1
00:00:05,780 --> 00:00:08,530
MICHEL DEGRAFF: So critical
computational empowerment.

2
00:00:08,530 --> 00:00:12,380
That's one of the key concepts
that Professor Fox Harrell, who

3
00:00:12,380 --> 00:00:16,520
was one of our guest speakers,
discussed during his visit

4
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:17,020
to class.

5
00:00:17,020 --> 00:00:18,570
And it was a big
hit in the class.

6
00:00:18,570 --> 00:00:22,350
Because, as you know,
we have many engineers,

7
00:00:22,350 --> 00:00:24,710
scientists in the course.

8
00:00:24,710 --> 00:00:28,520
And many of them are so used
to the notion of coding,

9
00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,330
of computation, being
supposedly neutral

10
00:00:32,330 --> 00:00:33,800
when it comes to ideology.

11
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,390
And to the societal tendencies.

12
00:00:37,390 --> 00:00:39,530
But what Fox should
really clearly is

13
00:00:39,530 --> 00:00:43,280
that those hierarchies of power,
that this course is about,

14
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:47,750
really, are themselves
embedded in these codes.

15
00:00:47,750 --> 00:00:52,350
In these codes that create
video games, virtual reality

16
00:00:52,350 --> 00:00:53,160
platforms.

17
00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:56,690
So if we're not aware
of these hierarchies,

18
00:00:56,690 --> 00:00:58,340
and how they are coded--

19
00:00:58,340 --> 00:01:01,580
really coded-- in
those platforms,

20
00:01:01,580 --> 00:01:04,489
then we become prey to
them without even knowing.

21
00:01:04,489 --> 00:01:06,830
We accept their
assumptions, and we

22
00:01:06,830 --> 00:01:12,080
reinforce our own attitudes
that might put down women,

23
00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:17,380
or immigrants, or
Muslims, or gay people.

24
00:01:17,380 --> 00:01:19,800
So we will become part
of these hierarchies

25
00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:20,960
and maintaining them.

26
00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:25,010
But also what Fox
showed in his visit is

27
00:01:25,010 --> 00:01:30,650
that, once you understand
how coding can encode

28
00:01:30,650 --> 00:01:32,630
those hierarchies,
then we can actually

29
00:01:32,630 --> 00:01:36,020
create codes that
will, in turn, give us

30
00:01:36,020 --> 00:01:40,970
more flexibility for identities
that are more inclusive.

31
00:01:40,970 --> 00:01:44,810
And more humane towards,
especially, women,

32
00:01:44,810 --> 00:01:48,140
and blacks, and Latinos,
and Muslims, et cetera.

33
00:01:48,140 --> 00:01:51,560
So the one thing that
Fox did in his visit

34
00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,510
was to show us one
of his platforms

35
00:01:53,510 --> 00:01:57,470
where he brings together
people on different sides

36
00:01:57,470 --> 00:01:58,410
of a conflict.

37
00:01:58,410 --> 00:02:00,410
So one case that he
showed was this conflict

38
00:02:00,410 --> 00:02:04,690
between the Israelis
and the Palestinians.

39
00:02:04,690 --> 00:02:10,070
So there's this perform where
you can bring those soldiers

40
00:02:10,070 --> 00:02:12,350
together, who fight
on opposite sides,

41
00:02:12,350 --> 00:02:15,080
and through that, they
get to better empathize

42
00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,160
with each other's
identities, and biographies,

43
00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,410
and life circumstances.

44
00:02:21,410 --> 00:02:24,380
So that was really a powerful
concept for the students

45
00:02:24,380 --> 00:02:25,730
to get to understand.

46
00:02:25,730 --> 00:02:31,330
How coding can indeed help us
code a better world for all.