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The Six Laws of Technology Everyone Should Know

November 26, 2017

Melvin Kranzberg, co-founder of the Society for History of Technology and former professor in the School of History and Sociology at Georgia Institute of Technology, was featured in the Wall Street Journal, November 26, article, “The Six Laws of Technology Everyone Should know.” The School of History and Sociology is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Three decades ago, a historian wrote six laws to explain society’s unease with the power and pervasiveness of technology. Though based on historical examples taken from the Cold War, the laws read as a cheat sheet for explaining our era of Facebook, Google, the iPhone and FOMO. You’ve probably never heard of these principles or their author, Melvin Kranzberg, a professor of the history of technology at Georgia Institute of Technology who died in 1995.

For the full article, visit the Wall Street Journal website. Subscription required.

Published in: The Wallstreet Journal
Designing Reality: Three Brothers Anticipate the Rise of Digital Fabrication

November 21, 2017

Philip Shapira, professor in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the book review “Designing Reality: Three Brothers Anticipate the Rise of Digital Fabrication” for the November 21 Science magazine blog. The School of Public Policy is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Nonetheless, all the brothers anticipate the expansion of digital fabrication. Indeed, Neil posits that the number of fab labs will double every 18 months, an exponential surge inspired by the prescient prediction from Intel’s Gordon Moore in 1965 that transistors on integrated circuits would double every 2 years. Alan and Joel counter with a limiting factor, observing that institutional change rates are, at best, linear.

The Gershenfelds agree that any technological road map for digital fabrication needs to be integrated with a societal road map. They argue for early consideration of impacts and for anticipatory processes of redesign for digital fabrication. Recommendations to scientists, philanthropists, investors, government officials, and community leaders call for improved tools, integrated deployment, inclusiveness, and risk minimization.

Published in: Science Magazine Blog
Driverless Cars Will Change the Way Cities Feel

November 15, 2017

Ian Bogost, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the CityLab, November 15, article, “Driverless Cars Will Change the Way Cities Feel.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

It’s 6 p.m. in Tempe, Arizona and pitch-black outside. I’m standing in the middle of a five-lane thoroughfare, among a group of people too numerous for the narrow median. We got trapped here after a brigade of left-turning cars preempted our passage—that’s a thing that happens in cities like this one, designed for automobiles over pedestrians. An SUV pulls up as we cower inches away, waiting for the next traffic-light cycle. The driver’s window is rolled down to allow some of the cool night air in. The man behind the wheel looks bored like most drivers do. But he isn’t a driver, not exactly. The vehicle he controls is an autonomous Volvo operated by Uber, which is conducting an ongoing test of its self-driving fleet here. With his hands idle in his lap, the driver is more like us pedestrians—waiting for the cars around him to move. Whether in five years or 25, eventually cars like this one will probably convey most people to their destinations. Bogost is a contributing editor at The Atlantic. He is the Ivan Allen College Distinguished Chair in media studies and a professor of interactive computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

For the full article, visit CityLab’s website.

Published in: CityLab
Revolutionary New Cancer Therapies Come with Big Risks. Drug Makers Must Be Prepared

November 8, 2017

Aaron Levine, professor in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the STAT, November 8, article, “Revolutionary New Cancer Therapies Come with Big Risks. Drug Makers Must Be Prepared.” The School of Public Policy is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Personalized cell therapy may have come of age with the recent approvals of two novel drugs, Kymriah and Yescarta, that genetically manipulate patient’s own immune cells to fight their cancers. Yet pharmaceutical companies face many challenges, including several key ethical and social issues, if they are to make these new therapies a success. These new drugs, the first in the new family of CAR-T-cell therapies, could revolutionize the treatment of blood cancers and make inroads into the treatment of solid tumors. They work by isolating immune cells known as T-cells from a patient’s blood, genetically engineering these cells to produce receptors that recognize specific tumor cells, growing many millions of copies of these cells in a lab, then infusing them back into the patient. If all goes well, the engineered cells recognize and kill the patient’s tumor cells. Author Aaron D. Levine is an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Public Policy whose work has focused on the role of policy and ethics in the translation of emerging biomedical technologies.

For the full article, visit the STAT webpage.

Published in: STAT
Getting to the Whole Truth About America's Torture of Suspected Terrorists

November 6, 2017

Dr. Macrakis published an article in Newsweek titled "Getting to the Whole Truth About America's Torture of Suspected Terrorists." In the article, she discusses the torture and interrogation practices used by the CIA in 1950s and contrasts these historical practices to those that appeared following 9/11.

The article is related to the talk she will be giving on November 6th titled, “The CIA, Mind Control, Torture & Historical Amnesia," as part of the HSOC Speakers Series.

Read the full article.

Published in: Newsweek
How States Can Wield ‘Official Islam’ to Limit Radical Extremism

November 3, 2017

Lawrence Rubin, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the Washington Post, November 3, article “How States Can Wield ‘Official Islam’ to Limit Radical Extremism.” The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

In a recent interview, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made headlines with a striking claim that he will try to return his country to “moderate Islam” as part of his broader reform efforts. Though it is unclear what, if any, tangible changes this will produce, his remarks are part of a growing trend among leaders in the Arab world to use elements of the state-sponsored religious establishment, or “official Islam,” to counter extremist ideologies.

For the full article visit the Washington Post website.

Published in: The Washington Post
Nightmare Consumption: On Dina Khapaeva’s “The Celebration of Death in Contemporary Culture”

October 31, 2017

Dina Khapaeva’s book “The Celebration of Death in Contemporary Culture” was the subject of the Los Angeles Review of Books, October 31, article, “Nightmare Consumption: On Diana Khapaeva’s “The Celebration of Death in Contemporary Culture.”” Khapaeva is a professor in the School of Modern Languages at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The School of Modern Languages is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Dina Khapaeva has written a wonderfully interesting book about a subject most of us would rather not think about, much less devote years of our lives to studying: death. Hers is, fundamentally, an anti-death book. Wait, don’t stop reading — it’s not a live-forever diet, yoga, or genetic engineering manifesto. Rather, it’s an attempt to help us save ourselves from a new cultural cult of death. Khapaeva warns that our culture in general, and young people in particular, are succumbing to the temptation to dwell with death rather than in life.

For the full article, visit the Los Angeles Review of Books website.

Published in: Los Angeles Review of Books
“Why the FBI Is on Your Campus” Article by John Krige

October 16, 2017

John Krige, Kranzberg Professor in the School of History and Sociology, has published an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education titled “Why the FBI is on Your Campus.” In the article, Krige outlines how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) often monitors science and engineering research schools, like Georgia Tech, out of suspicions concerning foreign nationals and “academe’s adherence to openness and the free circulation of ideas.”

Excerpt:

A graduate student was the first to alert me to the activities of the FBI on campus. She was the chair of the program committee for an international conference of science and technology scholars to be held in Washington, D.C. The FBI wanted to see her about the event, and she asked me to join her at the meeting. Their concerns were straightforward. A number of people from China had registered. Were they bona fide scholars, or was this a cover for more nefarious activities? My student was asked to report on any "suspicious activity." It was clear that this kind of request was a routine matter for the FBI agents… John Krige is a professor of history at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Parts of this story draw on a 2015 article in the journal Engaging Science, Technology, and Society.

For the full article, visit The Chronicle of Higher Education website.

Published in: The Chronicle of Higher Education
Why the FBI Is on Your Campus

October 16, 2017

John Krige, Kranzberg Professor in the School of History and Sociology, has published an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education titled “Why the FBI is on Your Campus.” In the article, Krige outlines how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) often monitors science and engineering research schools like Georgia Tech out of suspicions concerning foreign nationals and “academe’s adherence to openness and the free circulation of ideas.”

The full article may be found here.

Published in: Chronicle of Higher Education
The Iran Nuclear Deal Isn’t So Great — for Iran

October 13, 2017

Rachel Whitlark, assistant professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, wrote The Washington Post, October 13, article “The Iran nuclear deal isn’t so great — for Iran.” The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is a unit of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015 among the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, known as P5, plus Germany and Iran, significantly limited Iran’s nuclear program. At the time, some were critical of President Barack Obama’s diplomatic approach, rather than other coercive levers. Two years ago, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called for a “credible threat of military force” so that the Iranians would abandon their nuclear weapons capabilities… Rachel Elizabeth Whitlark is an assistant professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology (@RachelWhitlark).

For the entire article, visit The Washington Post website.

Published in: The Washington Post
Climate Change Will Always Hurt Poor People the Most

October 11, 2017

Marilyn Brown, professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the Gizmodo, October 11, article “Climate Change Will Always Hurt Poor People the Most.” The School of Public Policy is part of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Two to three times a year, heavy rain and backed-up raw sewage flood a block of Peoplestown, Atlanta. Stormwater collects on the highly-impervious concrete buildup of the intersecting interstates 20 and 75/85 just north and flows downhill where it pools on the residential street. Enough rain can bring foul odors and brown-colored water. Promises to update the city’s sewers came and went with the 1996 Olympics, but failed to fix all of the problems in this low-lying, low-income neighborhood… Low-income families typically live in poorly-insulated homes, in neighborhoods with old, inefficient air conditioners — so they need to draw more power to remain healthy, comfortable and productive, said Marilyn Brown, professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech and co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for co-authoring the IPCC Report on Mitigation of Climate Change. “They also often rent and don’t have control over their utility bills,” she said.

To read the full article, visit the Gizmodo website.

Published in: Gizmodo
Getting to the Whole Truth About America’s Torture of Suspected Terrorists

October 9, 2017

Kristie Macrakis, professor in the School of History, Technology and Society at the Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the Newsweek, October 9, article, “Getting to the Whole Truth About America’s Torture of Suspected Terrorists.” The School of History, Technology and Society is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

It’s too bad the trial of two CIA contract psychologists who created the “torture” interrogation program in the wake of 9/11 was canceled and the case settled out of court.

The trial, scheduled for September 5, might have provided publicity that could help prevent future abuses in the name of national security.

Such publicity could also call attention to the need for creating a stronger institutional memory in order to remember similar cases from the past before making the same mistakes in the present.

For the full article, visit the Newsweek website.

Published in: The Newsweek
Why Sexy Robots in Sci-Fi Will Never Die, Literally and Figuratively

October 6, 2017

Lisa Yaszek, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Institute of Technology, was interviewed in the October 6 Inverse article “Why Sexy Robots in Sci-Fi Will Never Die, Literally and Figuratively.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is a unit of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

According to Lisa Yaszek, professor and associate chair in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech, the sexy robot can be traced all the way back to the evil robot Maria from “Metropolis” (1929), though since then, it’s taken on many different forms. Before we dive [into] it, it’d probably help to define what typically qualifies as a sexy robot.

“The sexy robot is obviously going to be conventionally sexy, but it can also be cute,” Yaszek tells Inverse. “It can be an aggressive sexuality like we see with Zhora in Blade Runner, or it can [be] a cute sexuality [as] in anime or manga. But even someone like Pris in Blade Runner plays cute as much as she plays sexy.”

The sexy robot is usually skilled with both domestic work and of course, kicking ass. Basically, part of the lure of the sexy robot is that they could screw you or kill you, depending on their mood. Some people think danger — coupled with complete stoicism — is sexy, I guess.

“This is someone who might do your house cleaning, sexual labor, and then back you up in a bar fight,” Yaszek explains.

To read the full article, visit the Inverse website.

Published in: Inverse
Uber to Launch ‘Uber Movement’ in Atlanta

October 6, 2017

Jennifer Clark, associate professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the WABE, October 6, article “Uber to Launch ‘Uber Movement’ in Atlanta.” The School of Public Policy is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Uber Technologies Inc. wants to help Atlanta tackle one of its biggest headaches — traffic congestion. The ride-hailing service plans to bring a new tool called Uber Movement to the Big A … The data Uber provides is interesting, but not important, noted Jennifer Clark, director of the Center for Urban Innovation at Georgia Tech. Uber trip data is of minimal value to city planners because it’s not representative of overall traffic patterns, Clark added. Urban planners also seek granular data on regular commutes to work, school and grocery stores. “Uber vehicle data may not be the first and best data for that purpose,” Clark said.

For the full article, visit the WABE website.

Published in: WABE
Tech Leaders show off Growth in Atlanta Industry

October 5, 2017

Janet Murray, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the CBS News, October 5, article “Tech Leaders Show Off Growth in Atlanta Industry.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is a unit at the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Because of advancements in technology like V.R., Atlanta tech jobs have grown by more than 46 percent since 2010. That’s according to a tech study done by commercial real estate company CBRE Atlanta.

Tech leaders like Janet Murray say between the city’s film and tech industry, combined with top universities like Georgia Tech, Atlanta offers Amazon a culture no other city can.

“Here we have much more fluid culture,” says Murray, an associate dean for research at Georgia Tech.

Amazon will pick its new city next spring.

To read the full article, visit the CBS News website.

Published in: CBS News
Disaster Relief and Colonial Politics through the Eyes of Puerto Rican-Georgians

October 3, 2017

Juan Carlos Rodriguez, associate professor in the School of Modern Languages at Georgia Institute of Technology, was interviewed in the GPB NEWS, October 3, article and radio segment, “Disaster Relief and Colonial Politics through the Eyes of Puerto Rican-Georgians.” The School of Modern Languages is a unit in the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Hurricane Maria slammed the entire U.S. territory of Puerto Rico two weeks ago. Maria came hard on the havoc of other recent storms, leaving the entire island damaged, flooded, without basic necessities, with disrupted supply lines and no electricity. Nearly 90,000 Puerto Ricans live in Georgia, about a fourth of them in Cobb and Gwinnett Counties. We talked with one Atlanta family originally from Puerto Rico, about the relief effort back home, and the politics beneath the crisis. Cynthia Román-Hernández is a Managing Director of Atlanta’s Latin American Association. Juan Carlos Rodriguez is her husband, and a professor at Georgia Tech, and he also joins the discussion.

To listen to the full interview, visit the GPB News website.

Published in: GPB News
Silicon Valley Isn’t Just Disrupting Democracy — It’s Replacing It

October 3, 2017

Ian Bogost, professor in The School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the Quartz October 3 article “Silicon Valley isn’t just disrupting democracy — it’s replacing it.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is a unit of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

If you want to understand the threat that Silicon Valley poses to culture at large, consider Apple’s $5 billion headquarters. The Cupertino, California, building may seem like paradise to some, with striking architecture—a donut-shaped building featuring the world’s largest piece of curved glass—and lavish details like iPhone-inspired elevator buttons and patented pizza boxes that prevent soggy crusts… Ian Bogost (Georgia Tech) at The Atlantic reports: Instead of stores, they would become “town squares, because they are gathering places.” She’s creating “plazas” in Apple’s largest stores, adding “boardrooms” for entrepreneurs, and recasting aisles as “avenues,” which are “like shop windows around a town square.”

For the entire article “Silicon Valley isn’t just disrupting democracy — it’s replacing it” visit the Quartz website.

Published in: Quartz
Uber to Roll Out Service to Help Atlanta Tackle Traffic Congestion

October 2, 2017

Jennifer Clark, associate professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the Atlanta Business Chronicle October 2 article “Uber to Roll Out Service to Help Atlanta Tackle Traffic Congestion.” The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Uber Technologies Inc. wants to help Atlanta tackle one of its biggest headache - traffic congestion. The ride-hailing service plans to bring a new tool called Uber Movement to the Big A. The web-based dashboard uses Uber trip data in a city to provide insight into traffic chokepoints, traffic flow and mass-transit use. The data is currently available to city planners, academics and private citizens in six cities - Boston, Washington DC, Manila, Philippines; Sydney, Australia; and Bogota, Colombia… The data Uber provides is interesting, but not important, said Jennifer Clark, director of the Center for Urban Innovation at Georgia Tech.

For the entire article “Uber to Roll Out Service to Help Atlanta Tackle Traffic Congestion” visit the Atlanta Business Chronical website.

Published in: The Atlanta Business Chronicle
Things to Do, Oct. 2: History Lecture on African American Homeownership; John le Carre on Screen

October 1, 2017

Todd Michney, assistant professor in the School of History and Sociology at Georgia Institute of Technology, was the subject of the Akron Beacon Journal, October 1, article “Things to Do, Oct. 2: History Lecture on African American Homeownership; John le Carre on Screen.” The School of History and Sociology is a unit of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Todd Michney will deliver the annual George Knepper lecture on American history, sponsored by the history departments of the University of Akron and Kent State at 5:30 p.m. in Simmons Hall on the UA campus. Michney is an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology who focuses on urban history, digital history, African-American history, and the history of race and ethnicity. He’ll speak about homeownership among African-Americans in Cleveland and Atlanta over the past century. It’s free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served afterward.

For the entire article “Things to Do, Oct. 2: History Lecture on African American Homeownership; John le Carre on Screen” visit the Akron Beacon Journal website.

Published in: Akron Beacon Journal
Vince Lombardi Would Be Proud

September 30, 2017

Johnny Smith, assistant professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the Slate September 30 article “Vince Lombardi Would Be Proud.” The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

In the days leading up to the Green Bay Packers’ Thursday night victory over the Chicago Bears, the team asked its fans to join the players in a demonstration of unity—locking arms—during the national anthem. The Packers’ call for solidarity came after President Donald Trump urged NFL owners to fire any player who kneeled during the national anthem. In response to the team’s request, one made in part by its star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, many fans expressed anger over what they perceived as the Packers’ disrespect for the flag, the anthem, and the military—even though black players, taking a cue from Colin Kaepernick, have made clear that they are kneeling in protest against police brutality and racism.

For the full article, visit the Slate website.

Published in: Slate

Recent Press Coverage

The Six Laws of Technology Everyone Should Know

Designing Reality: Three Brothers Anticipate the Rise of Digital Fabrication

Driverless Cars Will Change the Way Cities Feel

Revolutionary New Cancer Therapies Come with Big Risks. Drug Makers Must Be Prepared

Getting to the Whole Truth About America's Torture of Suspected Terrorists

How States Can Wield ‘Official Islam’ to Limit Radical Extremism

Nightmare Consumption: On Dina Khapaeva’s “The Celebration of Death in Contemporary Culture”

“Why the FBI Is on Your Campus” Article by John Krige

Why the FBI Is on Your Campus

The Iran Nuclear Deal Isn’t So Great — for Iran

Climate Change Will Always Hurt Poor People the Most

Getting to the Whole Truth About America’s Torture of Suspected Terrorists

Why Sexy Robots in Sci-Fi Will Never Die, Literally and Figuratively

Uber to Launch ‘Uber Movement’ in Atlanta

Tech Leaders show off Growth in Atlanta Industry

Disaster Relief and Colonial Politics through the Eyes of Puerto Rican-Georgians

Silicon Valley Isn’t Just Disrupting Democracy — It’s Replacing It

Uber to Roll Out Service to Help Atlanta Tackle Traffic Congestion

Things to Do, Oct. 2: History Lecture on African American Homeownership; John le Carre on Screen

Vince Lombardi Would Be Proud

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