How Digital Technology Shapes Us
How Digital Technology Shapes Us
Seasons
September 11, 2020
A society with increased AI and robotics is not necessarily a dystopian environment with increased human isolation and decreased human activity. Explore our current definitions of human life and death to better understand where we are now and where we might be headed.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 24 Now
September 11, 2020
What skills for success will the next generation need in a society with automation and robots as commonplace in the home as in the factory? Should everyone learn coding to prepare for work?
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 23 Now
September 11, 2020
The metaphors we use when talking about the brain can limit our ability to think "outside the box" and perceive the real workings of the brain in all its complexity. Consider the many ways in which the computer metaphor, although popular, is a poor match for the human brain, and what scientists might miss by continuing to use it.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 22 Now
September 11, 2020
Learn what makes blockchain a social technology and why some researchers say it could be a force for good, bringing together disparate elements in a framework of trust. Could blockchain represent a giant leap forward in allowing us to be more confident in online transactions?
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 21 Now
September 11, 2020
No one deliberately taught you how to speak. After hearing and processing millions of words over many months (and with a brain that is wired for speech) you started talking.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 20 Now
September 11, 2020
Can artificial intelligence (AI) help us realize our fullest creative potential in the future, or will it become a hinderance we nevertheless can't live without? Learn about the many ways in which AI might help us become more creative than ever before.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 19 Now
September 11, 2020
In the digital age, who decides which art is of the best quality? Or rather, who builds the algorithms that decide?
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 18 Now
September 11, 2020
It is well established that the internet and other technologies can shape our political behavior and give one candidate an advantage over another. But what are the mechanisms by which we make our political decisions?
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 17 Now
September 11, 2020
Substance addiction leaves traceable changes in the brain, from the structure of brain cells and regions to their connections. Learn how technology can "supercharge" experiences to affect us neurologically and biologically overall, particularly with respect to one of our strongest motivational drives: sex.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 16 Now
September 11, 2020
Examine the potential differences between relationships that begin through online dating services versus those that begin more traditionally. Discover which neurological processes we use in making our choices, whether a new car, new house, or a mate.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 15 Now
September 11, 2020
Studies have shown that the use of Facebook (more than 1 billion users worldwide) often results in increased feelings of sadness, jealousy, and envy. Explore the neurological basis of our social interactions, where we focus our attention and why, how we make choices, and what is required for humans to maintain stable relationships.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 14 Now
September 11, 2020
Examine the privacy paradox, our increasingly lax attitude toward our own privacy and its many implications for our future. How often do you unwittingly sell your privacy for a store discount, a few more social media "likes," or the convenience of choosing specific amenities at a vacation spot?
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 13 Now
September 11, 2020
Learn how big data is changing scientific research and deepening our view of ourselves and the world around us. But does the ability to process previously unimaginable amounts of data and jump from one finding to the next really help us understand the relationships between variables?
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 12 Now
September 11, 2020
Is on-screen talk therapy as effective as in-person therapy? Studies show it is. And in some respects (with the addition of virtual reality, for example) it can be more helpful than in-person talk therapy alone. Explore the many ways in which technology can help both mental-health patients and researchers, as well as the associated risks.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 11 Now
September 11, 2020
Have you ever used a search engine for medical advice? If so, you're certainly not alone. But how often does that search result in more harm than help? Consider the many ways in which technology has impacted the practice of medicine and the doctor-patient relationship, and the moral dilemmas that have resulted.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 10 Now
September 11, 2020
Although studies show we are not sleeping fewer hours than before the days of technology on the nightstand, the quality of our sleep has likely been affected. Better understand the lifesaving functions your brain performs while you sleep and how technology, used the right way, just might help you sleep better, allowing your cognitive functions to be stronger the next day.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 9 Now
September 11, 2020
We might easily assume that those who play violent games would be more likely to perpetrate violent acts than non-players, but the scientific research is less conclusive. Dig into the fascinating studies that have been addressing this issue for decades and learn how playing violent video games factors into overall cognitive development and perceptions of the world.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 8 Now
September 11, 2020
Does increased screen time enrich or impoverish children's environments and how are their emotions influenced by digital media? You might be surprised to learn that "it depends," just like almost every other aspect of parenting.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 7 Now
September 11, 2020
Given that our experiences affect not only how are brains are activated but also their structural anatomy, explore the many ways in which virtual reality can affect us. Learn why leaders of VR research are calling for a code of ethics, and why VR could also be a place where human imagination could thrive, leading to new ideas and inventions.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 6 Now
September 11, 2020
Recommendations, whether from a real person or an algorithm, have an enormous influence on our behaviors. Consider how much of your digital content (e.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 5 Now
September 11, 2020
Has our ability to remember details declined as more and more information becomes instantly available on the internet? After all, why bother memorizing a fact you can so easily look up?
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 4 Now
September 11, 2020
While our brain circuitry evolved to support speech, reading is not an innate, passively acquired skill. Instead, the connections in our brains are shaped and reinforced as we learn to read.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 3 Now
September 11, 2020
Teachers claim that students' attention spans have drastically changed because technology is eroding their ability to focus. But what about adults?
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 2 Now
September 11, 2020
It is the adaptable nature of the human brain that has allowed us to become who we are today and dictates who we will become in the future. Learn how our lived experience changes our brain wiring as well as the relative sizes of different brain regions.
Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us Season 1 Episode 1 Now
How Digital Technology Shapes Us is a series categorized as a new series. Spanning 1 seasons with a total of 24 episodes, the show debuted on 2020. The series has earned no reviews from both critics and viewers.
How to Watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us
How can I watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us online? How Digital Technology Shapes Us is available on The Great Courses Signature Collection with seasons and full episodes. You can also watch How Digital Technology Shapes Us on demand at Prime Video online.
Stream shows like How Digital Technology Shapes Us
Top TV Shows
Also on The Great Courses Signature Collection
