TechSequences

When historians write the chapter on the COVID-19 pandemic, they will have plenty of cautionary examples, except maybe Taiwan.  Taiwan may well provide the lesson in not only battling a public health crisis but also in civic engagement, innovation and

Did you know that about one in five US adults say they get their news primarily through social media? However, in addition to news, social media platforms have become incredibly efficient tools for spreading propaganda and disinformation credited with interference

Did you know our brains can only process about 120 Kb per second and can only do so serially? Yet every day we are deluged with 34GB of information.  We also spend close to 8 hours every day interacting with

Data growth is a direct consequence of advances in technology ranging from the smartphone to the Internet of Things devices. Today, the “datasphere”, or the volume of data in the world – is estimated to be over 60 Zettabytes. We

Automated algorithm-driven decision-making systems are increasingly replacing humans in areas as varied as HR hiring, loan applications, insurance brokerage and even routine medical diagnostics.  In some contexts, such as employment, decision making based on arbitrary criteria is legal, and in

From fitness trackers to connected cars, IoT (“Internet of Things”) devices have made our lives easier and more convenient. Despite their nifty features, many harbor poor design when it comes to security and privacy of the data they collect (and

“Falsehood flies…and the Truth comes limping after it,” wrote Jonathan Swift the Anglo-Irish writer and satirist in 1710. That was in the 18th century of course. Now in the 21st century, with the advent of the Internet, distribution platforms, and

Have you ever wondered about the birth of bizarre conspiracy theories like QAnon on-line? And why, despite the farfetched fabric of these stories, so many people forsake their family and friends — the people they know — to join a

In early 1997 a UC Berkley based Theoretical Physicist wrote article in Wired Magazine, where he called “attention” the currency of the new economy. He foreshadowed its potential consequences: division, disparity of power, deepening inequality, disproportionate advantages for the most

Guest: Andrew J. Grotto The term “Deepfake” was first coined by a Reddit user who  created a forum of the same name in  2017.  The forum was dedicated to the creation and use of deep learning software for digitally swapping