Not Cultural Studies Podcast

This is a 2020 interview from Through the Gates. We talk about why computer translation is not great, and how true computer intelligence would be a “nightmarish scenario.” True cognition is something that took billions of years to evolve. Also, a discussion of Hofstadter’s love of language, and of lipograms, including his “stripped-e’s” performance, a biography missing a crucial letter in the English language:At thirty-two, with my book on its way but still not out, I took a job at Indiana U. in Bloomington, thanks in part to its famous music school, and also to its florid, woodsy campus, but most of all to its warmth and cordiality. “Go for folks who go for you!”, was my Dad’s simplistic but catchy motto (I’m paraphrasing his words to adapt to this situation, naturally, but that was its gist) – and I took his tip, for though it was corny, it was sagacious, too.As AI had advanced beyond where we talked about it in 2020, it seems worth re-listening to this interview for some perspective. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notculturalstudies.substack.com

Author Roya Hakakian discusses a variety of topics about Iran, Israel, and the US. Including: the history of Jews in Iran, cycles of US “engagement” with Iran, the popularity of the Iranian regime at home, Iran’s popularity on US campuses, Iran’s ability to export discord to the West, and assassinations. Will Trump bring something different? We also discuss Hakakian’s story of immigration to the US, her book A Beginner’s Guide to America, and her advice for native-born Americans about valuing democracy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notculturalstudies.substack.com

In 2018, I interviewed IU’s then-President Michael McRobbie (now University Chancellor) about a report that he wrote called Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy. The committee, co-chaired by Lee Bollinger, argued that the biggest challenge facing American elections at that time was “foreign meddling.”The solution, they argued, was that all ballots should be on paper. It was a common-sense suggestion, perhaps a bit ironic coming as it did from experts in cyber-security.Paper may sound like yesterday’s idea, but the future of our democracy may well depend upon it.As far as I am aware, this suggestion has largely been followed. I have seen different statistics, with the MIT Election Lab showing that most voting is done on optical scan devices (where there is a paper trail) and others on machines that mark paper ballots. Less than 10% of voting is done on digital machines.After Trump’s 2016 victory, Russian interference was the leitmotif, mainly put forward as an idea by Democrats who were upset with election result. "In many ways, Trump is the embodiment of everything they had been working toward, and the perfect Trojan Horse for Putin." - Hilary ClintonMcRobbie and colleagues could not have foreseen the challenges that would be on the agenda in 2020. In that case, with the Republicans eventually losing, mail-in balloting became the bête noir, as did ballot harvesting. The Observatory for Social Media conducted surveys in the run-up to 2020, focusing on “unsupported narratives” and the public’s tendency to believe them. About 2/3rds of respondents reported that they were familiar with the idea. In the end, the study found that belief in mail fraud was massively a characteristic of those who supported Trump. Since that time, no party has been able to demonstrate significant fraud. Still, in 2024, the issue persists. Added to it are fears that voters are being counted who are not legitimate voters.This podcast from 2018 shows a way forward with these types of issues. Although a significant influence of foreign actors was never shown in the 2016 election, a relatively non-partisan group of experts could conclude that a move to paper, to old methods, would be a way to forestall such influence. To that extent some of the more vulnerable technologies were weeded out by going backwards, our elections would become more secure. Maybe such solutions are available for our current electoral distrust?The podcast is not too long; please listen for a bit of historical context. Unfortunately public confidence in elections has not increased; there are good examples here of how to approach the problem from the standpoint of expertise rather than ideology. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notculturalstudies.substack.com

Journalism historian Christopher B. Daly discusses the various eras of history in American journalism, including the evolution of concepts like “reporting,” “accuracy,” and “objectivity.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notculturalstudies.substack.com

In April of 2018, I interviewed Amy Wax on the IU podcast Through the Gates. She was visiting IU as a guest of the Tocqueville Program. Her lecture was entitled “What is Happening to the Family and Why?”She spoke about it on the podcast, focusing on topics like sexual and moral deregulation and their impacts.Toward the end of the podcast, she spoke about threats to her research and teaching activities at Penn. She argues that a hands-off approach to free speech may not be enough. Rather, she thinks that universities need to inculcate academic values (“a higher standard than just free speech”).At this writing, Wax has been sanctioned more severely by Penn. Various groups defending academic freedom have criticized Penn’s move. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notculturalstudies.substack.com

Prof. Matthew Pressman talks about his book On Press, which chronicles the transition that journalism made from an era focused on “objectivity” to a greater focus on interpretation. Also, a discussion of how journalism is being taught in journalism schools. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notculturalstudies.substack.com