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Harvard Data Science Review Podcast

News

Brought to you by the award winning journal, Harvard Data Science Review, our podcast highlights news, policy, and business through the lens of data science. Each episode is a “case study” into how data is used to lead, mislead, manipulate, and inform the important decisions facing us today.

Location:

United States

Genres:

News

Description:

Brought to you by the award winning journal, Harvard Data Science Review, our podcast highlights news, policy, and business through the lens of data science. Each episode is a “case study” into how data is used to lead, mislead, manipulate, and inform the important decisions facing us today.

Language:

English


Episodes

Polling for 2024 U.S. Election: What Should Voters Look for and Trust?

3/28/2024
As the U.S. approaches another presidential election, many of us are contemplating our beliefs, staying informed about election news, and at times, questioning the integrity of the voting polls. This month we delve into the upcoming House, Senate, and presidential elections with the help of two political polling experts. Where can we find reliable polls amidst an ocean of information? Has the rise of AI and other technologies affected the 2024 election? How are election outcomes determined? Which voter demographics might lead to surprising election results? Join us for an insightful discussion on these topics and more on the Harvard Data Science Review Podcast. Our guests:

Duration:00:29:55

What Does AI Buy Us or Cost Us? Views From the Financial Industry

2/23/2024
The financial industry has a rich history of leveraging data for predictive purposes. From hedge funds employing regression analysis to fine-tune portfolios to individuals utilizing summary statistics in pursuit of the next groundbreaking startup, data has been a cornerstone of investment strategies for years. On today’s episode we sit down with two experts to explore how the recent surge in artificial intelligence has changed the investment game. Our guests:

Duration:00:39:25

In God We Trust: Everyone Else Must Bring Data or Liberty

1/18/2024
After the positive reception to our first listener question episode featuring co-host Xiao-Li Meng last August, we decided to start the new year with an exclusive interview with one of our most esteemed guests yet: HDSR’s own Liberty Vittert! For this special episode, Xiao-Li is joined by guest co-host, Arianwyn Frank, a producer of this podcast, a data science undergrad at Washington University, and a former student of Liberty’s. Listen now to their fascinating conversation with Liberty as they discover how a woman of many talents found herself in the exciting world of data science. Our guest:

Duration:00:32:01

Celebrating Holidays and Milestones of HDSR

12/22/2023
The HDSR podcast team wishes you happy holidays and a wonderful new year! We're grateful for the continued support and enthusiasm from you, our listeners and readers. We invite you to listen to our special holiday message from co-host Liberty Vittert and stay tuned for an exciting lineup of episodes in 2024!

Duration:00:01:24

Policing the Predictive Policing: The Promises and Perils of AI Technologies

11/30/2023
In recent years, police departments nationwide have increasingly embraced data and AI tools to enhance their crime prevention, investigation, and conviction efforts. These technologies range from image analysis on body cameras to license plate trackers predicting potential involvement in drug trafficking. However, a crucial question arises: Are these technologies both accurate and fair? Is law enforcement adequately trained to utilize them effectively? Is legislation adapting swiftly enough to keep pace with these transformative changes? On today’s episode we engage in a conversation with a professor of law and a police chief who together provide us insights into the evolving landscape of policing technologies. Our guests:

Duration:00:41:29

Close to Refuge: Integrating AI and Human Insights for Intervention and Prevention

10/25/2023
According to the UN Refugee Agency, a staggering 108.4 million people were displaced from their homes by the end of 2022 due to reasons such as persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations. On today’s episode, we discuss the pressing issue of the global refugee crisis and how data is playing a crucial role in addressing it. To help shed light on this topic, we talk to Dr. Seema Iyer, Senior Director of The Hive, USA for UNHCR’s innovation lab responsible for bringing data science, machine learning, and new technologies into the organization’s operations to enhance fundraising for refugees. During the conversation we discuss the pivotal role of data science in addressing the refugee crisis and delve into the types of data gathered to understand the needs of refugees, the challenges in utilizing this data, and the potential role of AI in facilitating new approaches. Listen now to this month's insightful episode. Our guest:

Duration:00:33:08

Out of Data Space? Explore Outer Space!

9/28/2023
In recent years, our fascination with the cosmos has reached new heights. From ground-breaking research missions to the emergence of interstellar consumerism, our universe has transformed into a thriving hub of exploration and innovation. How are we currently engaging with space and where might we be headed in terms of future interactions? What are the economic dynamics surrounding space exploration, and how might the emerging space economy affect future research? Is AI helping to unlock the secrets of the universe? On today’s episode we explore these questions and more during an out-of-this-world conversation with two distinguished experts. Our guests:

Duration:00:42:29

What is Data Science?

8/30/2023
We’ve been inundated with questions from our listeners on what defines a data scientist, how to break into analytics, and ways for the average person to assess data reliability. That is why for this month, we interview our very own Xiao-Li Meng, who has contemplated many such questions during his distinguished career. In this episode we delve into Xiao-Li’s personal journey—notably being named the best statistician under the age of 40 by the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies—to becoming the founding editor-in-chief of Harvard Data Science Review. Join us as we trace the steps that led to his remarkable accomplishments and illuminate the path you can follow to understand the data that shapes our world in our very first listener question special! Our guest: Harvard Data Science Review Seeking Simplicity in Statistics, Complexities in Wine, and Everything Else in Fortune Cookies”

Duration:00:40:19

Big League Advantage and Harvard Sports Analytics Lab: What Do They Do and How Can I Join?

7/26/2023
In 2022, the sports analytics sector was valued at 2.98 billion USD and is expected to grow to 22.13 billion USD by 2030, at a CARG of 28.7% (source). In today's episode, we do a deep dive into this rapidly growing field from both industry and academic perspectives. What metrics do companies and researchers use to predict the next big winner? How are statistical tools and modeling applied differently to measure an individual player’s performance versus that of a team? How does an aspiring data scientist break into the sports analytics industry? We explore these questions and more with the help of two experts. Listen now! Our guests:

Duration:00:41:30

Under the Sheets: Producing, Protecting, and Probing Intimate Data

6/22/2023
How can the data collected by AI sex toys be used to help understand a wide variety of medical conditions and prescription side effects? Are companies storing and selling your most intimate data? When in your life is tracking your sexual satisfaction most important? In March we covered the Kinsey report for its 75th anniversary and discussed ways we conduct sex research in the present day. In response to the positive feedback on that episode, we decided to bring on specialists from the field to talk about the future of AI and the data of sex. Our Guests:

Duration:00:33:32

How Do Data Help Us Weigh the Benefit, Risk, and Cost of Ozempic (and other “Magic” Drugs)?

5/31/2023
Why are we seeing an unprecedented rise in prescription drug use in the U.S.? Is Ozempic really the magic cure for weight loss? How has the landscape of prescription medicine changed over time, and why are currently facing supply issues? On today’s episode, we explore hotly debated drugs and what the data says about prescribing them. Our Guests:

Duration:00:31:29

The Intelligence and Rationality of AI and Humans: A Conversation With Steven Pinker

4/20/2023
This month, we are diving into the important and currently hot topic of artificial intelligence. Do we think rising platforms like ChatGPT are going to be running the world anytime soon? Does technology not only have the ability to be intelligent, but also rational? In this episode we get the pleasure of discussing these issues with Steven Pinker, an experimental cognitive psychologist and a popular writer on language, mind, and human nature. Listen to the conversation and find out what happens when an expert on the human mind sits down to discuss intelligence in machines with two data scientists! Our Guest: s

Duration:00:29:57

70 Years After the Kinsey Reports: Is Data Science Improving Our Sex Studies (and Lives?)

3/30/2023
On today’s episode we commemorate the publication of the Kinsey Reports, two scholarly books by Alfred Kinsey on human sexual behavior, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953). These reports were among the earliest research studies to look at sexual behavior, but they also raise important questions for the data science community concerning ethics and bias. We explore those questions and more with the help of two experts. Our Guests:

Duration:00:34:01

From Financial Markets to ChatGPT: A Conversation With Andrew Lo

2/23/2023
What can data tell us when it comes to how our money is invested? Are there data science tools that can help us manage the ups and downs of the financial markets? How has machine learning impacted forecasting? Can we rely on AI for investment advice? On today’s episode we explore these questions and more during a deep dive discussion on financial markets with our expert guest, Professor Andrew Lo. Our Guest: Andrew W. Lo is the Charles and Susan Harris Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Director of the MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering, and a principal investigator at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Professor Lo was recognized for his work on financial markets by being named one of TIMEMagazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.

Duration:00:42:35

I Promise to Exercise Every January: Can Data Science Help My New Year’s Resolution?

1/19/2023
It's the post-holiday season and the time when people are focused on self-improvement and getting in shape for the new year. But how do we keep and meet our fitness goals? How many days a week should we exercise? Do diet and food tracking apps actually work? In this episode we explore the data on fitness and health and discover successful strategies for keeping those New Year’s goals. Our guests:

Duration:00:25:44

Does Praying Work? Let’s Pray Data Science Can Help to Answer

12/21/2022
For centuries religion has played an important role in shaping our society as a whole and determining the basis of life/purpose for individuals. Whether it’s several daily prayers, Sunday church, or the determination of what time you can eat, religion dictates day-to-day life for many. In this episode, we explore religion’s relationship to health and civic society. Can religious practices deeply increase your quality of life, or even save it? What does the data tell us? Our guests are: Tea Party Women Women and Politics

Duration:00:31:58

I Want a Perfect Face (and Bra): Can Data Science Help?

11/29/2022
In this month’s episode, we dive into the glamorous side of data science by exploring the ways the field is being integrated in the beauty and fashion industries. We talk to two experts, a plastic surgeon and a fashion designer, about the tools and techniques they use. Our guests are: AI and Creativity

Duration:00:24:44

It’s Election Time Again—Do We Predict Better This Time?

10/26/2022
With the 2022 U.S. midterms right around the corner, this month’s podcast is all about elections. Who is going to win and why? In today's episode, we talk to four experts about their predictions for the upcoming midterm elections in November and how these elections might impact the presidential race in 2024. Our guests are: Predicting the 2020 Presidential Election The Keys to the White House: Forecast for 2020Forecasting the 2020 U.S. Elections with Decision Desk HQ: Methodology for Modern American Electoral Dynamics

Duration:00:32:54

Personalized Treatments: Is That Possible and What Can Data Science Tell Us?

9/29/2022
Today we discuss the most important element of our lives: our health. We do so by diving into personalized medicine, or more specifically, personalized (N-of-1) trials – clinical trials in which a single patient is the entire trial. For this episode, we invited two editors of Harvard Data Science Review’s special issue on N-of-1 trials and data science to help us examine all aspects of these clinical trials designed for a population of one person. Our guests:

Duration:00:34:59

To Drink or Not to Drink: Can Data Help Us Decide?

8/18/2022
The effects of drinking is a constant news headline. Every month or so, there seems to be a new study released that weighs the benefits and risks of drinking alcohol. Is some level of alcohol good for your health or should everyone completely avoid drinking? On today’s episode we invited two experts with differing views on alcohol consumption to help us examine the data and decide. Our guests: Emmanuela Gakidou, Professor of Health Metrics Sciences and Senior Director of Organizational Development and Training at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. Eric Rimm, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and Director of the Program in Cardiovascular Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School.

Duration:00:37:09