This Anthro Life

Contemporary AI systems are typically created by many different people, each working on separate parts or “modules.” This can make it difficult to determine who is responsible for considering the ethical implications of an AI system as a whole — a problem compounded by the fact that many AI engineers already don’t consider it their job to ensure the AI systems they work on are ethical.In their latest paper, “Dislocated Accountabilities in the AI Supply Chain: Modularity and Developers’ Notions of Responsibility,” technology ethics researcher David Gray Widder and research scientist Dawn Nafus attempt to better understand the multifaceted challenges of responsible AI development and implementation, exploring how responsible AI labor is currently divided and how it could be improved.In this episode, David and Dawn join This Anthro Life host Adam Gamwell to talk about the AI “supply chain,” modularity in software development as both ideology and technical practice, how we might reimagine responsible AI, and more

Just a little trailer for 2023 new listeners to This Anthro Life!Learn more about the podcast here: thisanthrolife.orgThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5168968/advertisement

People with disabilities often face accessibility issues in physical environments, such as a lack of ramps, narrow doorways, and inaccessible transportation. Every barrier is a reminder that designs are choices, ones made without people with disabilities at the decision-making table.But solving these problems requires more than physical adjustments. It necessitates understanding the experiences of people with disabilities and involving them in the creation of purposefully designed spaces, policies, and more. In this episode, renowned disability rights advocate and Associate Professor at Stony Brook University Brooke Ellison explores the complex and often misunderstood world of disabilities with This Anthro Life host Adam Gamwell. Drawing from her latest memoir “Look Both Ways,” Brooke also shares her journey as an activist and the importance of inclusivity and accessibility.Brooke Ellison, a brilliant author and inspiring speaker, has dedicated her life to advocating for disability rights and raising awarenes

In this episode, Angela Saini, award-winning science journalist and author of “The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule,” traces the material and social roots of patriarchy with host Adam Gamwell. The duo explores how anthropology can help us better understand the patriarchy and patriarchical power by contextualizing and breaking down big ideas. Anthropology enables us to examine broad, complex topics through specific cultural and historical lenses. It also helps us dissect grand narrative ideas to reveal their historical trajectories. But perhaps most importantly, anthropology reminds us that we need to think about big ideas contextually, especially emotionally and politically charged ideas like the patriarchy. They dive into the definition of patriarchy and its ties to social structures, social privileges, and oppression. The conversation also touches on how different cultures interpret and shape the deployment and maintenance of gender and power to reflect their unique social norms. Saini emphasizes the import

When we think of robots, we tend to think of things like R2-D2, the Terminator skeleton, or a piece of machinery that automates the construction of goods in an assembly line. But that’s not all there is to robots — something anthropologist and roboticist entrepreneur Lora Koycheva understands perfectly well. In this episode, Lora shares her unique perspective on the intersection of anthropology and cyber-physical systems with host Adam Gamwell. She also discusses how anthropology can shed light on what robots afford human bodies, why the physical side of robots is just as important as their operating systems, and how robots can potentially reshape the human condition.Episode Highlights:[03:03] How Lora brought together entrepreneurship, innovation, anthropology, and robotics[08:24] On-demand infrastructure and how it empowers robotics in the urban realm[11:59] How we can get comfortable with the physical side of robotics[18:28] How Lora came up with the idea of rebuilding the human condition in a world of rob

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us individually and as a global cohort to reassess how and why we live the ways that we do and what really matters to us. Through the pandemic, we may have also felt moments of awe at the natural world and questioned our place in it. In moments like these, we’re afforded glimpses into how we choose to operate in the world and understand our place in relation to everything else. Rituals play a key role in helping us make sense of the world around us, yet we often forget that they’re even there. Today’s guest, Sasha Sagan, picks up on this thread through her writing and podcast work.Daughter of “Cosmos” co-writer Ann Druyan and astronomer Carl Sagan, Sasha talks with host Adam Gamwell about the power of ritual for making meaning across life, death, nature, and more. She also shares how she learned to ask questions, the value of finding awe in the most mundane of rituals, and how turning our attention anew to the natural world can help us add wonder back into our lives.Show H

How to Build a More Resilient WorldThe COVID-19 pandemic leveled the playing field between those who have the privilege to avoid or mitigate disasters and those who don’t. But the pandemic is just one of many ongoing challenges and crises that people are and have been facing for years. In addition to raising awareness, much of the work that we have as people and organizations is in how we respond in moments of crisis. How do we know what works? How can we respond effectively? And will one type of aid be culturally appropriate if moved to another area? To help us answer these questions, we’re joined today by Britt Titus. Britt is the Behavioural Insights Lead at the Airbel Impact Lab, the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) research and innovation team which designs, tests, and scales solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. Drawing from her decade-long experience in the humanitarian space, Britt talks about 1) how regional disaster response can be applied to global emergencies, 2) how the Ai

In today’s episode of This Anthro Life, anthropologists Elizabeth Briody and Phil Surles join host Adam Gamwell to discuss their latest project: Anthropologists on the Public Stage, a self-paced video course for social scientists who want to increase their public presence and impact.Adam, Elizabeth, and Phil reflect on making the series, what they learned along the way, and what they hope people will get out of it.Show Highlights:[04:04] How the team came up with Anthropologists on the Public Stage[07:46] The importance of teamwork in putting anthropology projects together[13:58] How Elizabeth approached the project[19:33] Phil’s thoughts on the process of putting the project together[27:56] Why the project includes training exercises[36:17] What Phil hopes people will get out of the project[39:59] What Elizabeth hopes people will get out of the project[45:14] Closing statementsLinks and Resources:Anthropologists on the Public StageSubscribe to This Anthro Life’s newsletterConnect with Adam via emailConnect w

Consumers today find brands through many online sources, including search engines and social media. And with the rise of hyper-personalized ads, consumers are constantly being bombarded with brands that seem to speak to their needs and interests.Given such a landscape, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that brands need to move beyond business fundamentals and into the fundamentals that we share as human beings if they wish to stand out. That is to say, brands need to shape not only what consumers buy, but also how they feel about and relate to brands themselves.In today’s episode of This Anthro Life, host Adam Gamwell speaks with Dr. Matt Johnson, author of “Branding That Means Business,” about the whys and hows of consumer-brand relationships, brand strategy and identity, the role brands play in our lives, and more.Show Highlights:[03:08] The fundamental principles of branding[05:48] On the functional value of brands[09:18] How brands can shape consumers’ perceptions of reality[15:06] The ways brands can b

Indigenous cultures around the world have a trickster god or figure in their mythos. For example, the Pacific Northwest Native Americans have the Raven, a selfish, hungry, and mischievous figure who transforms the world. Stories tell how the Raven brought out the sun, moon, and stars to light the world only by cleverly deceiving others.In today’s episode of This Anthro Life, Dr. Shepherd Siegel, activist scholar and author of “Tricking Power into Performing Acts of Love: How Tricksters Through History Have Changed the World,” discusses the Trickster archetype with host Adam Gamwell. Together, Shepherd and Adam explore attributes of the Trickster, Shepherd’s favorite Tricksters, and examples that demonstrate Trickster archetypes confronting power and tricking it into love.Show Highlights:[04:05] Breaking down the title of the book[11:00] What love has to do with the trickster archetype[17:04] How Shepherd’s background came into play in writing his book[24:48] The different kinds of play and how they relate to

Show NotesBuilding a New Labor Market for Global Design Talent with Fredrik ThomassenMore and more businesses are switching to remote work amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But one startup was ahead of the curve, having been 100% remote since its inception in 2016.That startup is Superside, a fully distributed design operations platform that seeks to support a global remote workforce. By introducing a remote work policy, Superside gives designers around the world better income opportunities, regardless of their gender, race, or location.In this episode, host Adam Gamwell speaks with Superside CEO and Founder Fredrik Thomassen about remote work and how the pandemic accelerated its adoption worldwide, the promise and challenge of fully online organizations, the inclusion of minorities in the workforce as a global business imperative, and more.Show Highlights:[04:10] How Fredrik Thomassen started Superside[07:37] On the power of remote work and the opportunities it opens up[14:23] How remote work can improve workforce

The vast majority of published scientific literature and new research is hidden behind paywalls. Worse, what few accessible papers available online are oftentimes written in jargon, i.e., specialist language that can alienate non-expert readers.Combined, these two issues make it difficult for researchers, scientists, and even entrepreneurs to build on new discoveries and for members of the public to access credible, peer-reviewed literature in the age of misinformation.The good news is, natural language processing-based startups are working to change the conversation around access to scientific knowledge in impactful ways. One such startup is Consensus, an AI-powered search engine designed to provide users a view into what the research says with the click of a button.In this episode, host Adam Gamwell is joined by Consensus CEO Eric Olson to talk about the company’s inception, the promise and new waves of natural language processing technology, and how Consensus is making scientific findings accessible and co

What makes the human mind unique? How do we know there’s a future, and how do we recall the past? In this episode of This Anthro Life, Byron Reese, serial entrepreneur, technologist, and author of “Stories, Dice, and Rocks That Think: How Humans Learned to See the Future--and Shape It,” discusses these questions and more with host Adam Gamwell. Together, Byron and Adam explore the three leaps in human history that made us what we are today and how those leaps changed how we think about the future, the past, and everything in between.Show Highlights:[03:16] The inception of “Stories, Dice, and Rocks That Think: How Humans Learned to See the Future--and Shape It”[05:23] Homo erectus and the Acheulean hand axe[06:38] How the Acheulean hand axe is a genetic object, not a cultural one[08:27] The awakening that ancient humans had undergone[09:27] Language as a means to conceptualize the future and gain knowledge of the past[13:02] The four things that all languages have[16:01] How humans’ group action became more t

Ashley Meredith serves as the National Cultural Anthropologist and Deputy National Historic Preservation Officer for the Federated States of Micronesia. Micronesia is a sovereign island country in Oceania situated northeast of Australia and Papua New Guinea and consists of 600 islands covering a massive area of around 1 million square miles. There are 18 languages spoken across the islands.Echoing what we might call a traditional fieldwork approach, Ashley works with a team to document, preserve, and establish cultural pathways for different Micronesian communities. This includes work like ethnographic surveys, linguistic studies and observational fieldwork. Yet, her work is also applied anthropology. She talks with communities to understand what they want in terms of infrastructure, tourism, education, or heritage development and works with them to find resources, generate funding and support. Beyond this, she interfaces between communities, government and international relations including with the United St

Interdependence is the idea that the wellbeing of our world and for our physical and emotional selves depends on those around us, yet when we find ourselves up against a challenge bigger than ourselves, our sense of interdependence becomes stronger. When we move that scale even larger (i.e. a global climate crisis), interdependence becomes paramount. Climate change not only affects our everyday lives, but affects cultural history and cultural artifacts such as books and architectural styles, as well as more ephemeral practices like theater, song and language. How well we are able to face these challenges has to do with how we tell stories. How well we tell stories depends on what we choose to protect, preserve, and make prosper in our cultures. If you’ve used the Internet in the last 20 years, or 20 minutes, you know that there isn’t a lack of information or stories online, but how much of our and others’ cultural heritage exists digitally, how accessible is it, and who is able to contribute?These are questio

When we think about social science and social scientists working out in the world, we tend to jump to the science part, you know jobs that focus on research - consumer research, user experience research, or qualitative studies for non-profits. But if you have any experience with therapy, whether as a patient or therapist, worked with a career or life coach, or anything to do with conflict mediation, you might have noticed there’s more than a little overlap in skill sets with anthropology.I have been really fortunate to get to know Nethra Samarawickrema, co-founder of the Listen Up Lab, an anthropologist and coach and all around calming presence - something we need more of today. What’s her secret? Well a lot of things, but one I want to pull out here is her application of a mode of listening called Nonviolent Communication. Nethra reveals the common connection between anthropology and nonviolent communication that drew her to both and shows how they complement one another. Think about things like withholding

If you’re alive in 2022 you’ve probably heard of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Whether you’re an active trader, just dabble, or think you’d never touch the stuff, cryptocurrency raises a fascinating challenge to the question of what is money? And how can technology fundamentally reshape how we engage in finance and social life? Is crypto a revolution? If you're listening to this episode in early 2022, then you're probably well aware of the ongoing inflation and commodity price increases both in the United States and globally. You know, money and finance are often the table stakes of how we think about navigating life today. That can both be part of the background or very much in the foreground of our minds, depending on how things are going. And as we wrestle with economic uncertainty in the wake of war, a changing climate and geopolitical shifts things can feel bleak. But at these moments, it's important to stay curious and ask where and how are we trying to make things better? And this is a bit about where th

It's a common truism that history is often written by the victors, but it is equally true that the actual story is more complicated. One of the most poignant examples of this is the "discovery" of the new world by Christopher Columbus.So today I am super excited to have author Andrew Rowen back on the podcast. Andrew caught our attention back in 2017 for his book encounters, "Unforeseen 1492 Retold", which rather than another single sided story is a bicultural retelling that portrays the life stories of both Columbus and the Taíno chieftains from their youth to their encounters during the invasions of 1492.Andrew is back to talk about the sequel "Columbus and Caonabó 1493 to 1498 Retold". In this episode, we explore Andrew's rationale for producing a bicultural series of novels and choosing historical fiction over historical nonfiction in order to bring to life the context thought processes and perspectives of people present at the time in the 15th century.This also meant writing in a way that doesn't prescri

Have you wondered why fantasy stories mostly are just copies of Medieval Europe? Why pop culture has been so obsessed with zombies? Or why Black Panther and the Falcon and the Winter Soldier seemed to hit the right chord at the right time for American conversations on race? To answer these questions, we're diving into world building, the process of creating realized worlds for (mostly) fictional stories and how anthropology could literally change the game.On this episode Astrid Countee joins Adam Gamwell to co-host a conversation with the very dynamic duo of biological anthropologist/archaeologist Kyra Wellstrom and cultural anthropologist Michael Kilman. Kyra and Michael are educators and authors, and their latest book caught our attention because it does two things at once. First, it serves as an introductory textbook for anthropology students, digging into key ideas like culture, ritual, food, power and death. But second, it’s premised around how to use anthropology for building better world for game desig

Charles Foster set out to answer one of the most perplexing questions of all - what sort of creatures are we humans? - in one of the most unique ways possible: immersing himself in experiences that evoke three central epochs in the development of consciousness - the upper Paleolithic, around 40k years ago, the neolithic, around 10k years ago when humans invented/stumbled upon and couldn’t get out of agriculture, and the Enlightenment, which ushered in the scientific revolution in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.Interested in checking out Charles' new book Being a Human: Adventures in 40,000 years of Consciousness? We've got copies to give away!Music: Epidemic SoundsIntro - Jazz Bars - Dusty DecksOutro - Up & Down - Toby TranterEditing: Craig StantonResearch: Kiera MylesProduction: Adam GamwellThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5168968/advertisement