Luminary

Today’s guest is Rebecca Katz, a professor and director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University. She is a leading expert in global health diplomacy, global health security, and emerging infectious diseases. Rebecca was a consultant to the United States Department of State on matters related to the Biological Weapons Convention and emerging infectious disease threats from 2004 to 2019. She co-convened the first international scientific conference on global health security in 2019 with the next edition planned in 2021. In this episode, we cover: Rebecca’s journey in becoming a leading expert in global health science and security, the history and significance of pandemics, the rise of Covid-19, its impact on life and society, the role of governance and the WHO in coordinating the global response, as well as what the future may hold. We also discuss research conducted by the Center for Global Health Science and Security in shaping public health policy. Please check out the show notes for more information on projects Rebecca is leading and for ways to get involved. About and from Prof. Rebecca Katz: Website: https://ghss.georgetown.edu/people/katz/Twitter: Rebecca Katz (@RebeccaKatz5)Center for Global Health Science and Security Support the center’s many research activities (please specify the Center for Global Health Science and Security in the ‘Other Designation’ box) Global Health Science and Security: CSS Lunch Series | Global Health Security ft. Dr Rebecca KatzGeorgetown Infectious Disease Atlas (GIDA) Pandemic/Covid-19: COVID-19 Updates – Center for Global Health Science and SecurityCOVID-Local: A Frontline Guide for Local Decision-MakersCovid Act NowThe 2019 Novel Coronavirus and Challenges for Global Health GovernanceRep. Schiff Discusses Coronavirus with Public Health Expert Dr. Rebecca KatzPolicy opportunities to enhance sharing for pandemic researchThe Lawfare Podcast: Rebecca Katz on Global Health Security and the Coronavirus ResponseHow Life in Our Cities Will Look After the Coronavirus Pandemic Assorted Links: First International Global Health Security Conference (GHS 2019) – Center for Global Health Science and SecurityDefining Health Diplomacy: Changing Demands in the Era of GlobalizationTruman National Security Project: Rebecca KatzThe Revised International Health Regulations: A Framework for Global Pandemic ResponseBook Recommendation: The Sot-Weed Factor by John Barth Technology Initiatives: Bridging technology, venture, and intelligence – In-Q-Tel – Strategic investor that accelerates the development and delivery of cutting-edge technologies to US government agenciesEpiHack Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfmLuminary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminary-fm  Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Rebecca Katz on the past, present, and future of covid-19 appeared first on Luminary.fm.

David Danks is a professor of philosophy and psychology and head of the department of philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University. His research lies at the intersection of philosophy, cognitive science, and machine learning, with a recent focus on the ethics of and policy for autonomous systems such as self-driving vehicles and autonomous warfare. David is the author of Unifying the Mind: Cognitive Representations as Graphical Models, as well as, Building Theories: Heuristics and Hypotheses in Science. In our conversation with David, we cover: his journey into philosophy, learning models, causality, the impact of information overload on human cognition, and the role of trust in human-technology adoption cycles. David also shares his views on ethics and policy considerations for autonomous systems, and how we might think about agency and sovereignty for artificial intelligence-based systems. About and from Prof. David Danks: Website: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/philosophy/people/faculty/danks.html Publications: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ddanks/pubs.html Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=david+danks&btnG= Research: A Theory of Causal Learning in Children: Causal Maps and Bayes NetsEquilibria of the Recorla-Wagner ModelThe Psychology of Causal Perception and ReasoningAlgorithmic Bias in Autonomous Systems Assorted Links: Institute for Strategic Analysis: https://www.cmu.edu/isa/isa-people/faculty_affiliates/david-danks.html The Center for Informed Democracy and Social Cybersecurity: https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2019/july/knight-foundation-disinformation.html  Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfmLuminary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminary-fm  Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post David Danks on causality, human-technology interaction, and ethics of autonomous systems appeared first on Luminary.fm.

Mahzarin Banaji is an award-winning experimental psychologist and professor at the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. Her research explores the human mind, why and how we think and feel in certain ways, especially in a social context, and frameworks for better identifying and addressing implicit human biases. She is the co-creator of the implicit association test, which has been used over 40 million times. In this episode, we cover: How human beings think and the nature of subconscious human biases; Mahzarin’s book, Blindspot: hidden biases of good people, Project implicit, and her many other initiatives seeking to address implicit cognitive biases. We also discuss the impact of technology on psychology research and how social media may influence human biases. About and from Prof. Mahzarin Banaji: Website: http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~banajiWebsite: https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/mahzarin-r-banajiWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahzarin_Banaji Research: Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People: http://blindspot.fas.harvard.edu/Book  Project Implicit: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicitImplicit Association Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABSeKU2qJoIUnconscious Bias: https://news.aamc.org/video/interview-unconscious-bias-mahzarin-banajiMind Bugs | Mahzarin R. Banaji | TEDxBari : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFEaCFFsM2UEvaluations of Talent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWYflxJ5Lcw – evaluation of talent Assorted Links: Book Recommendations:Why Teach: In Defense of a Real Education https://www.amazon.com/Why-Teach-Defense-Real-Education/dp/162040107XThese Truths: A History of the United States: https://www.amazon.com/These-Truths-History-United-States/dp/0393635244 Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfmLuminary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminary-fm  Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Mahzarin Banaji on the human mind and subconscious biases appeared first on Luminary.fm.

Jonathan Aldrich is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and director of the software engineering Ph.D. program at Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Software Research. Jonathan’s research focuses on software scalability. His work aims to improve software quality and programmer productivity through an interdisciplinary approach to software design. He has received the National Science Foundation career award and the Dahl-Nygaard prize. In our conversation with Jonathan, we cover his journey into research and academia, the evolution of programming languages, characteristics of the ideal programming language, as well as ways to measure software quality. He calls for a multi-disciplinary approach to designing programming languages. Jonathan also shares his recent research in building programming languages for writing web, mobile and blockchain applications. About and from Prof. Jonathan Aldrich: Website: https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~aldrichInstitute for Software Research, faculty page: https://www.isri.cmu.edu/people/core-faculty/aldrich-jonathan.htmlScholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=AzHmOtcAAAAJ&hl=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/jaldrichcmu Research: Obsidian (domain-specific language for writing safer smart contracts on the blockchain and other platforms): http://obsidian-lang.comWyvern (general-purpose language focused on security, modularity, and language extensibility): http://wyvernlang.github.ioPenrose (language for visualizing mathematical objects): http://www.penrose.ink/Interdisciplinary Programming Language Design: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~aldrich/papers/onward2018-pldesign.pdfDesign Intent: a Principled Approach to Application Security: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~aldrich/papers/cylab2009-slides.pdfUsing Capability-Based Modules to Enforce Secure Resource Usage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYkAzbhVcpM Assorted links: Institute for Software Research: https://www.isri.cmu.edu/Book Recommendation: Why we make mistakes by Joseph T. Hallinan: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/73874/why-we-make-mistakes-by-joseph-t-hallinan/9780767928069/ Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfmLuminary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminary-fm Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Jonathan Aldrich on the design and evolution of programming languages appeared first on Luminary.fm.

Amy Lippert is a former assistant professor of urban and social history at the University of Chicago, with a particular focus on visual imagery, visual culture, and mass production. She is the author of Consuming Identities: Visual Culture in Nineteenth Century San Francisco. In this episode, we cover: the nature, importance, and history of visual images, how visual images have influenced and intersected with society and culture, and why 19th century San Francisco is a unique case study in visual imagery and culture. We also discuss why celebrities exist and how images create and narrate stories around celebrities. Just a heads-up, we had some issues while this recording this episode which impacted the audio quality towards the end. About and from Prof. Amy Lippert: Website: https://amylippert.com Assorted links: Consuming Identities: https://www.consumingidentities.com The Visual Pedagogy of Reform: White Slavery in America: https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/td2vN5uhdmNw77bbIzKT/fullEmerging Scholars Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jALc2EP8jL4History of printing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_printing WJT Mitchell: https://lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/wjtmitchell Michael Baxandall, period eye: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Period_eyeMartin Jay: https://history.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/emeritus/martin-e-jay Walter Benjamin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_BenjaminThe Work of Art in the Era of Mechanical Reproduction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Work_of_Art_in_the_Age_of_Mechanical_Reproduction Louis Daguerre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_DaguerreDaguerreotype: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DaguerreotypeCartomania: https://www.lincstothepast.com/exhibitions/tennyson/cartomania/Eadweard Muybridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eadweard_MuybridgeRepresentative Men: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representative_MenKeywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keywords:_A_Vocabulary_of_Culture_and_Society Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfmLuminary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminary-fm Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Amy Lippert on visual culture, images, and the celebrity phenomenon appeared first on Luminary.fm.

Manu Prakash is a physical biologist, inventor, and associate professor of BioEngineering at Stanford University. Manu was awarded the McArthur fellowship in 2016 and has received numerous other prestigious awards. His research is driven by curiosity, empathy for solving challenges in underserved communities, and a passion for democratizing access to science. In this episode, we cover: his philosophy around curiosity-driven science and the power of observation, trends in bioengineering, the water-droplet computer, and the (Anti) Gravity Machine, which answers questions about life in the ocean. We also discuss the idea behind frugal science and his Foldscope and Paperfuge inventions, and why democratizing access to science is a global imperative. Podcast Transcript About and from Prof. Manu Prakash: Website: https://profiles.stanford.edu/manu-prakashWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Prakash MacArthur Fellow: https://www.macfound.org/fellows/965Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrakashLabReading Recommendation: Exploring Curvature by James Comey (https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Curvature-James-Casey/dp/3528064757) Assorted links: Curiosity-Driven Science – http://web.stanford.edu/group/prakash-lab/cgi-bin/labsite Frugal Science: https://125.stanford.edu/frugal-science/Wildly frugal: http://web.stanford.edu/group/prakash-lab/cgi-bin/labsite/research/frugal-science-and-global-health/Philosophy of Frugal Science: https://www.hhmi.org/stories/qa-manu-prakash-philosophy-frugal-science Foldscope Instruments: www.foldscope.comTED Talk (A 50-cent microscope that folds like origami): https://www.ted.com/talks/manu_prakash_a_50_cent_microscope_that_folds_like_origami TED Talk (Lifesaving scientific tools made of paper) : https://www.ted.com/talks/manu_prakash_lifesaving_scientific_tools_made_of_paper Computing with Fluids: https://ee.stanford.edu/event/general/computing-fluidsTED Archive (Computing with fluids): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhroLzvW-JI“A question of taste”: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3814136  Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfmLuminary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminary-fm Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Manu Prakash on the power of observation, curiosity-driven science, and physical biology appeared first on Luminary.fm.

Kimberlé Crenshaw is an American civil rights advocate and legal scholar, well-known for her work around intersectionality and critical race theory. She is a Professor of Law at Columbia Law School and UCLA. Kimberlé is the director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia, which she founded in 2011. She is also co-founder of the African American Policy Forum. Her work has appeared in the Harvard Law Review, the National Black Law Journal, the Stanford Law Review, and many other leading publications. In our conversation with Kimberlé, we cover: the state of civil rights in America, biases in the interaction between civil rights and the law, critical race theory and its critiques, the framework of intersectionality, her work with the African-American policy forum, the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, and the role technology can play in the civil rights discourse. About and from Prof. Kimberlé Crenshaw: Columbia Law School: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/kimberle-crenshaw UCLA Law: https://law.ucla.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/kimberle-w-crenshawWikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberl%C3%A9_Williams_CrenshawTwitter: https://twitter.com/sandylocksBook Recommendations:Becoming, Michelle ObamaDown Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, Kate Manne Assorted links: African American Policy Forum: http://www.aapf.orgIntersectionality Matters Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/intersectionality-matters/id1441348908?mt=2 The urgency of intersectionality: https://www.ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality Mapping the Margins: https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mapping-margins.pdf Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=uclfCritical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement: https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Race-Theory-Writings-Movement/dp/1565842715/ref=asc_df_1565842715 On Intersectionality: Essential Writings: https://www.amazon.com/Intersectionality-Essential-Writings-Kimberl%C3%A9-Crenshaw/dp/1620972700 Luminary Podcast: Visit us: https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfmLuminary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminary-fm Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Kimberlé Crenshaw on the state of civil rights in America, intersectionality, and the critical race theory appeared first on Luminary.fm.

Gerta Keller is a professor of paleontology and geology in the geo sciences department at Princeton University with a wonderful personality. Gerta has over 240 scientific publications focused on major earth catastrophes and mass extinctions, including the biotic and environmental effects of meteorite impacts and volcanism. In our conversation with Gerta, we cover: her courageous journey – against all odds – in attaining a university degree, the mechanics of major earth catastrophes, the mystery surrounding the KT boundary and the dinosaur mass extinction, the impact theory and theory of deccan volcanism, and the deep trials and tribulations of advocating for a non-consensus theory in the scientific community. As a heads up, this episode contains some explicit language. About and from Prof. Gerta Keller: Website: https://massextinction.princeton.edu/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerta_KellerDeccan Volcanism: https://massextinction.princeton.edu/deccan-volcanism Assorted links: 2004 BBC documentary: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22682zThe Atlantic article on Prof. Keller and the impact theory controversy: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/09/dinosaur-extinction-debate/565769/Princeton alumni magazine article: https://paw.princeton.edu/article/dissenterGeoscientist online article: https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/kellerK-T Boundary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_boundary Iridium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IridiumZircon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZirconThe Trouble with Physics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trouble_with_Physics Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfmLuminary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminary-fm Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Gerta Keller, the forensic detective, on mass extinctions, dinosaurs, and geo sciences appeared first on Luminary.fm.

Chika Okeke-Agulu is an Igbo-Nigerian artist, art historian, art curator, and a blogger specializing in African and African Diaspora art history. He is the Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Art & Archaeology at Princeton University. In our conversation with Professor Okeke-Agulu, we cover his journey of creativity and adaptation to one’s surrounding while operating under constraints; his contributions in the rise to relevance of the African Diaspora Art’s; how his call to artists in the Black Lives Matter movement has led to artistic expression; and learn about the impact of technology on art education and art market.Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chika_Okeke-Agulu About and from Prof. Chika Okeke-Agulu: Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chika_Okeke-AguluBlog, Ọfọdunka: http://chikaokeke-agulu.blogspot.com Book, Post-Colonial Modernism: https://www.dukeupress.edu/postcolonial-modernismArticle, On Contemporary Art and Black Lives Matter: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/on-contemporary-art-and-the-black-lives-matter-movement_b_6992774.htmlNka Journal of Contemporary African Art: http://www.nkajournal.orgFollow Chika on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chikaokekeagulu Assorted links: Nsukka School: http://sunnewsonline.com/50-years-after-nsukka-arts-school-celebrates-culture-of-creativity-2Journal of Contemporary African Art: http://www.nkajournal.org1–54: http://1-54.comDocumenta: https://www.documenta.de/en/Structural adjustment programs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_adjustmentHaus Der Kunst: https://hausderkunst.de/en/ Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfm Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Chika Okeke-Agulu on the call for artistic expression and rise of African diaspora art appeared first on Luminary.fm.

Kevin Leyton-Brown is an award-winning computer scientist focusing on predominantly two streams of research: 1) algorithmic game theory and 2) empirical algorithms and machine learning. He is a professor of computer science at University of British Columbia and co-teaches two popular Coursera courses on game theory, which are approaching one million participants. In our conversation with Kevin, we cover why the intersection of economics and computer science is particularly fertile, the art and science of modeling human strategic interaction and incentives in multi-agent systems, his work with the Federal Communications Commission incentive auction, moral and ethical implications of artificial intelligence, using AI to do good, applying the kitten algorithm, and much more. About and from Prof. Kevin Leyton-Brown: Website: https://www.cs.ubc.ca/~kevinlb/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Leyton-BrownBooks http://www.masfoundations.org/http://www.gtessentials.org/ Coursera courses: https://www.coursera.org/instructor/kevinlbAAAI fellow: https://twitter.com/RealAAAI/status/947985533887684608Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_leyton_brown Assorted links: Franz Edelman award recipient: https://www.informs.org/Recognizing-Excellence/Award-Recipients/Federal-Communications-CommissionKudu: https://kudu.ug/about/Papers:Deep Learning for Predicting Human Strategic InteractionPredicting Human Behavior in Unrepeated, Simultaneous-Move GamesIncentives for Sharing in Peer-to-Peer NetworksTalks:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7WAt5KvgvUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4yvpOLd-5M https://video.seas.harvard.edu/media/CS+Colloquium+Kevin+Leyton-Brown+2018-06-04/1_k1d32qgw/13151421John Nash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forbes_Nash_Jr.Theory of Games and Economic Behavior: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Games_and_Economic_Behavior Luminary Podcast: Visit us:  https://www.luminary.fmFollow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminaryfm Music: Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 The post Kevin Leyton-Brown on the kitten algorithm, computer science, and economics appeared first on Luminary.fm.