South Carolina police officer Michael Slager is being charged with murder for the shooting death of Walter Scott after a video showing the incident was surfaced, and played a role in the decision. Also, Pew researchers report a notable gap in smartphone and internet use among white African-American and Hispanic teens. Then, more companies are seeking out autistic employees.
Charleston Shooting: Officer Michael Slager’s trial by video
South Carolina police officer Michael Slager is being charged with murder for the shooting death of Walter Scott.
Though not much is known about the events leading up to the shooting, a video surfaced recently showing Slager shooting Scott multiple times in the back as Scott ran away from the officer. The video directly contradicts portions of the officer’s written report of the incident, notably where a slow-motion portion reveals Officer Slager walked over to Scott and dropped his stun-gun near him whereas the report claims he fired in self-defense after the suspect grabbed his Taser.
As video of the incident has been played on repeat across many cable networks, the Justice Department has stepped in to aid the investigation and determine if there was any racial bias in the shooting. Concurrently, protests and condemnations have risen in North Charleston.
Has the news media properly reported the facts of the case without bias? Will the video of Walter Scott’s shooting prompt a faster shift towards cameras on police officers? What role does the public have when faced with disparate evidence?
Guests:
Al Tompkins, senior faculty at the Poynter Institute
Eugene O’Donnell, professor of law and police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice; former NYPD officer; former prosecutor in Kings County (Brooklyn)
Report calls for end of drivers' license suspensions as punishment for unpaid traffic tickets
A new report released by a coalition of civil rights organizations finds that unpaid traffic tickets and additional penalties disproportionately affect low-income and ethnic minorities in the state.
The report, “Not Just a Ferguson Problem: How Traffic Courts Drive Inequality in California,” says that 1 in six California drivers have had their driver licenses suspended due to overdue fines. It argues that the punitive move sinks those who are the most vulnerable in the state further into economic hardship, and calls for the state to end driver license suspensions and lower fees and penalties added on to an overdue ticket that could turn a $100 ticket into a $1,000 fine.
What do you think? Should driver license suspensions be disallowed? If so, what are the implications for public safety?
Guest:
Meredith Desautels, an attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, the lead author of the report, “Not Just a Ferguson Problem: How Traffic Courts Drive Inequality in California”
Cognitive robotics mastermind inspired 'Ex Machina' film
The science fiction thriller “Ex Machina,” opening this weekend starring Oscar Isaac, is a vivid, chilling look at the creation of an exceedingly human android.
In the high-concept film, a young programmer (played by Domhnall Gleeson) is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.
The writer and director Alex Garland, who previously penned the smart zombie horror "28 Days Later" was inspired by cognitive robotics expert Murray Shanahan. He wrote a book called “Embodiment and the Inner Life.” It looks at the intersection of consciousness and artificial intelligence. Shanahan emphasizes that any discussions about AI are highly theoretical, and that the science seen in “Ex Machina” would be decades away at least. Still, the choice by Garland to set the film in a future “ten minutes from now” makes it all seem more “sci-fact” than science fiction.
Why is AI so frightening to some? What types of intelligence and capabilities would an AI have to make it seem human like? What is society’s responsibility to an android with a conscience and feelings - and vice versa?
Guest:
Murray Shanahan, professor of cognitive robotics at Imperial College, London. He was an official advisor for science fiction film Ex Machina, a psychological thriller about a revolutionary new form of artificial intelligence (AI).
Pew finds gap in smartphone and internet use among white, African-American and Hispanic teens
Pew finds notable gap in smartphone and internet use among white, African-American and Hispanic teens.
The new “Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015” report finds that nearly 75 percent of teens surveyed have or have access to a smartphone. African-American teens are mostly likely to own a smartphone, compared with 71 percent of both white and Hispanic teens.
Smartphones and tablets are the primary devices American teens used to get online, according to the report, and 92 percent of them say they go online daily. The report defines a teen as someone between the ages of 13 to 17.
Guest:
Amanda Lenhart, Associate Director of Research at the Pew Research Center. She is the author of the new pew report, “Teens Social Media & Technology Overview, 2015”
Discussing autism in the workplace as Microsoft looks to hire more autistic employees
Looking to expand diversity in the workplace, Microsoft has announced it will be looking to hire more people with autism.
Mary Ellen Smith, Microsoft’s Vice President for Worldwide Operations, announced the move in a blog post last week. The first program will launch with 10 candidates and will be working with a Danish company called Specialisterne, a consulting and training firm that helps connect autistic workers with jobs.
What factors do companies consider when hiring people who fall on the autism spectrum? How do those with autism behave and interact in the workplace? Are there certain professions that are better suited for employees who fall on the spectrum? What resources are there for people with autism to help find jobs?
Guests:
Dave Kearon, director of adult services at Autism Speaks, where he works with adults on the autism spectrum to find employment
Becky Ketts, director of rehabilitation services at Nobis Works, a non-profit in Marietta, Georgia that develops and provides job training, employment, and vocational support for youth and adults with disabilities.
Emoticons and text-speak: Are they improving English?
Language is always evolving. Pick up a book printed 100 years ago and it’s clear that English has come a long way. But English has changed significantly even since the advent of computers.
While some linguists might say technology has led to the degradation of the English language, sociolinguist Lauren Collister contends that emoticons and text-speak have actually made our language more efficient, giving us the ability to say more while using fewer words.
80 years ago, an apology letter to a friend may have looked like this:
Dear Jackie,
My sincerest apologies for leaving you behind at the bar last night. I was entirely unaware that you weren’t with us.
Please know that I would never intentionally leave you behind. Our next cab ride is on me.
Collister says that today, your text to Jackie might look something like this:
JACKIE!! IM SO SO SO SORRY! I thought u were behind us in the cab and then I saw you weren’t!!!!! I feel soooooo bad! Catch another cab and ill pay it for youuuu!!!
While many writing rules were broken in the example above it was still effective at communicating the desired tone.
Making a case for emoticons, Collister says that “smileys” are used to convey happiness or a “joking” tone. Often, smilies are used to lighten the mood for what might, otherwise be interpreted as a terse statement.
Compare this sample text exchange between people who have been dating for a few weeks:
You didn’t call me when you got home last night. You said you would!
Versus:
You didn’t call me when you got home last night. :-( :-( You said you would! :-)
The first version of the text came across as accusatory and even suspicious, but the addition of smileys allows one to approach sensitive subjects without making things awkward.
While emoticons can be valuable in text conversations, some might argue that using pictures instead of words is a sign that language may be moving backwards. Though there may be merit to this concern, the wide variety of emoticons that have become available offer users more emotional range than ever, making complicated wordings unnecessary.
How often do you use emoticons or “smileys” in your daily correspondence? Do you feel like they help you convey the right message? Do you text differently than you email? Do you use elongated words, exclamation points or ellipses when you text?
Today on AirTalk, a discussion about the role text-speak plays in the way we communicate.
Guests:
Lauren Collister, sociolinguist and Electronic Publications Associate at the University of Pittsburgh. Lauren wrote the op-ed “Emoticons are improving the English language“ for Quartz
Tyler Schnoebelen, sociolinguist and co-founder of Idibon, a text analytics company that mines social media, emails and websites for business intelligence. Known as the “father of smiley linguistics”