#AcademicRunPlaylist - 12/9/24

Even though we had a bit of rain in the late afternoon I was still able to go on a good run while listening to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was an interesting conversation with Penelope Dean on the connection between industrial designers and business culture in the mid to late 20th century at the Hagley Museum and Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8Yb0t2ibg

Next was a thought-provoking talk by Melanie Cheung on decolonizing methodologies in AI, with a focus on indigenous communities, at the Institute for Science and Ethics (IWE) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhnOHqhn0qM

Next was an amazing talk by Shannon Vallor on what current AI is (a mirror), what it isn't (what its boosters say it is), and what it could be at The Alan Turing Institute. Vallor critically examines the current class of AI technologies and its capabilities, exposing it for what it truly is and the psychological tricks the sector plays to hype up its efficacy. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iX-wiKvYHs

Next was "The Ages of Globalization" by Jeffrey Sachs. This book broadly summarizes the characteristics of the different historical ages of globalization, charting some of their similarities as well as their representative innovations (technological, social, and political) https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-ages-of-globalization/9780231193740

Last was "Native American DNA" by Kim TallBear. This book is a tour de force, eviscerating the "objectivity" of genetic testing (and science more broadly) and situating that mindset as it approaches the application of DNA testing to Native American populations. The careful consideration of what being a tribal member means, how it's fundamentally unrelated to genetics except in extremely limited situations, and how researchers have systematically recreated eugenic, racist categorizations (often unintentionally) is impressive and devastating. Importantly, this examination applies to DNA testing approaches for non-Native Americans as well - it just is fundamentally unequipped to answer questions of individual ancestry.

For anyone interesting in the ethics and science of genetic testing this book is absolutely essential, but I would argue that anyone dealing with data analysis more broadly would benefit immensely from this book. Highly recommend https://www.upress.umn.edu/9780816665860/native-american-dna/