Academic Playlist EXTRA Edition

I had a nice flight over to SF, and you know what that means - LOTS of talks on the flight for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was an intriguing talk by Aaron Dollar on mechanical intelligence for robots at MIT. The idea here, to create limbs that by nature of their design automatically react to the environment to reduce the need for complex modeling, seems like a compelling direction for robotics

Next was a nice panel at UNSW on AI and the legal profession with Michael Legg , Lisa Kozaris , and Evan Wong . This is a good look at how new technology will nudge existing workflows

Next was a wide-ranging talk by Shannon Mattern on how technology can reduce useful forms of doubt or create doubt where none exists at King's College London . Touching on politics, climate change science, and more, Mattern looks expansively at how new technological systems can displace societal structures

Next was an interesting talk by Kai Li on measuring corporate culture through earnings call transcript analyses at the Indiana University - Kelley School of Business . While I'm not sure I would define culture was what execs talk about on earnings calls, I like this approach for understanding the effect of corporate messaging

Next was an engaging talk by Aida Ghalebeigi on gender and employment in the Australian transport sector at RMIT University . The results here are impressive, suggesting that the regulations put in place to achieve gender parity (which have some real teeth) are paying off

Next was a good talk by Alessandro Bozzon on designing algorithmic systems with human control at Delft University of Technology . Not only was the talk and discussion interesting, but there's a shoutout to Jeffrey P. Bigham !

Next was a fabulous talk by Frank Pasquale on how AI is changing the practice of medicine at the University of Sydney . The talk and following discussion are a great look into the benefits and risks of integrating algorithms into medicine, and serve as a good case study for other professions. Highly recommend

Next was an excellent tour of stereotyping, and implicit bias towards underrepresented groups in STEM fields by Denise Sekaquaptewa at the University of Michigan . Sekaqueptewa hits all the major notes in the area - if you weren't familiar with the research here, this is a great place to start.

Next was an informative panel on regulating digital markets at UNSW with Katharine Kemp , Philip Marsden , and Jacqueline Downes . I particularly liked Marsden's take on the issues with GDPR and the problems the might appear as the DSA comes into force

Next was an interesting talk by Shendong Zhao on heads up displays at the University of Sydney. I like the idea of making human-computer interaction more natural, and while I'm not sure this approach is the best one there are some nice ideas here

Next was an amazing talk by Raj Chetty on social capital and economic mobility at Princeton Economics . Even if you've read Chetty's paper on this important work, the talk is worth your time. Chetty clearly explains the data (now available for download!), theory, and results that prove just how important social connections are for economic success. Highly recommend

Last was a fascinating talk by Kevin Buzzard on how AI is changing theoretical mathematics at The University of Manchester . While I'm normally not one for talks about pure math, I'm glad I listened to this one - it's an incredible view into how computers have been used for mathematical theory throughout the decades and how recent developments have turbo charged the field. Highly recommend