Working Better

Charles Babbage is famous for two things: He invented computers and he never built them. While that sounds like an inventor's version of “I'm invisible, but only if you close your eyes,” it's actually true. After designing the steam-powered calculating machine known as The Difference Engine, Babbage envisioned a machine that would prove to be the unrealized would-be predecessor to the general purpose modern computer: The Analytical Engine. Dr. Doron Swade joins us to take us on a tour of the failure, triumph and speculation that have characterized Babbage's story, including the often misunderstood story of the legendary Ada Lovelace. We then dive into one of the most exciting 100-year leaps being attempted today via the reality-bending world of quantum computing. Scott sits down with multi-award-winning quantum physicist Dr. Shohini Ghose to talk about the principles that make quantum computing possible, its potential to transform the world, and what it will take to bring the computing technology of the future closer to the present day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did we nearly have a 50 year head start on some of Big Tech's stickiest ethical dilemmas? Say hello to the “What If” men of The Simulmatics Corporation. As so expertly illuminated in Jill Lepore's book IF/THEN: How The Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future, the company aimed for a radical idea: Use computers to predict and influence people's behavior. Today we call it business as usual. But as issues of algorithmic bias, misinformation, and privacy protection continue to raise red flags about the future of predictive algorithms and artificial intelligence, what clues can we find in the past?  Scott is then joined by Nabiha Syed, President of The Markup, an investigative journalism startup exploring how powerful actors use technology to reshape society. Listen in for a fascinating conversation about algorithmic harm, possible roads to effective regulation, and why progress starts with the willingness to get things wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles Goodyear may have developed vulcanized rubber in 1839, but its origins are actually much older and more playful than you might imagine. After a visit to ancient Mesoamerica, Azhelle Wade joins us to talk about her career as a toy designer, patented inventor, and her latest adventures in the business of play as “The Toy Coach.”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first public computerized bulletin board system predates the world wide web by nearly two decades, yet might exemplify just the type of “digital space” we still have too little of. With the help of co-creator Lee Felsenstein, we travel back to 1973 to understand why. Josh Kramer of New Public then takes on a tour of what public digital spaces might look like in the future, and finally we sit down with Eugen Rochko, Founder of decentralized social media platform Mastodon, for a conversation about the decentralized web, restoring context online, and Mastodon's unexpected success.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a special Thanksgiving bonus mini-episode, we drop by one of Benjamin Franklin's electricity-themed parties. Franklin has promised the most delicious turkey ever tasted, cooked to perfection via electrocution. What could go wrong?  Plus: How not to baste your turkey, where to cook your feast over an active volcano, and what you can do to prevent hangry family members.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is remembering George Washington Carver as “The Peanut Man” misunderstanding his legacy? Not only did most of Carver's famed 300 uses for the peanut never make it beyond his “kitchen experiments,” but developing them as products was never his aim in the first place. With the help of Dr. Raymon Shange of Tuskegee University, we get to the root of why. We then fast forward 100 years for an illuminating conversation with Emma Fuller from Corteva Agriscience about regenerative agriculture, the economics of sustainable change, and why Carver's love for the “man furthest down” means not forgetting the farmers tasked with feeding the planet.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humankind has a long history of trying and failing to "fix" language. What can Benjamin Franklin, 500 year old maps of the universe, and Klingon Christmas Carols teach us about how language affects us? And for the thousands of indigenous languages at risk of extinction, how can the knowledge they hold be preserved, protected and revitalized?  Featuring author and linguist Arika Okrent, Wikitongues Founder Daniel Bögre Udell, 7,000 Languages Executive Director Stephanie Witkowski, and a special interview with Renata Altenfelder, Global Executive Director, Brand & Marketing at Motorola Mobility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Safely beaming electricity through the air is officially not science fiction. Back in August, we kicked off our season with a deep dive into Nikola Tesla's unrealized dream of wireless energy transmission. As a special follow up episode, we're putting the spotlight on Emrod Energy, a New Zealand-based company setting out to make Tesla's vision a reality. Founder & CEO Greg Kushnir joins us to explain how their technology can help accelerate the world's transition to renewable energy...without harming any innocent birds along the way.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the debate about Bitcoin's energy use rages on, what's being lost in translation? Are mining companies doing enough to address the problem? Are crypto skeptics missing the broader human rights implications of decentralized money? We go in search of answers.  But first, a visit to 1827 in Cincinnati, Ohio to learn what one man's dream of a time-based economy can teach us about humankind's latest attempt to redefine money. Featuring perspectives from Professor Crispin Sartwell, Professor Brian Lucey, and an interview with Compass Mining CEO Whit Gibbs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the original plans for Disney World, EPCOT wasn't a theme park at all. Join us as we explore Walt Disney's unrealized dream of an experimental prototype community and the impact it might have had on urban design. We're also joined by Brenna Berman, Founder and CEO of CityTech, to unpack what human-centered design means in today's cities, and why certain aspects of urban living will simply never go according to plan.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nikola Tesla wanted to fundamentally transform how electricity was used, and it had barely existed at the time. Over a century later, are we dreaming big enough about transforming our energy system? Featuring Theoretical Physicist Dr. Bryan Field and Geoffrey Garrison, VP & Senior Geochemist, AltaRock Energy.      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What can failures of the past teach us about challenges of today? Join us as we aim to answer that question, one story at a time.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special announcement: We're making some changes! New approach...same great Hermes.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the final episode of Season 1, We posed a challenge to the company: How can we help people feel more connected while working remotely. Today we’re going to showcase and celebrate THREE different answers to that question. Not just theory, not frameworks. Real, working prototypes that our LABS team have developed and put in the hands of employees here at Kin + Carta, to actually bring people together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past several years, we’ve witnessed how AI and other advanced technologies can be used to inflame conflict, warp our perceptions of reality, and even undermine the truth itself. How do we better protect ourselves against the dangers of these technologies? Have we misunderstood the problem? And what role should tech play in finding new solutions? We unpack it all in the latest episode of Working Better, including a deep dive conversation with Sam Woolley, author of The Reality Game: How the Next Wave of Technology will Break the Truth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As “Big Data” gets even bigger, so do the promises about our new data-driven world. But even with humankind’s knowledge at our fingertips, is it any match for the beliefs we already hold? Through the lenses of business, politics, and our everyday lives, this episode explores why human nature is a formidable foe against the data we hold so dear. We’ll highlight the psychology of misinformation, how data literacy is reshaping business, and what journalists, innovators, and educators believe we should do next in our pursuit of the truth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Play makes us more creative, more connected to one another, and more likely to find new solutions to old problems. But are we forgetting how to? In the latest episode of Working Better, we unpack the power of play with perspectives from researchers, designers and business leaders - including a deep dive with Dr. Bo Stjerne Thomsen from the LEGO Foundation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re taking a new approach to a holiday bonus episode of Working Better. As we see it, the question isn’t “is Santa real?” but rather “how DOES he do it?”. We break it all down with the type of needlessly detailed, exhaustingly thorough investigative reporting that we’d expect from our beloved host, Scott Hermes.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve become inundated with messages about brands “making the world a better place.” So who is for real? This week’s Working Better episode, putswe put the spotlight on two organizations working to answer exactly that question:. B Lab, a nonprofit organization that has catalyzed a movement through its B Corp certification, and DoneGood, a company helping people use their purchasing power for good.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As online sales surge to record levels, can our supply chains handle a holiday shopping season unlike any other? In this episode, we examine the challenges facing retailers, shippers, and the millions of human hands working to get packages delivered on time. This week we’re joined by Andy Whiting, CEO of Better Trucks, to learn how his company is adjusting to uncharted territory. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the threat of climate change continues to reveal itself, what does it mean for cities to be truly “sustainable”? What does human-centered design really mean, and how far are our cities from actually reflecting those ideas? Is the COVID-19 pandemic the thing that will spark new urgent changes to cities? Is this our Great Stink? Join us In this episode as we talk about how cities are being reimagined.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Algorithms and AI affect so many aspects of everyday life. Although AI can deliver extraordinary value and insight, it can also hurt people. Bias via racial, gender and other forms of discrimination get embedded into digital products and affect people’s lives. So how does this happen? What’s being done to overcome bias in AI, and is it enough? In this episode of Working Better, we dive deep into the issue of bias in AI to illuminate the stories, consequences, and complicated ethical questions that have experts pushing for progress. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We trust digital technology with so many sensitive aspects of our lives. Could voting systems work the same way? In countries like the US and UK, experts often insist it’s next to impossible. But what if we told you the tiny European nation of Estonia has been voting online since 2005?  In this episode, we take a closer look at the way the Estonian system works, the biggest obstacles to online voting in the US, and what it might take to transform one of the most important functions of our society. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a lot of reasons why we all need a vacation right now more than ever. And that’s because Covid-19 has changed how we work and how we interact with one another. Humans are social creatures and communicators at heart.  So, how is isolation affecting our mental health? In this episode of Working better, we discuss how therapists and business leaders have approached this challenge. Of connecting with people. Of substituting genuine human interaction. Of practicing empathy, while being physically apart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Contact tracing apps were supposed to help the world minimize the spread of COVID-19, and although the idea had a lot of promise, in reality, it fell short of expectations. In this episode, we dive deep into the role of technology and COVID-19, why contact tracing apps haven’t lived up to the hype, and what it would take to introduce something that… you know... works? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Working Better! throughout our episodes, we'll explore our complicated relationship with technology, by breaking down some of the barriers of complexity, industry speak, and hype that can often get in the way.  You’ll hear from business leaders, educators, journalists, authors, farmers, scientists, software engineers, designers, researchers and more. Some including folks from within our walls at Kin + Carta. Our figurative walls. Stay tuned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.