The Physics of Culture: How algorithms shape our world

classic Classic list List threaded Threaded
1 message Options
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

The Physics of Culture: How algorithms shape our world

Tom Johnson

How algorithms shape our world

July 29, 2011 to Statistics | Add Comment

Kevin Slavin, chairman and co-founder of Area/Code, describes how algorithms (processing tons and tons of data) are intertwined with our day-to-day and how they will change our future.

And the thing is is that this isn't Google. This isn't information. These aren't financial stats; this is culture. And what you see here, or what you don't really see normally, is that these are the physics of culture. And if these algorithms, like the algorithms on Wall Street, just crashed one day and went awry, how would we know, what would it look like?

Probably gloriously frightening. Watch the TED talk below.

http://flowingdata.com/2011/07/29/how-algorithms-shape-our-world


-tj


============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org