Eileen Hunt on Mary Shelley's "The Last Man"

Virtual Sentiments

39:50

The truth is out West! We’re hopping on the ET Highway and venturing to the most notorious alien hot spots, including Roswell’s infamous crash site, Area 51’s eerie perimeter, and a mysterious desert watchtower. Join us as journalist Laura Krantz, host of the podcast Wild Thing , beams up to share stories from the front lines of UFO reporting—from strange sightings and quirky festivals to a mailbox where people leave letters to extraterrestrials. Maybe you’ll even decide for yourself: Is Earth a tourist stop for spaceships? UFO hot spots you’ll encounter in this episode: - UFO Watchtower (near Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado) - Roswell, New Mexico - Area 51, Nevada - Extraterrestrial Highway (aka State Route 375), Nevada - Little A’Le’Inn, ET Highway, Nevada - E.T. Fresh Jerky, ET Highway, Nevada - Alien Research Center, ET Highway, Nevada - The Black Mailbox, ET Highway, Nevada Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group .…

about a year ago 1:18:54

MP3•Episode home

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Eileen Hunt on her latest book, The First Last Man: Mary Shelley and the Postapocalyptic Imagination (2024), which focuses primarily on Mary Shelley's 1826 novel, The Last Man, the first major modern pandemic novel. Hunt explains the tragic life events that motivated Mary Shelley's darker themes*, how the novel relates to our Covid-19 experience, and more.

*This episode features conversation on topics including suicide, suicidal ideation, and death.

Eileen Hunt is a Professor of Political Science and a political theorist whose scholarly interests cover modern political thought, feminism, the family, rights, ethics of technology, and philosophy and literature. She has published five solo-authored books, including her recent trilogy on Mary Shelley and political philosophy for Penn Press.

Eileen Hunt on Mary Shelley's "The Last Man"

Virtual Sentiments

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

*This episode features conversation on topics including suicide, suicidal ideation, and death.

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Alice Siu on Deliberative Polling and the Future of Democratic Dialogue 1:22:09

3 days ago1:22:09

1:22:09

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Alice Siu on how deliberative polling fosters informed, respectful public dialogue. They discuss the method’s use in both in-person and on AI-assisted virtual forums, its role in shaping policy, and its potential to reduce polarization. Alice highlights the importance of teaching deliberative skills in schools and how real-time, structured conversations can strengthen democracy. Dr. Alice Siu is an Associate Director at Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab and a senior research fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Read more work from Kristen Collins . Show Notes: Alice’s book chapter, “ Reimagining Democracy: The Role of Technology and Deliberation ” Alice’s paper for the American Political Science Review, “ Is Deliberation an Antidote to Extreme Partisan Polarization? Reflections on ‘America in One Room’ ” Results of Alice’s work with Meta, April 2024 , April 2025 , “ Results of First Global Deliberative Poll® Announced by Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Lab ” New York Times article, “ She Is in Love With ChatGPT ” S1E4, Jennifer Forestal on Designing Democratic Digital Spaces S3E1, Kris Rose on Deliberative Democracy and Meta's Community Forums If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
Hannah Gais on the Far-Right Rallies and Social Media Presence 1:20:34

4 weeks ago1:20:34

1:20:34

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Hannah Gais on the far-right rallies and social media presence on platforms like Telegram and X. Hannah explores the events of the Unite the Right rally, the storming of the capital on January 6th, the far-right in the wake of the first and second Trump presidencies, and the dangers of expanding domestic terrorism laws. **This episode was recorded in December 2024. Hannah Gais is a journalist and researcher focused on the radical right at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Read more work from Kristen Collins . Show Notes: Hannah's work with Cassie Miller, " Capitol Insurrection Shows How Trends On The Far-Right’s Fringe Have Become Mainstream " Hannah’s 2021 New Republic article, " A New 'War on Terrorism' Is the Wrong Way to Fight Domestic Extremists " Brennan Center report co-authored by Mike German, " Fighting Far-Right Violence and Hate Crimes " Hannah’s work drawing connections between more extreme figures and more mainstream figures like Tucker Carlson, " In Rural Pennsylvania, Extremists Declare ‘Victory is Ours’ " and " For CPAC Attendees, ‘America Is Under Attack’ " Hannah's article, " welcome to america " On Terrorgram indictments, " That's three strikes, run for your life " If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

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Eileen Hunt on Mary Shelley's "The Last Man" 1:18:54

8 weeks ago1:18:54

1:18:54

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Eileen Hunt on her latest book, The First Last Man: Mary Shelley and the Postapocalyptic Imagination (2024), which focuses primarily on Mary Shelley's 1826 novel, The Last Man , the first major modern pandemic novel. Hunt explains the tragic life events that motivated Mary Shelley's darker themes*, how the novel relates to our Covid-19 experience, and more. *This episode features conversation on topics including suicide, suicidal ideation, and death. Eileen Hunt is a Professor of Political Science and a political theorist whose scholarly interests cover modern political thought, feminism, the family, rights, ethics of technology, and philosophy and literature. She has published five solo-authored books, including her recent trilogy on Mary Shelley and political philosophy for Penn Press. Read more work from Kristen Collins . Show Notes: 60 Words Podcast with Congresswoman Barbara Lee Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Speech on 9/14/01 Max Weber's " Politics as a Vocation " Max Weber's The Vocation Lectures If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
Roos Slegers on the Uncanny Valley, Freud, and Cyborg Science Fiction 1:31:59

12 weeks ago1:31:59

1:31:59

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Roos Slegers on the uncanny valley, Freud, and cyborg science fiction. They explore the uncanny valley and Freud’s concept of the uncanny , connecting them to ETA Hoffmann’s “The Sandman”, Donna Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto”, and contemporary AI debates. While Mori’s uncanny valley describes discomfort with almost-human robots, Freud links the uncanny to repressed fears, particularly around gender and sexuality. Roos critiques Freud’s reading of “The Sandman”, highlighting its deeper commentary on romantic ideals and the preference for submissive, artificial women—paralleling modern AI assistants like those in the American sci-fi film, Her . Haraway’s cyborg offers an alternative, challenging rigid binaries and embracing technology’s potential for transgression and liberation. They critique how today’s AI and transhumanist movements reinforce traditional hierarchies rather than dismantling them, urging a more critical and playful engagement with technology’s role in shaping human identity. Dr. Roos Slegers is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Read more work from Kristen Collins . Notes: Masahiro Mori, 1970, “ The Uncanny Valley " Sigmund Freud, 1919, “ The Uncanny " Donna Haraway, 1985, “ Cyborg Manifesto ” ETA Hoffman, 1817, “ The Sandman ” Meghan O’Gieblyn, God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning , 2021 If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
Kris Rose on Deliberative Democracy and Meta's Community Forums 1:12:33

16 weeks ago1:12:33

1:12:33

Season 3 is here! On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins interview Kris Rose on deliberative democracy and Meta's community forums. Kris discusses Meta’s efforts to incorporate public input into decision-making through the Oversight Board and Community Forums . The Oversight Board, an independent body with binding authority over content moderation decisions, provides external accountability, while Community Forums proactively engage users on emerging technologies and policies. In particular, they focus on Meta’s Generative AI Community Forum , held in the US, Germany, Spain, and Brazil, which aimed to gather diverse perspectives on the principles that should guide AI development and use. Kristen also raises several concerns including selection biases, lacking transparency, and the potential influence of political pressures on corporate decision-making. **This conversation was recorded in August 2024 Kris Rose is a Governance Director at Meta, where he works across the company to drive thought on emerging trends at the intersection of technology, society, and governance. He also leads the team's community governance work, including community forums and other pilots focused on empowering user voice in the company's decision making. Prior to this role, Kris helped launch the company’s Oversight Board, served as a geopolitical analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency for a decade—to include a secondment as the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) briefer to then US Vice President Mike Pence—and most recently served as a Senior Advisor at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) during the Biden administration. Kris holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University and is a Term Member with the Council on Foreign Relations. Read more work from Kristen Collins . Notes: Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab’s Deliberative Polling Methodology Meta’s 2023 Community Forum on Generative AI, conducted in collaboration with Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab and the Behavioral Insights Team Meta’s January 7, 2025 Policy Announcement Meta’s Transparency Reports If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
Lida Maxwell on Whistleblowers, Queer Love, and Truth-Telling 1:18:29

1 year ago1:18:29

1:18:29

A special thanks to our listeners for joining us, and please enjoy the final episode of Season 2. We hope to see you again soon! On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins interviews Lida Maxwell on whistleblowers, queer love, and outsider truth-telling. Lida uses Chelsea Manning, a representative outside truth-teller, as a case study to understand the interplay between personal identity and political activism, exploring the nuanced differences between public engagement and privacy. Lida also discusses her upcoming work on environmental and queer political theory that focuses on Rachel Carson’s public advocacy, influenced by her private relationships, and emphasizes the role that personal experiences and identities have in shaping public truths and political actions. Professor Lida Maxwell is a political theorist and a Professor of Political Science and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at Boston University. She is the author of Public Trials: Burke, Zola, Arendt, and the Politics of Lost Causes (Oxford University Press, 2014) and Insurgent Truth: Chelsea Manning and the Politics of Outsider Truth-Telling (Oxford University Press, 2019). She is currently working in environmental and queer political theory and is in the process of publishing her next book, Rachel Carson and the Power of Queer Love (Stanford University Press, forthcoming). Check out Lida's work, " Another Silent Spring? " and " Whistleblower, Traitor, Soldier, Queer?: The Truth of Chelsea Manning " Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
Samantha Cole on How Sex Changed the Internet 1:12:22

1 year ago1:12:22

1:12:22

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins interviews Samantha Cole on her book, How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex . Their conversation features discussion on the origins of deepfake technology, nonconsensual pornography, the rights of sex workers, concerns regarding sexual content bans, the importance of sex and intimacy in online interactions, and more. Samantha Cole is a technology journalist and co-founder of 404 Media , a worker-owned tech publication. She is the author of How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
John Kaufhold on the History of Image Recognition and Deep Learning 1:27:04

1 year ago1:27:04

1:27:04

On today's episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins interviews John Kaufhold on the history of image recognition and deep learning. With over 30 years of experience in the artificial intelligence and machine learning world, John shares his history starting from his early days in speech recognition in the 90s. He covers the ImageNet Big Bang in 2012, the dramatic improvement of image recognition error rates and hardware power, neural networks, the development of chatbots, terminology, and discusses challenges such as data privacy, bias reproduction, existential risk, transparency in data sets, and more! Dr. John Kaufhold is an expert with over 30 years of experience in artificial intelligence and deep learning. He is the founder of Deep Learning Analytics, a machine learning company, and serves on the Advisory Board of the DC Data Community. References and related works to this episode: " Munk Debate on Artificial Intelligence | Bengio & Tegmark vs. Mitchell & LeCun " and Data Science DC's " How Attention in 2017 got us Chat GPT. " Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
Salomé Viljoen on Relational Data, Governance, and Privacy 1:23:46

1 year ago1:23:46

1:23:46

On today's episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins interviews Salomé Viljoen on relational data, governance, and privacy. Salomé shares insights into some of the key positions and debates about legal reforms relating to digital privacy and data governance, particularly the relational nature of digital data. In this conversation, Salomé balances serious concern for the harms presented by the status quo and the dangers of surveillance with a true desire to also appreciate and improve the benefits that we in our communities can derive from digital data. Salomé Viljoen is an assistant professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School, where she teaches and writes about contracts, privacy, commercial surveillance and data governance. Her work includes " A Relational Theory of Data Governance ," " Data Relations ," " Design choices: Mechanism design and platform capitalism ," and " Valuing Social Data ." References and related works to this episode: Janet Vertesi's " My Experiment Opting Out of Big Data Made Me Look Like a Criminal " Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
Eric Schliesser on Playing and the Das Adam Smith Problem 1:58:02

1 year ago1:58:02

1:58:02

Kristen Collins interviews Eric Schliesser on playing, liberty, and the Das Adam Smith Problem. In their conversation, they discuss the "Das Adam Smith Problem" which addresses the perceived inconsistency between Smith's works, "Wealth of Nations" and "The Theory of Moral Sentiments," as well as other topics including Smith's critique of Stoicism, how Smith's ideas still apply today in the modern era of AI technology, the invisible hand and its reinterpretation, and the division of labor and the side affects of social alienation. They converse on the role of childhood play and innovation on liberalism and building a sense of togetherness in society, and more! Eric Schliesser is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam. He is the author of Adam Smith: Systematic Philsopher and Public Thinker (Oxford University Press, 2017), and he received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Chicago. Eric runs a substack called " Digressions Impressions. " Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
James Goodrich on Data Monopolies and the Neo-Brandeis Movement 1:35:45

1 year ago1:35:45

1:35:45

Kristen Collin interviews James Goodrich on data monopolies and the neo-Brandeis movement. They begin their conversation by addressing the political nature of algorithmic bias and how we define data property rights. They discuss how certain firms have a sort of monopoly power over behavioral data gathering and converse on consumer welfare and market morality, the neo-Brandeis antitrust movement, the Sherman Act, the right to exclude, data as being nonrivalrous, concerns for privacy, cautions regarding the use of unvetted AI, and more! James Goodrich is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a member of UW-Madison's interdisciplinary cluster in the ethics of computing, data, and information. He works primarily in normative ethics and the interdisciplinary field of philosophy, politics, and economics. He is an alum of the Mercatus Adam Smith Fellowship. Read more work from Kristen Collins . References and related works to this episode: Sanjukta Paul's " Recovering the Moral Economy Foundations of the Sherman Act ," Linda Khan's " Amazon's Antitrust Paradox ," Robert Bork's The Antitrust Paradox: A Policy at War with Itself , and “ The Fallacy of AI Functionality ” by Inioluwa Deborah Raji, I. Elizabeth Kumar, Aaron Horowitx, and Andrew D. Selbst. If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

1
Boris Litvin on Spectatorship, Memes, and Rousseau 1:03:57

2 years ago1:03:57

1:03:57

On this episode, Kristen Collins interviews Boris Litvin on spectatorship, memes, and Rousseau. Kristen and Boris delve into the relevance of Rousseau's insights on politics and the public stage, relating them to today's social media-driven democracy. They explore the concept of "audience democracy" coined by Bernard Manin, which distinguishes between those in power and the spectators of politics. They discuss the complexities of spectatorship, its passive nature, surveillance, and the role of social media in shaping political discourse and authenticity. They also examine how video technology, like body cams and bystander videos, impacts power dynamics and public scrutiny, highlighting the need for active participation alongside spectatorship for meaningful democratic change. Boris Litvin is a Visiting Instructor, Ancient Studies and General Education at Eckerd College. His research interests include intellectual history, democracy, spectatorship, political representation, authority, rhetoric, media, and textual interpretation. Read more work from Kristen Collins . References and related works to this episode: Bernard Manin's The Principles of Representative Government , Jeffrey Edward Green's Eyes of the People" Democracy in the Age of Spectatorship , Nadia Urbinati's Democracy Disfigured: Opinion, Truth, and the People and Me the People: How Populism Transforms Democracy , Boris Litvin's " 'This Hearing Should Be Flipped': Democractic Spectatorship, Social Media, and the Problem of Demagogic Candor " and " Staging Emile ". If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

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Christopher Coyne on the History of Surveillance Capitalism 1:30:46

2 years ago1:30:46

1:30:46

Season 2 is here! On this episode, host Kristen Collins chats with Christopher Coyne on the history of surveillance state from the early 20th century to now and surveillance capitalism, where user data is sold or used for advertisement targeting. They also discuss foreign intervention, the interdisciplinary work on surveillance, his work on Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of U.S. Militarism , and more. Christopher J. Coyne is associate director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and F. A. Harper Professor of Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and a Professor of Economics at George Mason University. Read more work from Kristen Collins . Works mentioned include: Mary Dudziak's War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences , Eric A. Posner and Adrian Vermeule's Terror in the Balance: Security, Liberty, and the Courts , Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power , and Kenneth Boulding's The Image: Knowledge in Life and Society. If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

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Eileen Hunt on Mary Shelley and the Ethics of AI 58:24

2 years ago58:24

58:24

On the last episode of Season 1 of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen Collins interviews Eileen Hunt, a Professor and Political Theorist at the University of Notre Dame, on Mary Shelley and the Ethics of AI. Hunt begins by providing historical context of Mary Shelley regarding her parents and Shelley as a child of the Enlightenment. Hunt explains the interdisciplinary nature of Mary Shelley’s work, rooted in a Grecian philosophical past and concerned with future-oriented questions about the rights of human beings, tying in Mary Shelley’s famous Gothic novel, Frankenstein , to modern considerations of the ethics and rights of artificial life. She encourages us to think of ourselves as artificial, technological creatures and to contemplate the rights of all artificial creatures, including humans and other forms of artificial intelligence. Additionally, Hunt discusses issues of genetic engineering, humanity as a built environment, Jeremy Bentham and reproductive justice. Read more about Eileen Hunt . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

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Lucia Rafanelli on Global Justice and Biased Technology 53:15

2 years ago53:15

53:15

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen Collins interviews Lucia Rafanelli on global justice and biased technology. Rafanelli is an Assistant Professor of Political Science & International Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. Rafanelli begins by describing “reform intervention,” how it encompasses any attempt to promote justice in another society, and “counter-hegemonic intervention.” She discusses the role of technology in international intervention and suggests that technology is not value neutral. Rafanelli explains how the method of using data reflects certain value systems and emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the human biases embedded in technologies. Read more about Lucia Rafanelli . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

Virtual Sentiments

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Theodore Lechterman on Automating the Democratic Process 49:12

2 years ago49:12

49:12

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen Collins interviews Theodore Lechterman, an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at IE University, on automating the democratic process. Lechterman begins by discussing his book on philanthropy, The Tyranny of Generosity: Why Philanthropy Corrupts Our Politics and How We Can Fix It, and its intersection with the ethics and politics of artificial intelligence. Lechterman defines "democracy" and considers what it means to have equality within an institution. He examines the tradeoffs of political automation, detailing what happens when we delegate democratic power to AI. Lechterman weighs the benefits and costs of democractic AI, explaining how AI can help people to educate themselves in their political knowledge and judgment, facilitate the public's participation, and harness AI's processing power to provide more political opinions. Additionally, Lechterman acknowledges political theories in favor of complete automation of the political process and how they fail to solve our political concerns. Read more about Lechterman's work . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

Virtual Sentiments

1
Leilani Gilpin on Self-Explaining Machines and Autonomous Cars 46:50

2 years ago46:50

46:50

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen Collins interviews Leilani Gilpin, an Assistant Professor at the University of California Santa Cruz, on self-explaining machines and autonomous cars. Gilpin begins by highlighting the limits of artificial intelligence, detailing how machine learning struggles with interpreting details with reference to a broader context. She points out that machines make decisions based on rules but struggle to make exceptions to those rules. Gilpin suggests that since humans learn through self-explanation and dialogical reflection, automonous cars could use these same methods to improve their decision making. Additionally, Gilpin emphasizes the possible role of community input in deciding machine rules. Read more work from Leilani Gilpin . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please leave a 5-star review for us on Apple Podcasts and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

Virtual Sentiments

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Hans Noel on Our Current Age of Increased Polarization 43:37

2 years ago43:37

43:37

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen Collins interviews Hans Noel, an Associate Professor in the Government Department at Georgetown University, on the increasingly polarized nature of politics in the current age. Noel begins by examining the nature of polarization and the many ways in which it manifests itself. He then points to changes in polarization since the 20th century and, while noting the effects of social media, offers a multicausal explanation for its increase, particularly among those who are most politically engaged. Additionally, Collins and Noel tackle the issue of affective polarization, which leads to stronger emotions and disliking of those with different political opinions from our own. To learn more about the topics discussed in today's conversation, consider reading one of Hans Noel's books on Amazon . Read more work from Hans Noel . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please leave a 5-star review for us on Apple Podcasts and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

Virtual Sentiments

1
Jennifer Forestal on Designing Democratic Digital Spaces 50:20

2 years ago50:20

50:20

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen interviews Jennifer Forestal, the Helen Houlahan Rigali Assistant Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago, on the role that digital spaces play in a democratic environment. They discuss the ways in which the design of digital spaces can incentivize or discourage certain types of speech, and how digital boundaries play a key role in shaping these incentives. Forestal also draws on the history of political thought to show how thinkers such as Alexis de Tocqueville dealt with similar types of questions relevant to digital technology before its emergence. Additionally, Collins and Forestal tackle Tocqueville's diagnosis of isolation in a democracy, and how his insights remain relevant in a digital age. Later in the episode, Forestal shares her experience in working on her book and offers encouragement to those who are in the midst of graduate school or working on projects of their own. To learn more about the topics discussed in today's conversation, consider reading Jennifer Forestal's book: Designing for Democracy: How to Build Community in Digital Environments . Read more work from Jennifer Forestal. Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please leave a 5-star review for us on Apple Podcasts and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

Virtual Sentiments

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Emerson T. Brooking on Social Media & Disinformation 48:57

2 years ago48:57

48:57

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen interviews Emerson T. Brooking, a resident senior fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council, on the presence of disinformation in social media. Brooking gives his definition of disinformation and highlights particular aspects of social media that frequently interact with the rapid expansion of disinformation. The two also discuss the incentives behind disinformation and how the expansion of one's audience can play into the propagation of disinformation. Brooking goes on to share his views on why disinformation is not a problem to be solved but rather a feature of communications technology to be considered when making decisions. Additionally, Brooking shares how his upbringing in rural Georgia shaped his views of communications technology and gave him insight into the role of local journalism in fostering trust among individuals. To learn more about the topics discussed in today's conversation, consider reading Emerson Brooking's book: LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media . Read more work from Emerson Brooking . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please leave a 5-star review for us on Apple Podcasts and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

Virtual Sentiments

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Martin Gurri on the Relationship Between Politics & Global Media 43:23

2 years ago43:23

43:23

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen interviews Martin Gurri, a visiting research fellow at the Mercatus Center, on the relationship between politics and media. Martin explains his concept of how communications technology evolves in great leaps, instead of incremental steps, and identifies what he considers to be the five great epochs in the evolution of communications technology. Additionally, Martin provides a historical take on the ways in which these changes have influenced the course of history. In their conversation, Martin also explains how information is sifted by people, including the differences between how written information is processed as opposed to visual information. Martin and Kristen discuss the ways in which these differences are often exploited, as well as the need for people to learn how to process visual information in a healthy manner. To learn more about the topics discussed in today's conversation, consider reading Martin Gurri's book: The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millenium. Read more work from Martin Gurri . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please leave a 5-star review for us on Apple Podcasts and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

Virtual Sentiments

1
Weifeng Zhong on Machine Learning and the Policy Change Index 42:38

2 years ago42:38

42:38

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen interviews Weifeng Zhong of the Mercatus Center on his work with the Policy Change Index (PCI), a series of open-source machine learning projects that predict authoritarian regimes’ major policy moves by “reading” their propaganda publications. Weifeng explains how his shocking revelation about the Tianneman Square massacre inspired him to create the PCI and details the ways in which it has evolved over the years, particularly as a means of "watching the watchers." Additionally, he gives a brief overview of China's recent policy changes, specifically concerning when its liberalization began to reverse course. Later, Kristen and Weifeng discuss the problems associated with machine learning algorithms, including whether bias is an automatic part of any machine learning process, and talk about what can be done to mitigate the current problems associated with machine learning. Learn more about the Policy Change Index here . Read more work from Weifeng Zhong . Read more work from Kristen Collins . If you like the show, please leave a 5-star review for us on Apple Podcasts and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get your podcasts. Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram Learn more about Academic & Student Programs Follow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus…

Virtual Sentiments

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Virtual Sentiments Season 1 Trailer 2:19

2 years ago2:19