For a long time, tech culture has focused too narrowly on technical skills; this has resulted in a tech community that too often puts companies and code over people. Greater Than Code is a podcast that invites the voices of people who are not heard from enough in tech: women, people of color, trans and/or queer folks, to talk about the human side of software development and technology. Greater Than Code is providing a vital platform for these conversations, and developing new ideas of what it means to be a technologist beyond just the code. Featuring an ongoing panel of racially and gender diverse tech panelists, the majority of podcast guests so far have been women in tech! We’ve covered topics including imposter syndrome, mental illness, sexuality, unconscious bias and social justice. We also have a major focus on skill sets that tech too often devalues, like team-building, hiring, community organizing, mentorship and empathy. Each episode also includes a transcript. We have an active Slack community that members can join by pledging as little as $1 per month via Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/greaterthancode)
Episode 029: p=eMPathy with Ariel Waldman, Ashe Dryden, and Brad Grzesiak
00:16 – Welcome to “The Tale of Space Cat Burritos” …we mean, “Greater Than Code!”
02:26 – Space Technology and the Cultural Portrayal of Science
08:24 – The Influence of Science Fiction on the Current Developments in Science
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program (NIAC)
Supernatural Horror in Literature By H. P. Lovecraft
14:47 – What is sci-fi telling us about the world we live in now?
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
18:34 – “Hard” vs “Soft” Science Fiction; “Hard” Conference Talks vs “Soft” Talks
Coraline Ada Ehmke: Metaphors Are Similes. Similes Are Like Metaphors @ Rubyfuza 2017
24:43 – Understanding How People Work to Build Better Technology; Fighting for Accessibility in Science
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
33:11 – Machine Learning
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” – Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park
37:52 – Scarcity and Exploitation: Looking at Power Dynamics and Relationships Between Groups and People
41:34 – Reasons We Prefer to Focus on Technology; Siloing and Specialization
50:16 – Control: Who is the manager? Treating People Equally
52:46 – Congruency and Being Congruent: It’s a People Problem!
[The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully by Gerald M. Weinberg]((https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Consulting-Giving-Getting-Successfully/dp/0932633013)
“Emotions are valid inputs to every thought process.” – Coraline Ada Ehmke
01:01:44 – How do we know we are right?
The Art of Negotiating the Best Deal by Seth Freeman
Reflections:
Rein: These issues go straight up to the top in terms of the philosophical ladder we’re trying to climb of what do we value? How do we get other people to share our values? It doesn’t get easier by ignoring that the problem is that difficult and pretending that it’s just technical.
Coraline: It’s the responsibility of technologists to think about the social impact of the technical solutions they are making, whether that means by being better informed and striving to be generalists, or by making sure we are being inclusive and giving voice to people with different perspectives and levels of expertise on our teams to make sure we are addressing problems deeply and not just from one particular silo.
Ashe: Understanding how we are looking at a problem ethically, how we’re looking at it technically, and how we’re looking at it from a human point of view? What are the potential effects?
Brad: The laws of nature still exist in the absence of humans. Humans are the reason things are messy and complicated.
This episode was brought to you by @therubyrep of DevReps, LLC. To pledge your support and to join our awesome Slack community, visit patreon.com/greaterthancode.
To make a one-time donation so that we can continue to bring you more content and transcripts like this, please do so at paypal.me/devreps. You will also get an invitation to our Slack community this way as well.
Amazon links may be affiliate links, which means you’re supporting the show when you purchase our recommendations. Thanks!
Special Guests: Ariel Waldman, Ashe Dryden, and Brad Grzesiak.