perceive and think about it.Language shapes culture and complex thought25:01: I think we're mistaken if we think social bonding is the only role of language or necessarily the most important. There are at least two other things that it really does. Just a transmission of information from generation to generation. What we don't see in our human ancestors, like Homo erectus, and then our relatives like the Neanderthals, is only accumulation of culture; it doesn't seem to build from one generation to the next. And I suspect that's because there is a limitation on the way they're using language and the ability to gradually construct more complex ideas. But the other way we use language, and the other important one, is for thinking about complex ideas that I think we just can't do without it. And that's where a metaphor comes in—I think it's hugely important.

How can Legacy companies transform themselves to compete with Startups? What lessons can be learned from the different ways legacy companies Microsoft and IBM navigated the new business landscape. What can we expect from the new tech hubs popping up around the world that aim to be a recreation of what makes Silicon Valley work?Vivek Wadhwa is an academic, entrepreneur, and author of five best-selling books: From Incremental to Exponential, Your Happiness Was Hacked, The Driver in the Driverless Car, Innovating Women, and The Immigrant Exodus.Greg and Vivek discuss Vivek’s journey from tech entrepreneur to academic and prolific author. They discuss Vivek’s different books focusing on innovation, legacy companies, and the impact of technology on society. Vivek highlights the failures of traditional innovation methods, the cultural transformations necessary for company revitalization, and the broader societal impacts of technology addiction. Additionally, Vivek shares his personal strategies for managing tech distractions in his own life and emphasizes the necessity of face-to-face interactions for true innovation in business.*unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.***This episode was recorded in 2021.**Show Links:Recommended Resources:MicrosoftSatya NadellaClayton ChristensenFord Greenfield LabsDoug McMillonFrederick TermanSilicon ValleyMichael PorterMark ZuckerbergMitch KaporSteve CaseGuest Profile:Wadhwa.comLinkedIn ProfileWikipedia ProfileFragomen ProfileSocial Profile on XHis Work:Amazon Author PageFrom Incremental to Exponential: How Large Companies Can See the Future and Rethink InnovationThe Driver in the Driverless Car: How Your Technology Choices Create the FutureYour Happiness Was Hacked: Why Tech Is Winning the Battle to Control Your Brain—and How to Fight BackThe Immigrant Exodus: Why America Is Losing the Global Race to Capture Entrepreneurial TalentInnovating Women: The Changing Face of TechnologyEpisode Quotes:The reason silicon valley can't be replicated14:19: Silicon Valley can't be replicated because you need much more than a few people. It's all about culture, the fact that we interact with each other. I mean, you go to parties over here. I mean, I remember coming to Silicon Valley 12 years ago and bumping into Mark Zuckerberg. I said, "Oh my God, Mark Zuckerberg is here." And then you bump into Mitch Kapor, you know, all of these people, and you just go up to them, and they talk to you like normal people. So it's informal; you go to any coffee shop over here, and you ask someone, "You know, what are you doing?" First of all, they'll start telling you about all the things that they failed in. They'll show off about their failure, and then they'll openly tell you what they're doing. Try doing that anywhere else in the world.On how are the people being addicted to technologies 47:41:The fact is that all of us are addicted. We're checking email. We wake up in the morning, and we check email. We go to bed late at night; we're checking email. We're traveling home from work; we're checking email. Right? We're now exchanging texts, you know, 24/7. When we have any free time, we'll start watching some TikTok videos. I mean, the kids, from the time they're like six months old now, seem to be on their iPads and so on. And the result is that teen suicide rates are high. We're not aware. All the studies about happiness show that we are less happy than we ever were. So everything good that should have happened hasn't happened. Instead, we've become addicted, and it's become a big problem for us. Disruption can come from anywhere08:38: You have to be aware that disruption would come from everywhere, and you need to have all hands on deck. It's no longer R&D departments that specialize in developing some specific technology—it's everyone in your company, right? Marketing, customer support, sales, your engineers, of course, finance—everyone now has a role in disruption, helping you reinvent yourself.

In this engaging conversation, John Danner, an esteemed faculty member from UC Berkeley and Princeton, dives into the transformative power of failure. He challenges the glorification of failure in Silicon Valley, urging listeners to see it as a catalyst for growth. Danner discusses the importance of self-knowledge and how understanding one's personality can dramatically influence success. He underscores the need for open communication about mistakes and promotes innovation by recognizing failures as valuable learning experiences.

Jeffrey J. Bussgang, General Partner at Flybridge Capital and Harvard Business School lecturer, dives into the transformative power of AI in the startup world. He discusses how founders are leveraging generative AI for quicker experimentation and optimization. The conversation highlights the importance of combining timeless entrepreneurial principles with modern technology. Bussgang also shares strategies for navigating the evolving roles of venture capitalists and the significance of direct customer engagement in driving success. Practical advice for prioritizing experiments and enhancing productivity is also explored.

Webb Keane, a University of Michigan anthropology professor, delves into how technology reshapes our moral landscape. He examines the cultural nuances of anthropomorphizing AI and the emotional ties we form with machines. Keane discusses ethical dilemmas in our interactions with animals and robots, contrasting the West's moral views with those of other cultures. He also explores the historical evolution of legal accountability for inanimate objects, prompting us to reconsider what it means to be human in a tech-driven world.

In this insightful conversation, Hatim Rahman, an Associate Professor at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and author of "Inside the Invisible Cage: How Algorithms Control Workers," discusses the complexities of digital platforms on labor dynamics. He explores the balance between algorithmic transparency and accountability, the evolution of traditional bureaucracy in the gig economy, and the power dynamics shifting under algorithmic governance. Rahman emphasizes the need for fairness and informed consent in these evolving employment landscapes.

James Boyle, a law professor at Duke University and former chair of Creative Commons, dives into the ethics of AI and personhood. He discusses how historical views on personhood can inform our understanding of AI's rights. The conversation highlights the significance of empathy and literature in shaping these debates. Boyle argues for recognizing both human and non-human rights, advocating a multidisciplinary approach to navigate the complexities of our evolving definitions of personhood amidst advancing technologies.

Amar Bhidé, a Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University and author of "Uncertainty and Enterprise," dives into the fascinating nuances of uncertainty in economics. He critiques traditional economic models for overlooking the role of imagination and judgment in decision-making. The conversation also emphasizes the power of storytelling in teaching economics and how a narrative approach can enhance understanding. Bhidé challenges listeners to rethink organizational dynamics, advocating for collective engagement over hierarchical control.

Marietje Schaake, a fellow at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center and author of The Tech Coup, delves into the evolving dynamics between tech giants and democracy. She critiques the complacency of political leaders regarding corporate power and highlights the historical shift from technology as a liberating force to a profit-driven threat. The conversation also touches on the need for better tech governance, regulatory frameworks like GDPR, and the urgent demand for lawmakers to become more tech-savvy to protect democratic values.