Podcasts about Manoush

It's the finale of Body Electric season 2! Writer Linda Stone, who coined the term "screen apnea," knows all too well that our technology can really mess with our breathing and our health. Join her and Manoush for this 5 minute break where Linda demonstrates how playing the kazoo and practicing the physiological sigh can help you feel your best on screen-filled days.We'd love to hear from you — email us at BodyElectric@npr.org.Binge the entire Body Electric series here.Sign up for our newsletter here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After a series of accidents over a decade ago, listener Michelle Rozovics lost her mobility, causing her to experience pain with any weight-bearing movement. Ironically, movement is the very thing she needs to prevent her condition from worsening. So, when Michelle heard Body Electric, she felt inspired to put her own twist on movement breaks that would work for HER body. She takes a 5 minute break with Manoush to share how she's using a special tool she calls her "Shaky Shaky Machine" to get in regular movement and feel her best.We'd love to hear from you — email us at BodyElectric@npr.org.New episodes of Body Electric every Tuesday. Binge the entire series here.Sign up for our newsletter here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Today, Manoush takes a solo walk and shares what she does to spend less time scrolling, more time moving, including the story of forcing herself (and her kids) to take breaks. PLUS, she explains how setting aside our devices and allowing our minds to wander helps us tap into our most creative thinking. Join Manoush for this 5 minute walk and hear her (sometimes strange) internal monologue on the challenges of trying to get people moving.We'd love to hear from you! Send us a voice memo or email us at BodyElectric@npr.org.New episodes every Tuesday. Binge the entire series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Do you have "screen apnea"? Our special series Body Electric continues with former Microsoft executive Linda Stone who coined the term. Around 2007, Linda noticed she had an unhealthy habit while answering emails: she held her breath. On this episode, she tells host Manoush Zomorodi how she tested her friends and colleagues for "screen apnea" and what she's done since.Then, Manoush talks to the bestselling author of Breath, science writer James Nestor, who explains how shallow breathing impacts our physical and mental health. He takes us through a simple exercise to 'reset' our breath and relieve screen time stress.Binge the whole Body Electric series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge and our newsletter here.Talk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Do you have "screen apnea"? Former Microsoft executive Linda Stone coined this term around 2007 after noticing she'd developed an unhealthy habit while answering emails: She held her breath. On this episode, she tells host Manoush Zomorodi how she tested her friends and colleagues for screen apnea and what she has done since.Then, Manoush talks to the bestselling author of Breath, science writer James Nestor, who explains how shallow breathing impacts our physical and mental health. He takes us through a simple exercise to "reset" our breath and relieve screen time stress.Binge the whole Body Electric series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge and our newsletter here.Talk to us on Instagram @manoushz, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Professor Jennifer Lundquist has been taking movement breaks in her office and classroom for 13 years(!) and she's learned a thing or two. Move with her and Manoush as they discuss how she's changed her wardrobe, why sitting through a three-hour lecture isn't an option, and what students think when she gets them jogging around the lecture hall.Let us know how your movement breaks are going. Send us a voice memo or email us at BodyElectric@npr.org.New episodes every Tuesday. Binge the entire series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Our special series, Body Electric, is back! This time, host Manoush Zomorodi does a deep dive into our headphone habits... because many of us wear them for hours at a time, and all that listening is taking a toll on our hearing.Manoush speaks with exposure scientist Rick Neitzel, who has partnered with Apple on a first-of-its-kind study to find how our daily listening patterns are affecting our hearing. Neitzel offers advice on safe listening habits that can help protect our ears in the long term.Later, Manoush takes us into the future of "consumer hearables" and how tech companies want us to never — ever— take our earbuds out.Interested in joining the Apple Hearing Study? Sign up here.Binge the whole Body Electric series here. Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge and our newsletter here.Talk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Even if we want to put our health first, it's not always within our control. Our genetics, environment, home life, work conditions, and systemic factors all impact our wellbeing. Today, Manoush takes a 5 minute walk with Dr. Uché Blackstock, who has dedicated her career to building a more equitable healthcare system. Uché shares what it means to take care of ourselves while acknowledging the limitations we all face.Interested in walking with Manoush and being featured on a future episode? Tell us about your strategies, struggles, and successes when breaking up your day with movement. Send us a voice memo at BodyElectric@npr.org.New episodes every Tuesday. Binge the entire series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Many of us wear earbuds for hours at a time, sometimes all day long, and all that listening is taking a toll on our hearing. This episode, host Manoush Zomorodi investigates our headphone habits. She speaks with exposure scientist Rick Neitzel, who has partnered with Apple to create a first-of-its-kind study into how our daily sound exposure and listening patterns are affecting our hearing. Neitzel offers advice on safe listening habits that can help protect our ears in the long term.Later, Manoush takes us into the future of "consumer hearables" and how tech companies want us to never — ever— take our earbuds out.Interested in joining the Apple Hearing Study? Sign up here.Binge the whole Body Electric series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge and our newsletter here.Talk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Remembering to get up and move can feel impossible, especially when you love your work and you're "in the zone." That was the case for listener Margot Cox when she signed up for our study with Columbia University last fall. As she put it, she "failed miserably." Today, Margot is ready to recommit to movement breaks. She takes a 5 minute walk with Manoush to talk through a new strategy.Interested in walking with Manoush and being featured on a future episode? Tell us about your strategies, struggles, and successes when breaking up your day with movement. Send us a voice memo at BodyElectric@npr.org.New episodes every Tuesday. Binge the entire series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's time for another 5 minute movement break! This time, Columbia researcher Keith Diaz joins Manoush to chat about how he uses his treadmill desk to stay active—without getting bogged down by timers, step counters and strict rules. Spoiler alert: Keith doesn't follow his own recommendation of taking a five minute movement break every half hour! Listen to find out what he does instead.Interested in taking a walk with Manoush and being featured on a future episode? Tell us about your strategies, struggles, and successes when breaking up your day with movement. Send us a voice memo at BodyElectric@npr.org.New episodes every Tuesday. Binge the entire series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

To kick off Season 2 of Body Electric, host Manoush Zomorodi takes a five minute walk with writer Kelly Corrigan. Kelly shares her tips for fitting movement into her busy work schedule—while also making time for rest.Interested in taking a walk with Manoush and being featured on a future episode? Tell us about your strategies, struggles, and successes when breaking up your day with movement. Send us a voice memo at BodyElectric@npr.org.New episodes every Tuesday. Binge the entire series here.Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sitting too much is terrible for you. It leads to early onset heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and anxiety. To fight the effects of our sedentary lifestyle, regular exercise isn't enough. Scientists have found that if we want to feel better, and be healthier, we need regular movement breaks throughout our days. Journalist and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi recently challenged her listeners to take these. She tells Lilah about the surprising results and why technology can make it hard to plug into your mind-body connection.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we're on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – You can listen to Manoush's reporting for the Body Electric challenge here and take the movement challenge here. – Lilah's column on how to be bored is here: https://on.ft.com/3SzU016 – Manoush is on Instagram @manoushz-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special series, host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our technology and our bodies and asks: How are we physically adapting to meet the demands of the Information Age? Why do so many of us feel utterly drained after a day spent attached to our devices?Part one kicks off with an exploration into how economic eras have shaped the human body in the past with author Vybarr Cregan-Reid. Then, Columbia University researcher and exercise physiologist Keith Diaz and Manoush discuss his findings and propose a challenge to listeners: Let's see if we can end this cycle of type, tap, collapse together. Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectricTalk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, and on Facebook @tedradiohour, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.

In part two: host Manoush Zomorodi delves into how we met and fell hard for the personal computer—and why we continue to have this committed, yet tortuous relationship. We hear from historian Laine Nooney on how the computer revolution forever changed the way we use our bodies at work, at school and at home. Manoush also visits the Exercise Testing Laboratory at Columbia University Medical Center where researchers collect data on how her body responds to a day of sitting compared to a day of constant movement breaks.Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectricWe'd love to hear from you. Send us a voice memo at bodyelectric@npr.org. Talk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, and on Facebook @tedradiohour.

In part six: host Manoush Zomorodi digs into the preliminary results of the listener study with Columbia University researcher Keith Diaz. He shares the surprising — and encouraging — initial findings from more than 20,000 listeners who tried to incorporate movement breaks into their day.Also on this episode, listener Dana Lopez Maile describes how the study was a "game changer" for her health. Yiliu Shen-Burke, founder of the augmented reality app SoftSpace, explains his vision of augmented reality. Finally, Manoush explores the future of screen time in a new era of artificial intelligence, and the inextricable convergence of humans and machines.Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectricWe'd love to hear what you thought of the Body Electric series. Go to npr.org/tedsurvey to share your feedback.

In part six: host Manoush Zomorodi digs into the preliminary results of the listener study with Columbia University researcher Keith Diaz. He shares the surprising — and encouraging — initial findings from more than 20,000 listeners who tried to incorporate movement breaks into their day.Also on this episode, listener Dana Lopez Maile shares how the study was a "game changer" for her health. Yiliu Shen-Burke, founder of the augmented reality app SoftSpace, explains his vision of augmented reality. Finally, Manoush explores the future of screen time in a new era of artificial intelligence, and the inextricable convergence of humans and machines.Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectricWe'd love to hear what you thought of the Body Electric series. Go to npr.org/tedsurvey to share your feedback.

In part two: host Manoush Zomorodi delves into how we met and fell hard for the personal computer—and why we continue to have this committed, yet tortuous relationship. We hear from historian Laine Nooney on how the computer revolution forever changed the way we use our bodies at work, at school and at home. Manoush also visits the Exercise Testing Laboratory at Columbia University Medical Center where researchers collect data on how her body responds to a day of sitting compared to a day of constant movement breaks.Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectricAre you signed up for Columbia's study, or following along with the series? We want to hear your thoughts! Send us a voice memo at bodyelectric@npr.org. Talk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, and on Facebook @tedradiohour.

TED Radio Hour's Manoush Zamorodi joins us today to talk about her new series Body Electric. It's looking at how the information age is affecting our bodies in negative ways. Manoush spoke to researchers who say they've found simple solutions that offset the harms of sitting all day. But do those fixes work in the real world – outside of a lab? For this six-part limited series, NPR is partnering with researchers from Columbia University and maybe... you... to answer that question.Read more on how to join the study: NPR.org/bodyelectricFor sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

In this special series, host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our technology and our bodies and asks: How are we physically adapting to meet the demands of the Information Age? Why do so many of us feel utterly drained after a day spent attached to our devices?Part one kicks off with an exploration into how economic eras have shaped the human body in the past with author Vybarr Cregan-Reid. Then, Columbia University researcher and exercise physiologist Keith Diaz and Manoush discuss his findings and propose a challenge to listeners: Let's see if we can end this cycle of type, tap, collapse together. Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectricTalk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, and on Facebook @tedradiohour, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.

This is an episode of Body Electric a series airing over at the TED Radio Hour. In this special series, host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our technology and our bodies and asks: How are we physically adapting to meet the demands of the Information Age? Why do so many of us feel utterly drained after a day spent attached to our devices? Part one kicks off with an exploration into how economic eras have shaped the human body in the past with author Vybarr Cregan-Reid. Then, Columbia University researcher and exercise physiologist Keith Diaz and Manoush discuss his findings and propose a challenge to listeners: Let's see if we can end this cycle of type, tap, collapse together. Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectric

We want to hear from YOU! Take our survey.Ever wish you had the courage to try something entirely new? To create something that didn't exist before? Even if you're already successful at your career, and you enjoy much of it? Sometimes we just feel this call to try on something new. That's one of the big ideas we dive into with award-winning journalist and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi. • Manoush had success at NPR but later started her own company and podcast, showing it's never too late to try something new.• Manoush recommends side passions or "garden plots" that let you experiment freely, fueling your main work with energy and excitement.• We discuss the rapid impact of technology on identity, creativity and relationships, and how to harness change instead of just surviving it.• Manoush believes in laughing at life's absurdity, being proud of getting older, and taking action instead of waiting on others to live a good life.• The conversation covers big ideas, passions and perspectives on living well from Manoush's viewpoint as an award-winning journalist.Join us as we dive into big ideas, passions and living well with award-winning journalist Manoush Zomorodi.You can find Manoush at: Website | ZigZag PodcastIf you LOVED this episode you'll also love the conversations we had with Kevin Kelly about excellent advice for living.Check out our offerings & partners: My New Book SparkedMy New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit. Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Original broadcast date: December 4, 2020. The 2020 election saw historic voter turnout. But in a divided democracy, how else can we commit to our civic duties? This hour, Baratunde Thurston joins Manoush with ideas on how to citizen.

Thanks for joining Jill Baughan today on Finding Joy ...No Matter What. Make a Joy Box for Someone You Care About: https://jillbaughan.com/joy-box/ Ducharme, Jamie. “Being Bored Can Be Good for You--If You Do It Right. Here's How,” Time.         January 4, 2019.  https://time.com/5480002/benefits-of-boredom/ “How a Dictaphone and Other Vintage Office Transcription Machines Worked.” https://clickamericana.com/topics/money-work/the-all-new-dictaphone-time-master-1958 Robinson, Bryan, PhD. “Why Scientists Say ‘Boredom Is Good for Your Brain's Health.'” Forbes. September 2, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2020/09/02/why-neuroscientists-say-boredom-is-good-for-your-brains-health/?sh=41433fb11842 Zomorodi, Manoush. “How Boredom Can Lead to Brilliant Ideas.” TedTalk, April 2017. https://www.ted.com/talks/manoush_zomorodi_how_boredom_can_lead_to_your_most_brilliant_ideas Connect with Jill: Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~  Website

TITLE: Vinces quest to find Manoush The ZombiesLvBacon podcast returns for a second season! Join ilati, Shelby & Vince with special guest Jess discussing Sonic 2, Morbius, prison reviews, manoush and much much more! Listen on all major podcast platforms, check out Zombies Love Bacon on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/zombieslvbacon Follow ZLBpodcast https://twitter.com/zlbpodcast and ZombiesLvBacon https://twitter.com/ZombiesLvBacon Sonic knuckles tails eggman robotnik sega movie idris elba cinema film box office new release Morbius marvel spiderman spider-man spider man spiderverse multiverse venom jared leto Prison reviews google maps yelp five star incarceration prisoners jail cells Zohan palestine israel lebanese arabic adam sandler don't mess with the drew barrymore Stalker stan fan Google plus social media invite circles bebo myspace facebook meet zoom Zach snyder DC comics comic universe suicide squad harley quinn wonder woman superman aquaman James gunn peacemaker peace maker john cena freddie stroma paramount The Suicide squad Manoush food middle-eastern kebab souvlaki greek Pide turkish melbourne australia lebanon moey lebanese south donuts doughnut jam filled market stall dim-sims dim sims dimsim chinese food foodie tourism australia renting housing crisis home owner ownership owning sco-mo scomo sco mo scott morrison prime minister rental market inflation cost of living politics politician family pregnancy election labor liberals homelessness finance financial insecurity debt loan spotify track 

Featured ContentTeaching is about relationships. While students, parents, and administrators all expect you to partner with them, your connections with colleagues will play the largest role in your ability to enjoy your work and grow as a professional.Tracy from Rhode Island, our guest from episode 56, had some great insight following our episode 57 discussion about the value of Twitter for educators today.In a vox to our PodcastPD Voxer group, she honed in on AJ's point about building your PLN and connecting and learning from the teachers closest to you. Those would be your colleagues in your grade level, department, and your building and district.So today we're going to talk about ways we've been great colleagues, failed at being great colleagues, and we hope to inspire your next positive teaching relationship.Strategies for Being a Great Colleague:Care so you can be cared forGive and takeLearn from others' experienceBe a great listenerMake good choicesResources MentionedQuiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at WorkDigital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy WorldWhat We're Listening ToAJ: Still listening to Feedback (and Other Dirty Words) by M. Tamra Chandler and Laura Grealish as mentioned on episode 56.Chris: Art of Manliness #551: Inside the Gangsters' Code – Lou Ferrante was a mobster who worked for the Gambino crime family and made a trade out of hijacking trucks loaded with expensive goods. Eventually, the law caught up with him and he ended up in prison. There, he discovered a love for reading and writing which set off a personal transformation that led to him leaving the mafia. After his stint in jail, Lou went on to become an author and the host of a Discovery Channel documentary series called Inside the Gangsters' Code.Stacey: Note to Self-How to Create Good Digital Citizens – Right from wrong. We teach our kids what this means in the classroom and at home. But what about online? The next generation of tech users could be a part of much more civilized digital universe, but only if they learn how now. Manoush talks to Richard Culatta (CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education) about the five steps to creating good digital citizens, and how to turn the current online “culture shift” into something positive, respectful, and more accessible to all.Feedback“Thank you @Twitter for helping me to grow as an educator and meet people like @iruntech @AJBianco @mrnesi ” ~ @tinamonte“Great episode of @PodcastPD on the relevance of Twitter for Educators. Is Twitter still relevant for educators? If it's not…what is? I'd argue that the relevance hasn't changed, but maybe the ways that we use Twitter might need to evolve.” ~ @sadieclorinda“Twitter is still the best PD. This year I'm teaching Digital Leadership and through Twitter, I was able to connect with @JCasaTodd and @mbfxc It's amazing I was able to connect with the authors of the two books I read to create the curriculum for the class. @digcitinstitute” ~ @breicher“This needs to be a regular conversation!! I get so frustrated with Twitter as an educator anymore. Such a powerful tool, but we aren't using it like that. #edchat” ~ @micheeaton“Big shout out to @PodcastPD I appreciate the honest convo about the value of Twitter. Excited to share the latest episode with #ATUDL Our group is learning about the power of Twitter.” ~ @mmatpCheck out Mike's podcast – Inclusive Technology 4 AllIn response to Mike “This podcast DID make me rethink how I use Twitter 2day compared 2 when I 1st joined. I share more resources now & I gain so much via twitter chats…” ~ @ksuding“Oh man, YES! It is still very relevant. I've made more connections than I ever thought I would with Twitter and I constantly benefit from the PD I can find here. It's only as good as we make it with participation but I know so many that find it relevant.” ~ @TeachPg21New @PodcastPD Followers on Twitter:@DrSencibaugh@JaneKerslake@eyeonaxs@AlisaTeSelleOTR@LeoniaPrincipal@Link_pd@SueTranchina See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode we talk to Manoush Zomorodi, host of WNYC's Note to Self and author of “Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self.” Back in 2015, Manoush wondered if being plugged in all the time to a constant stream of entertainment and information actually made our lives worse. She noticed that we're never bored—and she wondered, what is that lack of boredom doing to us? Manoush led her listeners through an experiment to help them unplug—and it was a huge success: after taking part in the experiment listeners reported feeling more creative and productive, and more satisfied with their lives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we talk to Manoush Zomorodi, host of WNYC's Note to Self and author of “Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self.” Back in 2015, Manoush wondered if being plugged in all the time to a constant stream of entertainment and information actually made our lives worse. She noticed that we're never bored—and she wondered, what is that lack of boredom doing to us? Manoush led her listeners through an experiment to help them unplug—and it was a huge success: after taking part in the experiment listeners reported feeling more creative and productive, and more satisfied with their lives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ginger Johnson is battling cancer. She's also preparing her digital legacy. Ginger has three amazing children, and she wants to stay in their lives, even after she's gone. That's why she's using a service that helps her make messages and then schedules them for delivery in the future. Videos, audio recordings, emails and photos, pegged to specific days and personal milestones. Moran Zur created this service, Safe Beyond, after his own father died of cancer. He wanted to give people a chance to be remembered as they choose, not through Google search results or in a hospital bed. As vibrant people, full of wisdom. Full of, well, life. Can Silicon Valley really help us cheat death? And what does it mean for the people we leave behind? This isn't the first time we've talked about messages from the afterlife, actually. If for some reason you want even more of this, check out our episode on voicemail from 2015.   For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.     

We've been measuring drunk driving for years. Since the Drunk-o-Meter was invented back in the '30s. But now, it's distracted driving that's killing people, and tracking that is just getting started.  That's what Ben Lieberman learned, when his teenage son was killed in a crash. Lieberman checked the driver's phone records. And anyone who listened to Serial knows those are powerful documents. They can show what cell tower your phone was near, calls in and out. But what they can't track is swipes, taps and clicks.  So Lieberman created the Textalyzer. Like the Breathalyzer, but for your phone. It can reveal every touch - just the action, not the content. And the company behind it might be familiar, if you followed the saga of the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone.   SHARE YOUR PRIVATE THOUGHTS. WITH US, AT LEAST.   If the idea of the Textalyzer sets off your privacy Spidey sense, we understand. We're all figuring out where to draw the line on data sharing, and how to balance privacy, safety, and our modern lives. It's something we're going to be thinking about a lot more in the new year, and we want your help.  TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT PRIVACY, ONLINE AND OFF Every year, Note to Self teams up with our listeners to take on a project together. We've tackled information overload and boredom. Next, we're taking on privacy: the how, and the why. But we need to hear from you, about what matters and what you want to learn.  Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey. The project won't be the same without you.   For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.         

When Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded in 1980, an estimated 25,000 people were killed in drunk driving crashes each year in the U.S. Then Frasier stepped in.  We all know, now, that drinking and driving is a big no-no. But how do we all know that? In part, because shows like the Simpsons and Cheers dedicated plot lines to designated drivers. Growing Pains introduced a character (Matthew Perry!) just to kill him off in a collision. TV producers didn't just come up with this on their own. They did it because a team at the Harvard School of Public Health made a case for the message. Now, that team is taking on distracted driving. And it's proving to be a much trickier problem.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.

For Hillary Clinton, that private email server was an Achilles heel. For Donald Trump, late night tweet-storms and the echo chamber of the so-called alt-right were rocket fuel. For American voters, the power of technology was inescapable. We've seen the good, bad and ugly of tech this election cycle. And we all have big feelings about it. So Manoush hosted a good old-fashioned call-in, for listeners to share their thoughts and fears about our digital lives under a Trump administration.  Joining Manoush was Farhad Manjoo, New York Times technology columnist, and Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.  They looked back at how social media shaped the Presidential race, and forward at privacy in the Trump era. We wish we could tell you it's uplifting. But we don't like to lie.  The call-in show was part of the United States of Anxiety, a series from WNYC Studios. If you're having big feelings about what the new administration means for the arts, women, the economy or just in general, they've got you covered.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.    

What does it really take to put more diversity - however you define it - into your news feeds? We tend to click on things we agree with already. It makes us happy. And social media networks like it that way. Bumming out your customers is a bad business model.  A while back, we got tips on escaping the echo chamber from Katie Notopoulos, co-host of BuzzFeed's Internet Explorer podcast, and Tracy Clayton, co-host of the BuzzFeed podcast Another Round. When we first talked, this felt like an important idea, a step towards an expanded mind. Now, post-election, it feels a lot less optional.  Katie and Tracy joined Manoush to talk about how to get just the right amount uncomfortable online, and why the first step is to just try.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.    

Thanksgiving is here. The holidays are right around the corner. And with politics on everyone's minds, dinner table conversations can feel like a minefield. We have you covered. We're bringing back an episode from the archive, with strategies on how to be calm, collected – and constructive – when faced with racism online, or IRL. And if you're doing a little Internet detox, like we talked about last week, don't worry. We made you some printer-friendly tools for navigating your Facebook feed – or maybe just the Thanksgiving table. Deep breaths.   (Note to Self/Piktochart) LARA is a system promoted by the National Conference for Community Justice. (Note to Self) For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed. Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

It's time to figure out how to be online in this post-election world. Note to Self listeners are wondering how we can stay well-informed without simultaneously bathing in a toxic stew. What do you do when going online makes you unhappy? Here to help is Gretchen Rubin, author of mega-selling books that include "The Happiness Project" and "Better Than Before." She's a researcher, a journalist, and host of the podcast "Happier with Gretchen Rubin."  Author, researcher, and journalist Gretchen Rubin. (Elena Seibert) Didn't hear last week's special note from Manoush? Listen to it here. For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed. Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

We're all processing this election together. We want to create a nurturing, constructive space to do that. Please take a minute and listen to Manoush's short audio message to you, dear listener. We believe this is the beginning of a rigorous and critical conversation between us, you and your fellow listeners.  So we move forward. And whoever you voted for, chances are you're still thinking about the surprise of the results.   The fact that no one picks up their phone anymore meant pollsters were WAY off. The way we get our media and journalists do reporting contributed to one of the biggest political surprises in history.   Donald Trump became our president. It would be weird to pretend things here in podcast land are just "business as usual." Yes, we are grappling. Sure, we're asking ourselves: "What does this election mean for the country?" But we're also asking: "What does this election mean about me? About how I live my life? About how I connect to human beings and information?" As a way to start processing all of this: we curated a list from the archive... 7 Episodes For Your Post-Election Reality There is no right way to deal with the election aftermath. It's time for me to get out of my social media echo chamber. We click on things we agree with already. Here are some concrete steps to get out of our comfort zone and expose ourselves to different people, opinions, and voices online.  How can I deal with the hatred or racism in my social media feed? There's a formula for a productive conversation about tough topics. Please. Get me some Zen. Kindness would be nice too. Chade-Meng Tan, Silicon Valley's mindfulness coach, is making meditation accessible and he's got tips to incorporate it into our everyday lives. I need to rethink my information intake. Information overload. Enough said. How can I deal with the confusion I'm feeling without hiding beneath a large duvet? In a time of racial tension, how do you manage the storm of news online when paying attention is painful? Two friends find their answers. Should I have paid closer attention to the nuances of the election? We dive deep into the modern media diet with theSkimm co-founders Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, and John Herrman, media reporter at the New York Times.  I need to escape to a galaxy far far away. Failed 2016 presidential candidate Zoltan Istvan (convincingly) explains why you might live forever and vote for him in 2040. Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.    

You probably didn't vote for him, but Zoltan Istvan has been on a two-year quest to merge politics with the scientific and technological movement called Transhumanism. He's been running as a 2016 U.S. presidential candidate, representing the party of those who believe humans will ultimately merge with machine. And once we merge, our superhuman selves could live forever. This is not your typical post-election analysis, people.   Zoltan Istvan in front of the Immortality Bus in Washington DC (Roen Horn)  "I would be very surprised if people are human beings," Istvan explains to N2S Executive Producer Jen Poyant. "I think we'll all be cyborgs at that point. I think there will be body shops where we're replacing our limbs...all controlled by software, all working together. We'll be able to run faster than cheetahs." Hear more about Istvan's predictions about our impending future, the issues you'll likely be voting on in 2040, and how he plans to do for Transhumanism what Al Gore did for global warming. Jen, however, has a soft spot for appreciating life as it is. It's a political debate you'll actually enjoy. For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

Mindfulness is quite the buzzword these days. Especially within Silicon Valley, where many tech workers have been known to seek out guidance and spiritual direction in Eastern practices. HBO's Silicon Valley parodied the trend with a tech company CEO who seems to be attached at the hip to his spiritual advisor.  Putting fiction aside though, we've talked a lot about information overload and our addiction to our gadgets. We're living in a world where it is challenging to be mindful. And, well, we all can't afford to have a spiritual guru following us around non-stop. So, we brought in an actual spiritual advisor from the actual Silicon Valley to help bring us more kindness, compassion, and happiness (especially during this election season). His name is Chade-Meng Tan and he's a former Google software engineer where his job title was, "Jolly Good Fellow." After retiring from Google in 2015, Chade-Meng began focusing on bringing mindfulness to the masses. "I'm calling it transformational philanthropy, which is to try to transform human beings. Make peace, joy, compassion the default state of all human beings," he says. In his quest, he recently wrote Joy on Demand: The Art of Discovering the Happiness Within.  And he stopped by N2S to share some simple exercises for us all to find more joy and happiness. Step one: take one very long inhale in and then slowly exhale, listening to the sound of your breath as you do so. Then hit "play" above to find some serenity now.    For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.    

Legendary performance artist, Marina Abramović, got more than 750,000 people to slow down and wait in line at MoMA just to sit at a table across from her. She also convinced Manoush and N2S Executive Producer Jen Poyant (and hundreds of other New Yorkers) to lock away their phones, sit in silence for 30 minutes, and then listen to Bach's Goldberg Variations. She just published Walk Through Walls: A Memoir and she thinks that our over-caffeinated, hyper-productive society needs her now more than ever.   With the everyday upkeep of our virtual selves on Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat, many of us have become nearly as performative as Marina herself. And so, in response, she's changed her work to become more about us. She is focusing on ways to help us put our phones down and to restore our overtaxed systems in a digital world. Here are just a couple of her suggestions: Find ways to truly be alone. Marina suggests things like: going to the desert, hiking to a waterfall, (and for the brave of heart) looking inside of a volcano. Find ways to be be with nature in any way you can.  Re-channel your energies. As an experiment, instead of checking emails or immediately texting right after you wake up, take some time (a whole bunch of time) and sit by a window. Marina says that in the beginning you'll feel restless, but push through it, you have to train your body to funnel that energy into other places. Host Manoush Zomorodi with performance artist Marina Abramović. (Jen Poyant)  For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

Artist Marina Abramović – the woman famous for staring into a record-breaking number of people's eyes at MoMA, letting an audience point a gun at her head, and convincing the public to take performance art seriously – has some opinions about our phones. Namely: They are distracting us, and we need to stop pretending like they aren't.  Her 2015 project was called "Goldberg," and it was a collaboration with celebrated pianist Igor Levit and the Park Avenue Armory. The team says it was designed to help audiences remember what full attention actually feels, looks, and sounds like. Through a performance of J.S. Bach's notoriously difficult Goldberg Variations, they were attempting "a reimagining of the traditional concert experience," in which attendees first trade their tickets for a key. Each key had a corresponding locker, in which they were instructed to put their phone, watch, computer, and any other personal belongings that tell time or receive a signal from outside. Guests arriving at the Armory, putting their distractions behind lock and key. (James Ewing) Once they had locked the doors, they were given a pair of noise-canceling headphones. For the first thirty minutes of the performance, that's it. The entire audience – and also Levit, the performer – sat together in complete silence.  The audience sitting in total silence. Yes, total. (James Ewing) Levit then broke the silence by starting to play his version of the Goldberg Variations.  Legend has it that Bach originally wrote the Goldberg variations to soothe an insomniac Austrian Count through the night. (James Ewing)  On this podcast extra, Abramović explains her "method" for really, truly listening: Marina Abramović: You're taking a taxi, you're concerned you're on time, you're answering [a] last phone call and so on. And you're arriving, and you sit down, and you hear the concert... but you're not ready to hear anything. You're just too busy. So I'm giving this time and space to the public to actually prepare themselves. Manoush Zomorodi: But surely, I mean, we're grown ups right? I'm coming to the concert. Can't we just turn off our phone? Why does it have to be so heavy-handed? Abramović: ...If Igor has enormous discipline to learn by heart the Goldberg variations with 86 minutes, and play [them] in the most incredible magic way, we can have discipline to to honor this. And to just see, to have [a] new experience... the moment you don't have your phone and you don't have the watch to check if you're sitting there for five minutes or ten, it just gives you a completely different state of mind. Zomorodi: I'm concerned that my state of mind won't be one of calm but rather one of agitation. That it's going to be very difficult for me. Abramović: Well this is where you have the real problem then. That you have to address the problem in your life. That is why it is good for you. Listen above or anywhere you get your podcasts. Bonus points if you sit in total silence for 30 minutes first. For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

This episode features new writing from both Kim Brooks and Kiki Petrosino. Find Kim's essay, "The Problem of Caring" here, and find the poem Kiki wrote for this project, entitled, "Letter Beginning: If My Body is a Text," here. Six years ago, Kim Brooks started going on "news fasts." She was struggling with parinatal depression at the time and the news of the world was often too much—too terrible—for her to absorb. So she got into the habit of taking time away from headlines and her Twitter feed to turn her focus inward.  During the week of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling's deaths, Kim was on one of these fasts. When she returned to her screen, she realized her break from the news was possible because of the color of her skin. Kim is white. She doesn't have to think about police brutality. According to Pew Research, there's a significant difference in how black and white adults use social media to talk about race-related content. About two-thirds of black social media users (68%) say at least some of the posts they see are about race or race relations. One-third of whites agree. And there's a similar racial gap when it comes to posting, too: among black social media users, 28% say most or some of what they post is about race or race relations. 8% of whites say the same. "This is one of the ugliest manifestations of my privilege that I can envision: the luxury of ignorance." Kiki Petrosino, a poet, professor, and a friend of Kim's, saw the internet as a necessary way to immerse herself in what was happening. Kiki is bi-racial, and while Kim was offline, Kiki noticed a striking paradox at the center of the storm of circulating images, video, and information on her feed. "On the one hand we're brought really front and center, because you can literally watch someone dying, which is probably the most intimate moment of a life. But we don't know that person. We can't touch them, we can't talk to their family. It really throws into question how to participate in community given all these technological advancements that we're making..."Videos of police shooting young, black men and a troubling election cycle, played out on social media, have made racism in this country more visible. How do we balance being informed people with being healthy? Kim and Kiki come up with a strategy for absorbing, understanding, and addressing the news—from places of fear, exhaustion, and privilege. Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.    

"We have an opportunity to do what we want - choose our path instead of the teachers making a choice for us."  Meet Piper, a blond, freckled 9-year-old from Brooklyn who talks like a seasoned grownup. She used to go to public school with Manoush's son but now - with the help of financial aid - she's enrolled in a new experimental school in her neighborhood: AltSchool. AltSchool is not your typical private school. Its founder is Max Ventilla, a former Google executive with a vision to reform education. Ventilla's company, with over 100 million dollars from investors like Mark Zuckerberg and Marc Andreesen, uses tech to teach and track students' social and academic skills. Ventilla's idea is that over time, that data can build a more thorough picture of each student and determine how she is taught. This method of "personalized learning" (think Montessori 2.0) is being prototyped in eight "micro-schools" in Palo Alto, San Francisco, and New York City, with the goal of applying it to schools everywhere. Manoush went to visit one in Brooklyn. NPR's education reporter Anya Kamanetz is skeptical of Ventilla's goal to optimize education for the masses, and she's concerned about Silicon Valley's foray into education. "They have a giant promise, which is that the right software system, the right operating system, is going to transform teaching and learning... and, what it ultimately means is that they have shareholders to satisfy." This week: can a tech startup engineer a better system for learning everywhere and make money doing it? And would these two tech reporters/mothers send their own kids there? There are a lot of buzzwords in education technology — including the phrase "education technology!" We've rounded up some of the most common in this list. Consult it as you and your kids face more tech in the classroom.  For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

Life is made up of gestures, sayings, emotions, and sounds. Note them one by one and you see them as individual elements, granular aspects of our day-to-day. On a minute level, they may not say much. But look at them together, draw them out, and they can begin to tell a story. (When we say "draw" here, we mean literally draw.)  That's exactly what two whimsical data scientists did in a new book, Dear Data . It's a collection of whimsical postcards Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec exchanged over the course of 52 weeks.  Each week, Giorgia and Stefanie would assign themselves a small-scale data collection project-- to track their "thank yous," or their desires, or their productivity, or the frequency with which they checked the time-- and then exchanged their findings in hand-drawn postcards. This week, Giorgia and Stefanie took us down the rabbit hole of three postcards: "thank yous," "complaints," and "sounds." You can check out the images here along with the original music made by Hannis Brown featured in the episode.     Now it's your turn, dear Note to Self listener.  Have you been collecting data about your life? No topic is too small or too large. We want to see your homemade data visualizations.  Share with us a weekly visualization of the times you walk your dog, or boxes of mac and cheese your kids eat, or the strange sounds your car makes, or the times you text your spouse, or the places you daydream of visiting on vacation… or anything else. We'd love to get a postcard from you; our snail mail address is: Note to Self c/o WNYC, 160 Varick St., New York, NY 10013. You can also email a photo of your postcard to notetoself@wnyc.org; or share it on Twitter or Facebook.   Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.

Algorithms operate everywhere in our daily lives. Using the information we give them, they're constantly learning about who we are and what we're more likely to buy. (Remember how that pricey coffee maker you looked at online showed up in your Facebook ads for the next two weeks?) Most of the time, it's no big deal. But in an era where more than 40% of Americans get their news from Facebook, these algorithms can have a real impact on how we see the world. They may even have the power to shape our democracy. (Cue ominous music.)  So here's the thing: every time you "like" something, share something, tag yourself in a photo, or click on an article on Facebook, the site collects data on you and files it away in their folder of YOU. And it's not just your activity on Facebook that they're keeping track of. They also track what device you used to log on, what other app you came from, other sites you've visited, and much more. All that data helps Facebook paint a detailed picture of who you are and what you like for advertisers. The problem is that we don't know how, exactly, that picture is formed. The algorithms at work are a "black box." We don't know how these algorithms decide whether we're a "trendy mom" or a "frequent traveler." And we don't know how they decide which ads to show us. In short, no one is really accountable.   On this week's episode, we talk with ProPublica investigative journalist Julia Angwin about how Facebook collects data and uses it to categorize us. And here's where you come in, dear N2S listener. We are collaborating with ProPublica on their Black Box Data Project, which has just launched. You can take part in this important digital experiment. So go download the Google Chrome extension for your web browser at propublica.org/blackbox. Tell us what you find out and how it makes you feel. Reach out in the comments section below; email us notetoself@wnyc.org; holler at us on Twitter or Facebook; and fill in ProPublica and Julia Angwin too.      For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

Who is probably the only person in the world who can talk about technology and global equality, breastfeeding, and how her kids' Grandpa used to be president? Yup, it's Chelsea Clinton.  Manoush recently caught up with the daughter of the Democratic nominee for President at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.   Chelsea has been collecting and analyzing data and stories about women, girls, and tech in developing countries to understand how learning to code and getting digital access can help them build better lives. And she'll talk about why she's so frustrated by the gender gap in tech, how she juggles time between her 3 month-old and the campaign trail, and why she's passionate about policies that support parents in the workplace.    Chelsea Clinton and Manoush Zomorodi snap a selife at CGI. (Manoush Zomorodi/WNYC) Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.    

Video games are the new self-help, and Jane McGonigal is here to tell us why. She's an all around gaming boss (see here and here) and she's the director of game research and development at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California where she's spent years researching our brains during what she calls, "the state of play." After wading through tons of research, she found that gaming is a wonderland of possibilities to make us smarter, happier, and more creative people.  So game play isn't just an escape? Nope, it doesn't have to be. Jane says that the key to finding positive emotions and empowerment is to ground your gaming in real life. So when you're trapped in Minecraft, don't give up and walk away, trudge on. Fight. Or use creative problem-solving to get to to the next level. Those skills or resources will spill out from the virtual world and into the real one.  In fact, gaming can help cope with depression and combat anxiety, but it's all about the dosage (i.e. how much gaming you're doing). And we didn't want to leave you hanging when it comes to figuring out which games are best for what. Here are Jane's prescriptions: If you're trying to lose weight: "When you feel a craving coming on, play a visual pattern-matching game on your phone -- like Tetris or Candy Crush Saga – for ten minutes. These games have been shown in scientific studies to reduce cravings, by monopolizing your visual imagination and blocking your brain's ability to picture the thing you crave. Research shows that players make healthier eating choices in the hour after they've played!" If you need to reduce stress or combat anxiety: "Try the new game Reigns. It's a simple and easy-to-learn game in the style of games known to activate the same blood flow patterns in the brain as meditation, creating a blissful state of mind known as "flow." Research shows that twenty minutes of these flow-inducing games, three times a week, will help you focus your mind and calm yourself, and improve your mood for hours afterward. (Believe it or not, I've met many Buddhist monks who play Angry Birds!)" If you could use a boost of extra energy and motivation: "Play a really tricky puzzle game, like Sudoku, Cut the Rope, or The Room. Research shows that trying to solve a difficult puzzle increases dopamine levels in your brain, which is the neurotransmitter that increases your work ethic and will power. It doesn't matter if you successfully complete the game or not – just trying will do the trick, and the harder the better. So if you have a difficult project to tackle, or a complex problem to solve, prime your brain for success with fifteen minutes of puzzling first." Manoush is an old-school Tetris addict and she just downloaded it on her phone to play guilt-free. But what's your jam? Tell us what you like playing and why. As per the usual,  get in touch at notetoself@wnyc.org, or the comments section below, or on Twitter or Facebook.   UPDATE: You've been writing in to tell us about the games you use to de-stress or stretch your brain, and they sound so good we had to share.  Below, suggestions from Note to Self listeners:  "If you're looking for a game to play before bed, Harvest Moon is my all time favorite. Nothing is as relaxing as simulated farming." - Maggie "I like playing a game called Wordament to help deal with stress or to calm my brain down at the end of the day. It forces my brain to focus on just one thing rather than having scattershot thoughts." - Chris "The Witness is the epitome of puzzle games. If you want a mind-tearing, beautiful, and unbelievably involved puzzle game, that is the game for you." - Justin "Words With Friends keeps me connected. Monument Valley just tickled me. Klondike Solitaire to empty my head." - Peg "Since I was 11 years old, The Sims has been one of the most effective stress-relieving aspects of my life. There's something about the steady, creative process of building a house, achieving perceived long-term goals (Barista -> Manager in 1 hour, what?!) and social experimentation that completely relaxes me. Crazy to think after 15 years of turbulent high school emotions, unrewarding internships, stressful career deadlines, that this one game has evolved with me and, in my opinion, heightened by durability to the pressures of everyday life." - Angelique "I remembered  while looking into Monument Valley in particular that the soundtracks are so also so helpful for studying. My favorites right now are MV's, Journey, and Firewatch!!" - Tracey "I play ancestry.com. It's the only technology driven game I've ever played. I find it fun, interesting, challenging and then I have a kinship chart for my children when I'm finished." - Leslie "My game is Spelltower. My daughter enjoys playing many games- Satellina, Monument Valley, Pictoword, Twist -- and I think most are useful in teaching problem-solving." - Leanna  For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.    

Come along with us... into the future. A place where there is a written record of everything you've said-- ever.  We're calling it the transcribed life, and our guide is Rose Eveleth, the host of the Flash Forward podcast. This week, Rose delves into the benefits and dangers of this not-so-distant future.  The tech is coming. It's just a question of getting past the "sheep and goats" hurdle according to Steve Renals, professor of speech technology at the University of Edinburgh. Sheep and goats? It's a nerdy metaphor technologists in the field use.  Sheep are the voices the software can easily recognize. Goats are outliers. As the technology gets better, it'll hear us all as sheep. Once the machines can consistently recognize-- and transcribe-- our speech patterns, things get tricky.  Sara Watson, technology critic and research fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, considers whether such technology could fundamentally change the way we communicate with each other. Finally, we get a taste of the transcribed life with Heather Ratcliff, who, because of a rare genetic disorder, wants a detailed log of her day to help her fill in gaps in her memory. Her experiment brings some unexpected results.  As we consider the pros and cons of this technology, we want to hear from you, dear N2S listener. Does the transcribed life sound good to you? Or does this searchable record terrify you to your core? Tell us about it. Record a voice memo and email it to notetoself@wnyc.org, or tell us in the comments section below, or send us a message on Twitter or Facebook.   For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

It's tough being a teenager these days. This week, we head to Fayetteville, North Carolina where high school star quarterback, Cormega Copening, faced five felony charges of sexual exploitation of a minor for exchanging racy (or romantic, depending on your point of view) photos with his girlfriend in 2015. Just half of states in the U.S. have proposed or implemented laws that address teen sexting directly. Depending on where you live, teens who send or receive a sext to/from anyone under 18 can be charged with child pornography. In Fayetteville, things took a turn for the Kafkaesque because of a North Carolina law that treats 16-year-olds as adults if they are charged with a crime. Fayetteville Observer reporter, Paul Woolverton, explains, "We're one of two states that say that if you are 16 or older, if you're charged with a crime, you're an adult. But if you're the victim of a crime, you're a minor. So in these cases, since they were under 18 but over 16, they were both the adult criminals who exploited their minor selves."  Click "listen" above to hear more about the case of two consenting teenagers who expressed themselves in sexts and became the center of a very public debate.  Further listening:  Last year, N2S spoke to Cañon City Schools superintendent the day after students were found trading nude photographs "like baseball cards."  Listener favorite: Manoush and Peggy Orenstein discuss what it's like to be desired AND empowered as a young woman. And don't forget, 16-year-old Grace who schools Manoush on how cell phone envy is still a thing. For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.  Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is stocked with all kinds of gadgets: singing calculators, talking typewriters, even video games that you navigate using only sound. Most are specialized and expensive — the school can afford them, but a lot of families can't. There is one piece of tech, however, that almost every student has, and, absolutely every student wants. It's a status symbol, it's a social media machine, and it will read text out loud. Yes, it's an iPhone. And 'reading' on a smartphone is gaining prominence as a reliable tool for the visually impaired.  However this tool is the center of a larger question blind students and society at large are facing: Are iPads and iPhones rendering Braille obsolete? And if so, should advocates for the visually impaired be worried? Click "listen" above and hear reporter Ryan Kailath take us into The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to hear all sides of the issue.  And don't forget to check out our test to see how fast you can 'read with your ears,' a skill that blind kids often acquire and master.  This is a repeat episode which originally aired in 2015. For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.   Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.   

"You go, 'Damn, just it's not my crazy person... it's everyone's crazy person!'" – Elan Gale, creator of Texts From Your Ex, Tinder Nightmares, Unspirational and more If you're not one of Text From Your Ex's 1.9 million followers already, here's what you need to know: Elan Gale's brainchild is an Instagram account with pages and pages of awkwardness captured in screenshots. They're submitted by email, and Gale says he has a backlog of 40,000 "just sitting around." ROCK AND ROLLLLLL A photo posted by Unspirational (@textsfromyourex) on Jun 9, 2016 at 10:16pm PDT It turns out, reading through hundreds of thousands of other people's emotionally loaded conversations gives you some pretty profound insight into relationships, technology, and privacy (or rather... the utter lack thereof). "You've never had an interesting text conversation that hasn't been sent to ten people. That's just what people do," Gale says. "Even though we treat relationships more casually because of text messages and the way we communicate, you have to actually trust people more to be open and honest with them because you have your entire personal life on their phone, or their watch, or their unguarded computer. And they're irresponsible dicks... and at any moment anyone could just have a lapse of judgement for 45 seconds and leave their phone on a table without a passcode and your entire life is visible. So why pretend that it's not?"    Seems like a fair trade A photo posted by Unspirational (@textsfromyourex) on Sep 9, 2015 at 2:06pm PDT Elan Gale's "Texts From Your Ex" book is available in paperback. This is a repeat episode which originally aired in 2015. For more Note to Self, subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else using our RSS feed.   Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.