In this Medea Vox episode, we talk about sex, intimacy and robots. The basis of the discussion are so-called Real Dolls, which are hyper-realistic sex dolls. Professor Jeffrey Bardzell has studied how people describe their interactions with these dolls and their motivations for using them. This research can help us understand how to design for intimacy, sexuality and self-care.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/Gux5cGDMRn0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

In this Medea Vox episode, we talk about sex, intimacy and robots. The basis of the discussion are so-called Real Dolls, which are hyper-realistic sex dolls. Professor Jeffrey Bardzell has studied how people describe their interactions with these dolls and their motivations for using them. This research can help us understand how to design for intimacy, sexuality and self-care.

Medea Vox

On Sex, Intimacy and Robots

Dance is more than physical exercise. Dance is learning about cultures and getting to know yourself. Dance educator and Afro-diasporic dance expert Moncell Durden says that "Teaching dance is teaching empathy – dance is everywhere, it comes from everyone." In this Medea Vox episode, we talk about hip-hop, cultural appropriation and being h-u-e-m-a-n.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/YMT3iFFSOiQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Dance is more than physical exercise. Dance is learning about cultures and getting to know yourself. Dance educator and Afro-diasporic dance expert Moncell Durden says that "Teaching dance is teaching empathy – dance is everywhere, it comes from everyone." In this Medea Vox episode, we talk about hip-hop, cultural appropriation and being h-u-e-m-a-n.

"Teaching dance is teaching empathy": On hip-hop, cultural appropriation and being h-u-e-m-a-n

New research shows that data centers are not the jackpot that local politicians and energy companies claim they are: They don't create many jobs, they are a burden to the environment and the electricity networks, and they provide little benefit to local communities. So why all the hype when there's a new data center coming to town? In this Medea Vox episode, media researcher Julia Velkova shares her research on data centers.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/MQHgV-kK314" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

New research shows that data centers are not the jackpot that local politicians and energy companies claim they are: They don't create many jobs, they are a burden to the environment and the electricity networks, and they provide little benefit to local communities. So why all the hype when there's a new data center coming to town? In this Medea Vox episode, media researcher Julia Velkova shares her research on data centers.

We need to talk about data centers

Would you rather starve next week when the economy crashes, or in 50 years when the ecosystem collapses? In this Medea Vox episode, we discuss the graphic novel The Beast: Making a Living on a Dying Planet, which has been described as a unique combination of scholarly research and creative writing with the comics medium. With scholars Patrick McCurdy and Temi Odumosu.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/GiBx37vcPaE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Would you rather starve next week when the economy crashes, or in 50 years when the ecosystem collapses? In this Medea Vox episode, we discuss the graphic novel The Beast: Making a Living on a Dying Planet, which has been described as a unique combination of scholarly research and creative writing with the comics medium. With scholars Patrick McCurdy and Temi Odumosu.

Scholarly Research Meets Comics

Scholars Simon Niedenthal and Michelle Westerlaken talk about our sense of smell. Can practicing smelling things delay dementia? Why is it so hard to use odors in video games? And what do zombies really smell like?<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/LXfeecpz_g4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Scholars Simon Niedenthal and Michelle Westerlaken talk about our sense of smell. Can practicing smelling things delay dementia? Why is it so hard to use odors in video games? And what do zombies really smell like?

The Smell of Digital Zombies

Scholars Daniela K. Rosner and Per Linde discuss why women’s design contributions are often excluded in the history of engineering and innovation. They then move on to discuss a project where menstrual product dispensers are placed in public settings – a project that explores collective responsibility for public Internet of Things applications.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/ToWdyWq6NC4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Scholars Daniela K. Rosner and Per Linde discuss why women’s design contributions are often excluded in the history of engineering and innovation. They then move on to discuss a project where menstrual product dispensers are placed in public settings – a project that explores collective responsibility for public Internet of Things applications.

Handwork and computing are not as separate as you may think

Eating animals is outdated. In this episode, designers and PhD students Michelle Westerlaken and Erik Sandelin discuss how to move towards a society that does not treat other animals as lesser beings. Underlying the discussion is the notion of speciesism, which is the oppression or exploitation of animals on the grounds of belonging to another species – similar to racism and sexism.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/0GGvX0-NY4w" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Eating animals is outdated. In this episode, designers and PhD students Michelle Westerlaken and Erik Sandelin discuss how to move towards a society that does not treat other animals as lesser beings. Underlying the discussion is the notion of speciesism, which is the oppression or exploitation of animals on the grounds of belonging to another species – similar to racism and sexism.

Designers Against Animal Oppression

Pille Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt is professor in media and communication studies, but she is also the mother of a child with CHARGE syndrome. In this episode, we discuss digital parenting and how social media platforms can be spaces for pushing the boundaries of being normal.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/Ug6YAyTTpv0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Pille Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt is professor in media and communication studies, but she is also the mother of a child with CHARGE syndrome. In this episode, we discuss digital parenting and how social media platforms can be spaces for pushing the boundaries of being normal.

Making A Space for Alternative Normal

Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year 2016 was post-truth. Together with “fake news”, this is one of the most widely discussed digital phenomena in recent years. Why should we care, and can we do anything about it? In this episode, media scholars Pille Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt and Johan Farkas discuss fake news and post-truth in relation to democracy.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/N5puzPxVuwk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year 2016 was post-truth. Together with “fake news”, this is one of the most widely discussed digital phenomena in recent years. Why should we care, and can we do anything about it? In this episode, media scholars Pille Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt and Johan Farkas discuss fake news and post-truth in relation to democracy.

The Truth About Fake News? On Disinformation, Censorship and Democracy

Comics have been around for more than a hundred years. For a long time, comics were mainly viewed as light entertainment for kids, but today they can also be seen as an aesthetically ambitious art form. But are comics also a politically significant medium? In this episode, comics artist Daria Bogdanska and professor Magnus Nilsson talk about comics and politics.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/nG6g9yCK0ko" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Comics have been around for more than a hundred years. For a long time, comics were mainly viewed as light entertainment for kids, but today they can also be seen as an aesthetically ambitious art form. But are comics also a politically significant medium? In this episode, comics artist Daria Bogdanska and professor Magnus Nilsson talk about comics and politics.

Comics and Politics (with Daria Bogdanska, the author of Wage Slaves)

In this episode we discuss degrowth. How can we build societies where economic growth is no longer important? With Miriam Lang, Ruth Kinna and Alicia Smedberg.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/hfUuupg129I" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

In this episode we discuss degrowth. How can we build societies where economic growth is no longer important? With Miriam Lang, Ruth Kinna and Alicia Smedberg.

Degrowth is not utopian, it’s happening

In this Medea Vox episode, Hugo Boothby and Erin Cory discuss the project “Music for Universities.” The project is based around generative music, which is music that is produced by a system in which degrees of randomization are defined by the composer. Central issues that are explored include audio imperfections and the narrative of technological sonic progress.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/HsmuLK9edLw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

In this Medea Vox episode, Hugo Boothby and Erin Cory discuss the project “Music for Universities.” The project is based around generative music, which is music that is produced by a system in which degrees of randomization are defined by the composer. Central issues that are explored include audio imperfections and the narrative of technological sonic progress.

The iPod Orchestra: Music for Universities

Fiction holds the ability of imagining alternative futures. Through comics, novels and videogames, we can explore social and technical “What If’s.” In this Medea Vox episode, we discuss how fiction can contribute to our thinking about the future in ways which other schools of thought – such as the scientific – cannot.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/NR3vR3CiRT4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Fiction holds the ability of imagining alternative futures. Through comics, novels and videogames, we can explore social and technical “What If’s.” In this Medea Vox episode, we discuss how fiction can contribute to our thinking about the future in ways which other schools of thought – such as the scientific – cannot.

Thinking About the Future Through Fiction

In recent years, the effects of digitalization are starting to appear. Sensor data and algorithms recognize who you are and then open the apartment door and turn on the lights. Data-driven AI helps you find what you want on Google, Amazon and Netflix. Datafication is everywhere. In this Medea Vox episode, Sarah Pink and Maria Engberg discuss the pitfalls of data-driven decision making, ethical data futures, and how people – of course – will tinker with the algorithms in their autonomous vehicles.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/N75Ph4DnLxk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

In recent years, the effects of digitalization are starting to appear. Sensor data and algorithms recognize who you are and then open the apartment door and turn on the lights. Data-driven AI helps you find what you want on Google, Amazon and Netflix. Datafication is everywhere. In this Medea Vox episode, Sarah Pink and Maria Engberg discuss the pitfalls of data-driven decision making, ethical data futures, and how people – of course – will tinker with the algorithms in their autonomous vehicles.

Even self-driving cars will be tinkered with

Sustainability is a wicked problem. The wickedness lies in that the problems related to sustainability can't be solved in isolation from one another—and not with toolkits that take little consideration of the context in which the problem occurs. In this Medea Vox episode, Tim May and Magnus Johansson discuss sustainability from the viewpoint of learning, co-production, and how "knowing" things not always solve everything.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedeaVox/~4/aUir5KznANk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Sustainability is a wicked problem. The wickedness lies in that the problems related to sustainability can't be solved in isolation from one another—and not with toolkits that take little consideration of the context in which the problem occurs. In this Medea Vox episode, Tim May and Magnus Johansson discuss sustainability from the viewpoint of learning, co-production, and how "knowing" things not always solve everything.

hubhopper

Medea Vox

hubhopper