African Tech Roundup - Alison Treadaway of Striata on the merits of South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act

Alison Treadaway is a director and shareholder of the South African eBilling and eMarketing software and services company, Striata. In this chat, Alison unpacks the noble aims of South Africa's imminent enaction of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI), and highlights some of the pain points that this ground-breaking piece of legislation is expected to address-- gaps that other African countries will no doubt seek to plug through passing personal data laws of their own.

African Tech Roundup - The South African Reserve Bank Is Warming Up To Blockchain Technology

The continent's two most prominent central banks-- the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), have decidedly different attitudes towards the notion of adopting virtual currencies. While the CBN has recently warned the country's financial institutions and citizens that virtual currencies are not legal tender, the SARB has displayed a willingness to emulate Tunisia by launching a blockchain-based digital version of the South African Rand. With bitcoin showing signs of maturing into a legitimate asset class, central banks the world over are grappling with a very real fear of missing out on the cryptocurrency wave. The surf's up, it seems. Also in this week's African Tech Round-up is a chat with Alison Treadaway, director and shareholder of the South African eBilling and eMarketing software and services company, Striata. Alison unpacks the noble aims of South Africa's imminent enaction of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI). She highlights some of the pain points that this ground-breaking piece of legislation is expected to address-- gaps that other African countries will no doubt seek to plug through passing personal data laws of their own. Music Credits: Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution

Opening Arguments - OA43: Explaining the 9th Circuit’s Ruling on Trump’s Muslim Ban

In today's episode, we take a look at the ongoing status of Executive Order 13769 (often referred to as the "Muslim Ban").  What exactly did the 9th Circuit decide, and how does it affect the status of efforts to restrict emigration going forward? We begin, however, with a Breakin' Down the Law segment where we examine the so-called "Johnson Amendment."  What is it?  Would it be a bad thing if the Trump administration repeals it?  Does it really make a difference?  We break down the law so you'll be armed with the information you need to answer these questions. Next, we take a deep-dive into the 9th Circuit's recent ruling denying the Government's emergency motion for a stay.  What does that mean?  Where is this lawsuit headed next?  You won't know if you only read The New York Times, but you will know if you listen to this show! After our main segment, we turn to a question from listener Schofield Miller about why courts hand down multiple-life sentences that run to hundreds of years.  Figure out what it means to be sentenced to "ten consecutive life sentences." Finally, we end with the answer to Thomas Takes the Bar Exam question #10 about witness testimony.  Remember that TTTBE issues a new question every Friday, followed by the answer on next Tuesday's show.  Don't forget to play along by following our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and/or our Facebook Page and quoting the Tweet or Facebook Post that announces this episode along with your guess and reason(s)! Also:  Andrew was recently on Episode #103 of the Gaytheist Manifesto podcast talking about executive orders more generally; give it a listen! Show Notes & Links
  1. Andrew also discussed the Johnson Amendment when he was a guest on The Scathing Atheist podcast episode #208.
  2. Andrew also did a guest spot on episode #103 of the Gaytheist Manifesto talking about executive orders.
  3. Judge Robart of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington's Order issuing a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the Executive Order is here.
  4. And the 9th Circuit's opinion refusing to issue a stay is here.
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The Gist - David Frum Beseeches You to Focus

David Frum has emerged as a leader of the Republican resistance in the months since President Donald Trump’s election. On The Gist, he shares his dismay that the disparate forces opposing the Trump administration can’t seem to get over old squabbles. He also explains the narrow political portfolio he’s settled on and why Never Trumpers should focus their activism. Frum is a senior editor at the Atlantic.

For the Spiel, the agony and the ecstasy of watching Stephen Miller.

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Start the Week - Play and Creativity

On Start the Week, Tom Sutcliffe considers the relationship between play and creativity. Steven Johnson examines how the human appetite for amusement has driven innovation throughout history. Writer and theatre maker Stella Duffy has revived Joan Littlewood's 1960s concept of The Fun Palace- a 'laboratory of fun' for all. The economist Tim Harford advocates embracing disorder in every area of our lives, from messy desks to messy dating. Journalist and former cricketer Ed Smith believes that creativity in sport is a combination of skill and luck.

Producer: Kirsty McQuire.

Serious Inquiries Only - SIO15: Did the Catholic Church Support Hitler? with Tim O’Neill

Joining me for a third time is Tim O'Neill of the blog History for Atheists! Tim is back to take us through some really fascinating possible misconceptions about whether or not the Pope and the Catholic church were supportive of Hitler and the Nazis. Tim also discusses whether or not Hitler himself was religious. Lots of claims have been made by atheists and others about these questions and Tim is here to clear up misconceptions and give his view of what the evidence tells us! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at:  patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com  

More or Less: Behind the Stats - WS More or Less: Hans Rosling – the extraordinary life of a statistical guru

A huge hole was left in the world this week with the death of the Swedish statistician Han Rosling. He was a master communicator whose captivating presentations on global development were watched by millions. He had the ear of those with power and influence. His friend Bill Gates said Hans ?brought data to life and helped the world see the human progress it often overlooked?. In a world that often looks at the bad news coming out of the developing world, Rosling was determined to spread the good news, extended life expectancy, falling rates of disease and infant mortality. He was fighting what he called the ?post-fact era? of global health. He was passionate about global development and before he became famous he lived and worked in Mozambique, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo using data and his skills as a doctor to save lives. Despite ill health he also travelled to Liberia during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 to help gather and consolidate data to help fight the outbreak. On a personal level he was warm, funny and kind and will be greatly missed by a huge number of people.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Wesley Stephenson

(Image: Hans Rosling, speaks at a conference in 2012. Credit: Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images for ReSource 2012)