Each year, thousands of people visit national parks across the US. And, tragically, some of them don't return. Join the guys as they interview David Paulides, the prolific author of the Missing 411 series, to learn more about his work and research into these disappearances.
If things had gone well, America would still be in the Paris Agreement on climate change, green energy would be spreading across the country and Al Gore wouldn’t have needed to make a sequel to An Inconvenient Truth. But it didn’t work out that way. With his new movie hitting theaters next week, Gore remains hopeful during these depressing times. “If somebody told me five years ago, marriage equality would be the law in all 50 states, I would have asked what they were smoking,” says the former vice president. “But it did happen, because it became a choice between right and wrong. That’s where the climate movement is now.”
For the Spiel, why persuading doubters is so hard when it comes to climate change science.
People said they’d never catch on. Mobile phones, the internet and even robot assembly lines all once seemed like niche technologies. But today they are at the heart of the modern world.
But just how far can technology go? Could machines start to compete with humans in making complex and life-changing decisions, like those made by lawyers and judges? That’s what CrowdScience listener Zackery Snaidman from Orlando in the US wants to know and presenter Marnie Chesterton has set out to find answers.
She starts at a hackathon in London, where she witnesses the birth and design of the UK’s new online court. And in Uganda, she hears how technology and social media is filling a crucial gap left by a shortage of human lawyers. Marnie is also surprised to discover a simple algorithm that regularly out-performs human judges in making bail decisions.
But could technology bring as many problems as it solves? Could seemingly ‘unbiased’ computers hide the prejudices of their makers? And more fundamentally: With our future liberty at stake, is the world ready to leave their fate in the hands of machines?
Do you have a question we can turn into a programme? Email us at crowdscience@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Anna Lacey
(Image: Digitized Lady Justice. Credit: Getty Images)
Netflix shares hit a new high. Microsoft’s cloud business continues to grow. Visa and American Express ring the cash register for investors. Pepsi revives an old brand while Chipotle deals with another health crisis. Plus, Forbes contributor Rob Salkowitz calls in from San Diego to provide analysis of this year’s Comic-Con and the business of pop culture.
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The costs and benefits of regulations need more scrutiny and lawmakers should understand clearly that regulations aren't costless. Thaya Brook Knight comments.
In today's episode, we discuss a recent court case involving an individual's expectation of privacy while browsing the Internet. We begin, however, with the question so many of our listeners wanted to know: Is it legal for Ken Ham to sell his Ark Encounter theme park to his own non-profit ministry in a presumed effort to evade taxes? In our main segment, the guys break down a recent court case involving search & seizure over the internet. Do you have an expectation of privacy for the stuff you do on your computer? The answer will surprise you. Next, Yodel Mountain returns with an in-depth examination of what it means to be a "thing of value." Finally, we end with an all-new Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #33 about search and seizure, coincidentally enough. Remember that you can play along with #TTTBE by retweeting our episode Tweet along with your guess. We'll release the answer on next Tuesday's episode along with our favorite entry! Recent Appearances None! Schedule us to appear on your show! Show Notes & Links
The relevant election law statute is 52 U.S.C. § 30121, which prohibits a foreign national from giving any "thing of value" to a candidate for public office.
Mike Sacks is not just a comedian; he’s also a comedy historian. This summer, he’s unearthed a rare artifact, the cult classic, Dixie-fried action movie Stinker Lets Loose. “Some famous people have cited this movie as a big influence on them,” says Sacks, citing Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. “You can hear it in some of his lyrics, for sure.” A 40th-anniversary novelization of Stinker is available now, with an intro by Sacks.
For the Spiel, why does Donald Trump keep saying stupid things to the New York Times, a newspaper he purports to hate?
The biggest reason to privatize much of the federal government is that the feds just don't manage those resources very well. Chris Edwards makes the case.
Trumpcare is dead and alive and dead and alive again, and we discover from a terrifying New York Times interview that the President doesn’t actually know what health insurance is. Then Jon and Dan talk to Montana Governor Steve Bullock about his vision for the party and the country, and Ana Marie Cox joins to talk about Trump’s elimination of teen pregnancy prevention programs.
