Community Gearbox's stated mission includes "disrupting individual consumption [to facilitate] the sharing, co-ownership, and mobilization of resources amongst people who –specifically– know and trust each other." The sentiment fits well with a new wave of virtual development centered on accountability through decentralization. Cryptocurrencies may…

We hear about "Big Tech" all the time in political and business coverage, but what does that term actually mean? This becomes a pertinent question considering the influence the name itself has on a startup's IPO price and success projections. WeWork notoriously billed itself as such when its business model resembled that of a real estate firm more …

We here on the show explored the globalizing tech sector in our last episode with AI specialist and data scientist Kathleen Siminyu. Now we return home stateside to analyze its effects on the cultural dynamics of the United States. Industry giants like Facebook, Google and Apple once carried with them an air of endless possibilities; a road to a ne…

Computers, artificial intelligence, and machine learning carry reputations as great equalizers free of human error and false judgement, yet these devices require inputs from humans to function and therefore reflect the prejudices of their programmers, Scholars such as Kathleen herself and the American sociologist Ruha Benjamin explain this phenomen…

The British science magazine Nature reported in August 2021 that "There’s no original isiZulu word for dinosaur. Germs are called amagciwane, but there are no separate words for viruses or bacteria. A quark is ikhwakhi (pronounced kwa-ki); there is no term for red shift. And researchers and science communicators using the language, which is spoken …

Computers have taken over the world as one of my old high school teachers once said. Indeed this here podcast wouldn’t be possible without them. And we become more conscious of their role in our lives as the group of new technologies collectively sitting under the “digital” label pull greater scrutiny of their impact on our everyday interactions. W…

COVID-19 stalled efforts to campaign for a new Scottish independence vote, but the dream hasn't died. Voters may not think of the European Union when they cast the ballot, but the organization plays a pivotal role in Scotland's future. Kat argues EU membership is the best conduit to avoid becoming a client state of the United States, China, or any …

The 2014 Independence Referendum and the Brexit vote forced Scottish political parties o confront some hard truths about their place in the Kingdom. Kat breaks down the realignment taking place in Scottish politics in the wake of the seismic changes in 2010s UK politics and the hindrances remaining for those looking to capitalize on these shifts. I…

European politics constituted a small blip on the radar for Americans in the late 20th century. National elections and popular referendums got five minutes of fame stateside before vanishing into Wikipedia lists. The 2016 Brexit vote forced Americans beyond the political class to recognize that events across the pond can cause worldwide blowback, a…

Big plans await Javoen's educational goals as he aims for the state and federal level. Our last segment together covers how to meet people where they are in education, the limits of some of the left's tactics, and how sharing the truth changes minds more effectively than browbeating from the ivory tower. The Hawk Foundation for Research and Educati…

Both the Hawk Foundation and Awodi Drumming push multicultural education as a means of empowerment and Javoen has transformed the lives of black American schoolchildren, prisoners, and others as they learn about their heritage and find a new lease on life. He details some of these stories and discusses the role black women can play in this effort t…

Javoen shoots on the history of African spiritual practices in slave resistance, the Haitian revolution, and how the stigma against such traditions carries forward into today both among African-Americans and populations still on the African continent. The Hawk Foundation for Research and Education in African & African American Culture: https://www.…

A new generation of black American activism has emerged in the last ten years as movements like Black Lives Matter broke into the public discourse. These causes have brought wider attention to such issues of police corruption and discrimination in housing. But beyond the political realm, many black Americans are also digging into their history and …

How do we restore trust in healthcare amidst a pandemic and culture that has, rightly or wrongly, demonized public health institutions? Myles shoots on the importance of transparency in healthcare towards rebuilding that rapport and how changing incentives in the system to focus on preventative and community health can achieve better outcomes. The …

Much coverage of U.S. healthcare workers during the Covid-19 outbreak paints a doom and gloom picture of burnout, high turnover, and failing systems. While there may be truth to these narratives, Myles explains the experience can be more nuanced than is presented. He shoots on the role of leadership in creating a lower pressure environment, the way…

Almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and Americans can’t seem to catch a break as new variants emerge and policy debates over lockdowns, school closures, and vaccine mandates dominate coverage. It’s pretty daunting for folks on the outside as we struggle to keep up with the breakneck pace of change, but what about the folks on the inside? Po…

Political dynamics in the UK have gone in a blender set to puree since the first Scottish Indy Ref. Neil shoots on the bright future he sees for Scottish nationhood, its connection to similar movements in Wales, and the shedding of the infamous self-deprecation that plagues the highlands. Outro track Mtaniroga by Tiera Gee https://open.spotify.com/…

American politics have been wilder than a monkey on a mechanical bull the last several years, but that chaos ain't at all unique to our side of the pond. Citizens in the an independence referendum in Scotland, the Brexit vote, and three general elections in the past seven years. Many commentators regardless of party say the UK's political climate h…

Scottish drive towards full sovereignty ain't nothing new. The spirit has a long history that was already finding new life when Neil became involved. He details the state of the move towards independence and the incredible gains in public support the campaign found leading up to the 2014 referendum. Intro/outro music by Batata K1ng https://www.bata…

The years of campaigning culminated in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. The vote swung towards No in 55/45 victory, a razor-thin margin by the standards of a country-wide vote with 84% participation. Revisiting the campaign may feel like beating a dead horse, but the season proved to be a prescient look at the flavor of politics the UK wo…

Neil found himself across the Irish Sea in Glasgow at the height of the smack epidemic. He details his experience settling into his new home and meshing with the progressive causes taking place at the time. Intro/outro music by Batata K1ng https://www.batatak1ng.com/home Graphic design by Kirk Whayman Part of the Ungagged podcast network http://lef…

Globalization is a force that touches all of us. Beyond cheap plastics from China and a diverse range of grub hubs in Columbia City, borders are more permeable than ever. What lessons can we learn about these dynamics as COVID-19's worst bouts fade into memory? Dr. Anderson wraps up our time together with this very question. Intro music by Batata K…

Dr. Anderson shoots on the disservices inflicted on black and brown communities in the U.S. both historically and today and how trust in the healthcare system can be restored in these populations. Intro/outro music by Batata K1ng https://www.batatak1ng.com/home Graphic design by Kirk Whayman Part of the Ungagged podcast network http://leftungagged.…

Dr. Anderson spent a chunk of her career in many countries abroad, but her time in Mozambique proved to be some of the most impactful of her life. She shares her experience providing medical care in a war-torn country struggling to find its feet after independence and why the betterment of health outcomes for people in every country benefit those o…

COVID-19 rocked the world in a way few other events could. International structures long taken for granted crumbled as nation states struggled to confront this novel virus and the chaos it brought. Everything from supply chains to migration policy to the reliability of scientific institutions came under fire, but no sector has taken more blows than…