How We Got to Bellcore - Computing Up First Conversation
How Michael Littman and Dave Ackley met, in the 1980's. [Title image based on a street view from Oct 2016 (© 2017 Google) --- long after Bellcore had moved out --- of the 'Y building' in Morristown...
View ArticleThe Meaning of Life - Computing Up Second Conversation
Let's just get this sorted out right now. [Title background image: The Elakala Falls in West Virginia, from Wikipedia ]
View ArticleThe AI Apocalypse - Computing Up Third Conversation
So how doomed are we? [Title background image: An Atlas robot image, supplied as public information by DARPA, overlaid on a post-apocalyptic cityscape licensed under CC-BY-2.0 by Ty'Onah Gallman]
View ArticleElusive Randomness - Computing Up Fourth Conversation
Randomness writ large. With discussion of Brendan Koerner's recent Wired article on hacking casino slot machines. [Title background image: A photograph of Las Vegas slot machines, licensed under...
View ArticleEmotions and Reinforcement Learning - Computing Up Fifth Conversation
Emotions and reinforcement learning. Partly inspired by Eric Barker's recent discussion of emotional intelligence. [Title background image: Happy robot and sad robot created, and placed in the public...
View ArticleThe Meaning of Science - Computing Up Sixth Conversation
The meaning of science, and engineering, and philosophy of science, and the ultimate physicality of all things including ideas. [Title image based on Chalkboard in empty classroom licensed under...
View ArticleMelanie Mitchell on AI - Computing Up Seventh Conversation
Professor and author Melanie Mitchell discusses artificial intelligence with Dave. [Title photograph courtesy of Melanie Mitchell]
View ArticleTEDx Twice - Computing Up Eighth Conversation
Dave finds out how Michael ended up doing two TEDx talks in a month and a half. [Title image using screengrabs from Michael's talks at TEDx Providence and TEDx Boston]
View ArticleEvolution Porn - Computing Up Ninth Conversation
From evolution to proxy fitness to generalized drugs and back again. [Title image combines a public domain CC0 book image plus a version of Ernst Haeckel's 'Tree of Life' drawing]
View ArticleNow It's Meltdown and Spectre - Computing Up Tenth Conversation
Discussing the immediate and ultimate causes of these latest horrible predictable computer vulnerabilities. But note that Dave the big expert confuses his facts at least twice: Austria is not Germany,...
View ArticleCharles Isbell is Reinventing Computer Education - Computing Up Eleventh...
Michael talks to Professor Charles Isbell about computing education and topics ranging from Sebastian Thrun to whether computer science is a lame name. [Title photograph courtesy of Charles Isbell]
View ArticleThe Internet - Computing Up Twelfth Conversation
We are in the bronze age of the internet. [Title background image is a 2005-era partial internet map, created by Matt Britt using data from the OPTE project, licensed under CC-BY-2.5]
View ArticleRichard Gerrig on Narrative Worlds - Computing Up Thirteenth Conversation
Michael and Dave talk to Professor Richard Gerrig about the power and the computation and cognitive science of stories and narrative worlds. Watch out! There be monsters! [Title photograph courtesy of...
View ArticleGod exists - Computing Up Fourteenth Conversation
God exists in a perfectly real sense that is sure to please almost no one.
View ArticleUploading and Immortality - Computing Up Fifteenth Conversation
Dave and Michael talk about achieving immortality by 'uploading' yourself into a computer. (Note: There's also this book.) [Episode thumbnail based on public domain image.]
View ArticleDoing Standup - Computing Up Sixteenth Conversation
Some professors think they're, like, funny.
View ArticleT2sday Updates - Computing Up Seventeenth Conversation
Dave's new thing. Also, Allen Ginsberg, and fricken leximited.
View ArticleDoes Neutral Point of View Exist - Computing Up Eighteenth Conversation
Michael corners Dave-the-extreme-relativist on the meaning of neutrality.
View ArticleProgramming in Grad Student - Computing Up Nineteenth Conversation
When people ask what programming language Michael uses, he basically has to say 'Graduate Students'.
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