Data Nation

We face many overwhelming challenges in America today: systemic racism, data privacy, and political misinformation. These are big problems, and there are a lot of opinions and ideas on how to fix them. Scholars and industry experts often disagree on how to find solutions. So, how can we find the right way to move forward? We let the data speak for itself. Join hosts Liberty Vittert and Munther Dahleh as they gather data and get the facts about today’s most pressing problems to find out: are solutions even possible? They’ll investigate with MIT professors dedicated to researching these issues, and talk with the people on the ground encountering these problems every day so that we can find the best solutions that triumph over these challenges and solve America’s biggest problems. Data Nation is a production of MIT's Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.

What is going to happen on Nov 5, 2024? 10/24/2024

What is going to happen on Nov 5, 2024? Today on Data Nation, guests John Della Volpe and Scott Tranter join us to discuss the approaching 2024 U.S. presidential election. Together, we’ll explore the many factors at play in the 2024 election from discussing the role of Gen Z voters and the use of social media in campaigning to the importance of swing state voters. Our guests bring fascinating insights with John Della Volpe, the Director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, and the author of “Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America”, and Scott Tranter, head of data science and owner of Decision Desk HQ, Former Director of Data Science for Marco Rubio for President, and co-founder of Øptimus. Ultimately, there’s so much strategy and a multitude of factors surrounding the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and the results will undoubtedly shape the future of our country and our democracy. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/33595967

The D in Democracy stands for Data 09/25/2024

The D in Democracy stands for Data With Election Day nearing, this episode explores the relationships between polling and election digitalization with experts Andrew Gelman, a statistician and political scientist at Columbia University, and Brendan Lind, the founder of Human Agency - a company specializing in creating digital footprints for companies and individuals. Co-hosts Liberty Vittert and Munther Dahleh lead conversation to unpack polling methodologies, the implications on campaign strategy of the "bandwagon" and "underdog" effects, how data can be leveraged to target key demographics and swing states, the influence of social media on public opinion, and more. Tune in to Data Nation for an insightful discussion that unpacks the role of data in our democracy! /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/33205392

Driving technology change 02/29/2024

Driving technology change Why are they using more electric cars in Norway than in the US? What are the underlying mechanisms that drive technological change, and how can we influence them? What is ‘soft technology’ and what role can it play in lowering carbon emissions? In the season 2 finale of Data Nation, IDSS professor Jessika Trancik explains how her lab attempts to measure and model a technology’s real or potential impact, beneficial or harmful, on people, the environment, society — and on critical outcomes like mitigating climate change. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/30167973

Profit and profiteering in the housing market 12/12/2023

Profit and profiteering in the housing market When Maxwell Frost was elected to Congress, he struggled to find housing in DC. Today he advocates for stronger consumer protections and authors legislation to level the playing field between renters and landlords. Frost joins Data Nation along with Catherine D’Ignazio, an Urban Science and Planning professor at MIT, to talk about the challenges renters and home buyers face, how algorithmic technology perpetuates discrimination, and the importance of understanding where data comes from and who benefits from usi /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/29047103

The case for AI optimism 10/24/2023

The case for AI optimism As an MIT professor and tech entrepreneur, Devavrat Shah has seen firsthand how AI tools can impact research, business, and careers. While some have dire warnings about the scale of harm AI can cause, Shah is optimistic. He joins the Data Nation podcast to dispel some doom and gloom, unpack ways that people are already using AI to make change for the better, and to examine how future benefits can emerge with regulation and education. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/28406156

Data Dilemmas in Health 09/06/2023

Data Dilemmas in Health Facing the tough decisions of a serious health threat brings the need for information and analysis into a sharp and personal focus. Computer scientist Regina Barzilay was an expert in natural language processing when she joined MIT; her cancer diagnosis led her to collaborations in healthcare, where she has advanced imaging, prediction, drug discovery, and clinical AI. She joins Munther Dahleh and Liberty Vittert to talk about issues from data collection and privacy to bias and “distributional shift” – when an algorithm is used on a dataset with key differences from the data used to train it. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/27959373

Can you steal an election? 06/08/2023

Can you steal an election? The term “election fraud” is on the verge of making a comeback with the approach of the 2024 presidential election. Liberty Vittert and Munther Dahleh speak to MIT political scientist and MIT Election Lab director Charles Stewart to get to the bottom of modern-day election fraud. When are voting errors significant? How has voting evolved throughout American history? What effect did the COVID pandemic have on our elections? What do you need to know to be an informed voter in America? /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/27077784

AI, Avatars, and Augmented Reality 05/02/2023

AI, Avatars, and Augmented Reality Liberty Vittert and Munther Dahleh dive into the world of augmented and virtual reality this month with Professor Fox Harrell. Harrell is Professor of Digital Media & AI in both the Comparative Media Studies Program and the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT. Is the world ready for what’s coming? Will augmented reality and virtual reality be a force for good or for evil, and what can you do to prepare yourself? You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mitidss. Thanks for listening to Data Nation from the MIT Institute of Data Systems and Society. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26724216

The inflection point: AI and the future of work 04/04/2023

The inflection point: AI and the future of work Ford Professor in the MIT Department of Economics David Autor joins Data Nation to explore how AI automation can replace, augment, and unpredictably change how we work. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26444205

Counting ZZZs: What Brain Data Tells Us about Anesthesia and Sleep 03/07/2023

Counting ZZZs: What Brain Data Tells Us about Anesthesia and Sleep In this episode of Data Nation, we’re talking all about anesthesia and sleep with Dr. Emery Brown. Dr. Brown is a Professor in IDSS and Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, as well as Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Data Nation is hosted by Professor Liberty Vittert and Dr. Munther Dahleh, the head of MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. Data Nation is a production of MIT's Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26152761

The Data Dilemma of Racial Profiling 10/27/2022

The Data Dilemma of Racial Profiling When it comes to racial profiling, data both hurts and helps. Liberty and Scott investigate the damage policing data can do to communities and how data can also be used to solve the problem. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092362

Robot Doctors, Who’s a Fan of Them? 10/20/2022

Robot Doctors, Who’s a Fan of Them? Who’s more reliable in deciding our medical fate, a human doctor or an algorithm? Liberty and Scott are getting the truth on AI’s role in healthcare to find out if it’s something we can trust. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092359

What in the World is the Metaverse? 10/13/2022

What in the World is the Metaverse? When someone brings it up, you either get really excited, or you have no clue what they’re talking about. Or both! Liberty and Scott discover what the metaverse is, what it’s not, and if it will help society flourish. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092356

The Dark Side to the Data Economy 10/06/2022

The Dark Side to the Data Economy Your data is being tracked. But, where is it going, what are they doing with it, and how are they getting it? Liberty and Scott are investigating just how dangerous the data economy really is. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092353

The Deadly Epidemic That’s Gone on Too Long 09/29/2022

The Deadly Epidemic That’s Gone on Too Long It’s a killer that’s been swept under the rug ー opioid overdose. Deaths are only increasing, so Liberty and Scott investigate why this decades-old epidemic is still a problem and what can be done to end it. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092350

Credit Scores, No Friend of Ours 09/22/2022

Credit Scores, No Friend of Ours Credit scores may be more sinister than we realized. Liberty and Scott are finding out just how antagonistic they are and what alternatives could revolutionize the current system. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092344

Misinformation…Democracy’s Downfall? 09/15/2022

Misinformation…Democracy’s Downfall? Do the 2016 and 2020 elections come to mind? Liberty and Scott investigate if misinformation actually swayed the elections, if it’s a weapon we need to be worried about, or if it’s the new norm. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092341

Analytics, Are They Ruining Sports? 09/08/2022

Analytics, Are They Ruining Sports? Fans argue that analytics are ruining sports. Professional teams say they aren’t. And sports bettors are finding that data may be their new secret weapon. Liberty and Scott investigate if sports analytics will ruin the game. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092335

Introducing Data Nation 08/19/2022

Introducing Data Nation We face a lot of overwhelming challenges today in America–systemic racism, data privacy, misinformation. These are big problems, and there are a lot of opinions and ideas on how to fix them. Scholars and industry experts often disagree on how to find solutions. So, how can we find the right way to move forward? We let the data speak for itself. /episode/index/show/98039fc4-79bd-4f1e-a0fa-9ea46ab7c34e/id/26092332

Data Nation

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