Tech Refactored

On this episode we talk with John Rissetto, the State Environmental Coordinator with the USDA-Farm Service Agency for Nebraska. He and Gus discuss the curious juxtaposition between protecting the old by leveraging the new, such as the use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) in archeology and how it was used to find historic trails and buildings in Nebraska that are not discernible to the naked eye. Thank you to the Preservation Association of Lincoln and Ryan Reed for suggesting this topic and assisting in the production of this episode.

Links to materials discussed in this episode:
LiDAR scanning of Robber’s Cave

On this episode Rebecca Crootof, a law professor at the University of Richmond, joins Gus to discuss Autonomous Weapons Systems and the analogies that they conjure in our minds - and why those analogies don’t do much to help us govern the use of these weapons.

Note, near the end of this episode there is a brief mention of violence towards animals during wartime.

3D printing technology could revolutionize the cost and sustainability of housing across the globe. Not to mention, the environmental impact of concrete use (spoiler: it’s not great) is of increasing concern. The key to shifting away from concrete may be reviving the traditional use of local soils—for a 3D printing process. Here to talk to us about his work helping to develop these new 3D printing techniques is Dr. Sarbajit Banerjee, Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University.

On this episode Gus speaks to Professor Barney McCoy. Barney is a Professor of Broadcasting Journalism at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Barney was a full-time journalist for 27 years, during which time he won six Emmy awards for his journalistic excellence. Barney is also an expert on teaching methods and as an educator he also wrestled with the difficulties of teaching during a pandemic. He joined us to talk about his research in classroom distractions and teaching in the era of Covid.

On this special live episode we welcomed University of Nebraska law faculty Professor Anthony Schutz and Extension & Research Entomologist Dr. Judy Wu-Smart to discuss the environmental crisis caused by a new way of making ethanol in Mead, Nebraska – from discovering the impacts of the technology,  to how states and cities are attempting to avoid it in the future.

Notes: In this episode Gus mentions the Nebraska Public Media story ‘The Smell of Money: Mead, Nebraska’s Fight For Its Future’ by Christina Stella, which can be found here.

This episode of the podcast is a little different from the rest. We’re featuring two special segments exploring the work of two members of our faculty, Professor Kyle Langvardt, who specializes in constitutional law, and also our own center director and usual host, Professor Gus Hurwitz. These segments were recorded for Faculty 101, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln podcast that offers a listen into the pursuits and perspectives of Husker faculty, hosted by Mary Jane Bruce.