Best Josh Cowls Podcasts (2024)

1
skeptechs 6.2: DSA it ain't so 26:05

10M ago26:05

26:05

In this episode, Josh and Nayana discuss new rules and responsibilities for platforms in Europe’s Digital Services Act, explore a legal fight over a pair of popular Indian photoblogs, and react to updated social media guidelines for BBC presenters. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to b…

1
skeptechs 6.1: Xpensive business 30:53

10M ago30:53

30:53

Josh and Nayana are back for season 6 of skeptechs! And there’s lots to catch up on, including rumours that the platform-formally-known-as-Twitter will get a paywall, the latest fragmentation in platform governance, and whether the Hollywood writing and acting strike will limit the use of AI in filmmaking. Note: this episode involves discussion of …

1
skeptechs: This time it's personal 34:22

12M ago34:22

34:22

In a first for the show, in this episode Josh and Nayana discuss their own PhD research. First, Josh discusses his recently-completed PhD on the app store governance of fringe platform Parler, before Nayana explains her work on digital storytelling in India. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get a…

1
Behind the Mirror 1.4: Wrapping up season 6 26:04

1y ago26:04

26:04

In the final episode of the Behind the Mirror miniseries, Josh and Nayana cover the final two episodes of Black Mirror: Mazey Day and Demon 79. They also discuss reactions to the season as a whole and speculate what the future might hold for Black Mirror. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acce…

1
skeptechs 5.9: Rewiring the web, with Jon Nash and Charlie Smith 37:41

1y ago37:41

37:41

This episode, Josh and Nayana are joined by Jon Nash and Charlie Smith, authors of an insightful new report for Demos on the future of data sharing online. Jon and Charlie argue for a new device-based approach to data sharing that prioritises consent, privacy and interoperability. You can read Jon and Charlie’s report here: https://demos.co.uk/rese…

1
Behind the Mirror 1.3: Beyond the Sea 22:42

1y ago22:42

22:42

In the next episode of our Black Mirror miniseries, Josh and Nayana review the third episode of the new season, “Beyond the Sea”—which sees two astronauts face challenges back at home. Contains spoilers for this and earlier episodes of Black Mirror. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to …

1
Behind the Mirror 1.2: Loch Henry 19:23

1y ago19:23

19:23

In the second episode of the Behind the Mirror miniseries, Josh and Nayana discuss “Loch Henry”, which sees a pair of filmmakers investigate a serial killer in a Scottish town and try to generate some great content. Contains spoilers for the second episode of the new season of Black Mirror. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss thi…

1
Behind the Mirror 1.1: Joan is awful 18:44

1y ago18:44

18:44

In an exciting twist, we’re launching a new miniseries—Behind the Mirror—to recap each episode of the new season of dystopian tech sci-fi Black Mirror! In this first episode, Josh and Nayana break down Joan is Awful, which touches on pervasive surveillance, online shaming, and a barely disguised satire of Black Mirror’s real-life “engagement”-obses…

1
skeptechs 5.8: Apple in your eye, with Emmie Hine 29:42

1y ago29:42

29:42

This week, Josh and Nayana are joined by friend and University of Bologna PhD student Emmie Hine, who studies the ethics and human rights of extended reality. It’s a timely conversation given Apple’s unveiling of the Reality Pro headset, its first foray into the extended reality space. But if this is a new era of computing, what does it mean for so…

1
skeptechs 5.7: Succession send-off 30:59

1y ago30:59

30:59

In a special episode, Josh and Nayana discuss the series finale of Succession, a show which satirised old and new media through the lives of the super-wealthy and emotionally unhealthy. *Be warned: spoilers throughout.* This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skeptech…

1
skeptechs 5.6: Using data for public health, with Jess Morley 26:59

1y ago26:59

26:59

Josh and Nayana are joined by fellow OII PhD student Jess Morley to discuss Jess’s wide-ranging research in the field of digital health—including Covid-19 contact tracing apps, the use and misuse of health data, and why we shouldn’t expect AI-powered chatbots to replace doctors anytime soon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss th…

1
skeptechs 5.5: Blue ticked off 28:38

1y ago28:38

28:38

Josh and Nayana are back to cover the biggest stories in tech. This week: the decline of Twitter’s blue-tick system, new details about the EU’s Digital Services Act, and the demise of BuzzFeed News. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skeptechs.substack.com…

1
skeptechs 5.4: Applying data science for health, with Ben Goldacre and Nick De Vito 41:53

1+ y ago41:53

41:53

This week, Josh and Nayana are joined by Ben Goldacre and Nick De Vito from the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science at the University of Oxford. In a wide-ranging conversation, they explore how the Bennett Institute develops tools and platforms to enable safe, secure health analyses and promote open science. The Bennett Institute can be foun…

1
skeptechs 5.3: Digital democracy, with Prathm Juneja 30:33

1+ y ago30:33

30:33

This week, Josh and Nayana are joined by fellow OII PhD student Prathm Juneja to discuss the impact of digital technology on democracy. Prathm’s academic work spans voter registration and online voting, and the use of tech in campaigns and government, and builds on Prathm’s experience working on a presidential campaign. You can find Prathm on Twitt…

1
skeptechs 5.2: Chatting GPT 23:37

1+ y ago23:37

23:37

In this week’s episode, Josh and Nayana cover the lay-offs across big tech, Microsoft’s latest investment in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, and the removal of a critical documentary from the internet in India. To sign up for new episodes and access our archive, visit skeptechs.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with …

1
skeptechs 5.1: The platform economy and podcasting 33:43

1+ y ago33:43

33:43

To kick off Season 5 of skeptechs, we’re joined by Oguz Alyanak and Robbie Warin, who are participatory researchers from the Fairwork project, based at the Oxford Internet Institute. They tell Josh and Nayana about how ethnographic methods, podcasting, and visual materials can help to understand and amplify the interests and experiences of people w…

1
skeptechs Season 5 Preview: Is this thing on? 11:37

1+ y ago11:37

11:37

Josh and Nayana are back with a brief update on what to expect from the new season of skeptechs! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skeptechs.substack.comBy skeptechs

1
skeptechs 4.5: Twitter, Ticketmaster, and three years of skeptechs! 28:33

1+ y ago28:33

28:33

It's three years since skeptechs launched, during which time the world of tech—and the world at large—has changed beyond measure. Josh and Nayana mark the occasion by covering two of the biggest stories of the past week in tech, before tackling the topics and trends that have loomed largest over the past three years. This is a public episode. If yo…

1
skeptechs 4.4: mis&disinformation with special guests Felix Simon and Kirsten Eddy! 31:06

1+ y ago31:06

31:06

Josh and Nayana are back for another conversation with special guests. This time, they sit down with returning guest Felix Simon, doctoral researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, and Kirsten Eddy, postdoctoral researcher at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Together they cover questions about the study of mis- and disinformati…

1
skeptechs 4.3: Misinformation and Musk with Maggie McGrath 31:26

1+ y ago31:26

31:26

This week, Josh and Nayana are joined by fellow PhD student Maggie McGrath (@maggieselfie), to discuss Maggie's research, which looks at how algorithms perpetuate misinformation. There's also time to discuss the news that Elon Musk has finally bought Twitter, and what it might mean for the platform. This is a public episode. If you would like to di…

1
skeptechs 4.2: Parler games 28:46

1+ y ago28:46

28:46

Josh and Nayana are back to discuss the latest tech news, including the planned purchase of Parler by Ye, the adoption of workers' councils by TikTok employees, and the outage of the South Korean megaplatform Kakao. Plus, our reaction to the resignation of Liz Truss! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers…

1
skeptechs 4.1: We're back! With special guests Hannah Kirk and Paul Röttger 30:08

2y ago30:08

30:08

Josh and Nayana are back from a summer break with the latest tech news and research. This week, they sit down with Hannah Kirk (@hannahrosekirk) and Paul Röttger (@paul_rottger) to discuss their research, which asks how AI can be used to detect online hate speech. We've got many more episodes and conversations with more guests lined up for the comi…

1
Episode 5 - Anti-Vaxx History with Paula Larsson 1:10:48

2+ y ago1:10:48

1:10:48

Who knew that vaccine resistance is as old as vaccines?? Soon-to-be-Dr. Larsson did! In fact, she just wrote a whole dissertation on it! We are back from a long hiatus to talk about the history of vaccines and anti-vaccination movements with very special guest (and co-host, so let's face it, not actually that special) Paula Larsson. Listen on to le…

1
Episode 4 - All You Need Is Maths feat. Caoimhe Rooney & Jessica Williams (Mathematigals) 1:04:15

3+ y ago1:04:15

1:04:15

It's time to get mathematical, with two special guests from the world of applied mathematics! Dr Caoimhe Rooney is a research fellow at NASA Ames Research Centre who uses maths to study exoplanets with the goal of understanding how they formed, what they're made of and ultimately if they could harbor life. Dr Jessica Williams is a postdoctoral rese…

1
Episode 3 - Zachary Cox, Master of Disaster 1:07:13

3+ y ago1:07:13

1:07:13

Okay, you can't really be 'master' of disaster - in fact, you are more likely to find that disasters always come out on top in a head-to-head, but Zachary Cox argues that's not the case. Talk to the small business owners and innovators who have found ways to adapt to their quickly changing circumstances and you will find the true masters of disaste…

1
Episode 2 - Rachel Wheatley vs The Resistance 53:02

3+ y ago53:02

53:02

Dr Rachel Wheatley spends her days fighting against the resistance - antibiotic resistance, that is. Antibiotic use is widespread today, with people often demanding antibiotics from doctors even when they don't have bacterial infections. Intensive farmers routinely dose animals with antibiotics as a preventative measure...but unfortunately the bact…

1
Episode 1 - Josh Cowls Saves the Internet 1:03:03

3+ y ago1:03:03

1:03:03

This week we’ll be talking to Josh Cowls, a doctoral student at the Oxford Internet Institute. His PhD revolves around Facebook even more than ours did, because he studies the links between the internet giant, artificial intelligence and ethics – in particular the ways that algorithms interact with online hate speech. It’s a fun and wide-ranging co…

1
Episode 0 - Paula & Josh Chat about Research 21:49

3+ y ago21:49

21:49

Join Oxford researchers Paula Larsson and Joshua Bull for an overview of what this podcast is about. Research, cocktails, the rocky nature of relevance, and our upcoming plan for the podcast!By Paula Larsson and Joshua Bull

1
A chat with Michael Son and Tom Akel 30:53

5+ y ago30:53

30:53

Reporter Anthony Noto got the chance to sit down with digital comics innovators Michael Son, Senior Editor in Chief of Tapas (left) and Tom Akel, Head of Content for Webtoons (right). They discuss the future of the medium and why it's important for emerging talents.By Tony, Josh, Lance, Mike & Ryan

1
Coffee & Cowls - Wonder Woman/Captain America 35:47

7y ago35:47

35:47

Did 'Wonder Woman', DCEU's best film thus far, rip scenes from 'Captain America: The First Avenger'? The Alternate Realms team got together over a cup of joe to discuss. (Art credit: Courtesy of Flickr by JD Hancock)By Tony, Josh, Lance, Mike & Ryan

1
Doctor Strange Movie Review (Non Spoilers + Spoilers!) 1:29:00

7+ y ago1:29:00

1:29:00

A 90 minute special! The Alternate Realms team takes a close look at the new hit film 'Doctor Strange' as well as the amazing stories that inspired it. Join us as we geek out on what the sequels could bring, what's next for the MCU and which character Donald Trump should play if he was ever cast in a Marvel film!…

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