How can we be our authentic selves online? Should teens approach social media as if they are their own brand? David & Joe chat with tech lifestyle expert Stephanie Humphrey about digital footprints and the difficulty to living our lives online.

All Tech Is Human, tech ethics, & getting more people into the Responsible Tech conversation

Jul 13th, 2020 27m 17s

Who exactly is David Ryan Polgar, the co-host of Funny as Tech? His fellow co-host, comedian Joe Leonardo, puts David on the hot seat to explain his career, where he sees the tech ethics conversation going, and the meaning behind his org All Te

Should we cancel social media? Joe & David debate.

Jun 29th, 2020 44m 9s

Is it time that we left Facebook & Twitter? Can a person succeed without a social media presence? And is social media a communications platform with advertising, or an advertising platform with communication? Joe & David discuss and debate th

Facebook, Twitter, Trump, & Section 230! Is social media really a public square?

Jun 8th, 2020 44m 48s

What is Section 230 and why is it so important to how social media companies operate? David & Joe discuss and debate, with David going over the nuances of social media that make is part public square, part media company, and part utility compan

Memes, trends, & internet culture w/ Tumblr's meme librarian Amanda Brennan!

Jun 1st, 2020 37m 16s

David & Joe talk to Amanda Brennan, the trend expert and meme librarian at Tumblr, about the importance of memes, where the internet is headed, and what we can learn from teens online.Amanda Brennan is Tumblr’s internet librarian who currentl

Should Elon Musk be fired from Tesla? David & Joe discuss.

May 23rd, 2020 25m 31s

Should Elon Musk get fired from Tesla?? Hosts David & Joe discuss the the outsized role that Elon Musk plays at Tesla and whether his erratic online behavior and cryptic posts are becoming too much to handle. Does Tesla=Elon Musk or can it have

Trends! Tech adoption & the importance of culture w Matt Klein

May 18th, 2020 22m 8s

Is a trend authentic or merely being propped up by business? David & Joe talk to trend expert Matt Klein about our life on social media, why certain technology gets adopted and others don't, and the importance of culture and psychology in deter

Sex therapist Maureen McGrath on love & intimacy during lockdown

May 11th, 2020 26m 59s

Will there be love during lockdown? Are we headed for a baby boom or a rush of divorces? How do couples adjust?On this episode of Funny as Tech, hosts David & Joe talk with renowned sex therapist Maureen McGrath about technology, Covid-19, an

Dating during Covid w/ Carolyn Paine

May 4th, 2020 32m 36s

Have Covid & dating apps killed romance, or have we been emotionally distancing for years? David & Joe, both married, have a freewheeling conversation with comedian & actress Carolyn Paine about her experiences swiping during lock-down. Our r

Will Facebook Gaming Be a Hit or a Flop? David & Joe debate

Apr 27th, 2020 33m

Will Facebook Gaming be a big hit or a massive flop? Hosts David & Joe offer some predictions, side rants, and investment advice that you should probably not follow. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a com

Everyone is speaking in memes but nobody is using VR w/ Jamie Cohen

Apr 13th, 2020 37m 28s

We talk to memetics expert Dr. Jamie Cohen about the importance of memes, why they are some big during Covid19, and why everyone should be fluent in memes. We also learn about Edge Lords, and debate why virtual reality is not having its moment

Staying Sane Online During Covid-19 w/ Jocelyn Brewer

Apr 6th, 2020 41m 17s

Forget screen time--we are all stuck inside exploring new online worlds, rediscovering a fondness toward video chats, and trying to balance a desire for information with a need for calmness. David & Joe chat with Australian psychologist & resea

Has Covid-19 killed the techlash? David & Joe debate.

Mar 30th, 2020 28m 22s

Has Covid-19 killed the techlash? After the last few years of mounting criticism, the tech industry has been receiving kudos for their ability to tamp down Covid-19 and also provide digital tools with heightened importance. How does this alter

How will Covid-19 impact tech? David & Joe discuss how digital tools will change moving forward

Mar 23rd, 2020 30m 58s

How will Covid-19 impact our relationship with tech? Now more than ever we are relaying on digital tools to feel connects with others. This moment has brought into focus both the tremendous ways that our tools are allowing us to cope, along wit

Let's Talk About the Techlash! LIVE SHOW podcast

Mar 16th, 2020 54m 55s

Why have we gone from tech adoration to the current techlash? How did we get here, and will the tech industry correct its path? Do we need a different way to think about "tech reformers?" This a live show recording for Funny as Tech that occu

The human side of data! Andrea Jones-Rooy, a data science circus performer + comedian

Mar 2nd, 2020 28m 40s

The human side of data with data science circus performer Andrea Jones-Rooy! Did we mention Andrea is an NYU prof & also a stand-up comedian?! David & Joe dig into Andrea's eclectic background, talk about the need for humanities in data science

VR Ethics! Kalila Shapiro on reducing real world problems in virtual environments

Feb 17th, 2020 32m 55s

How can we prevent real world problems in virtual environments? What rights do our virtual bodies have? David & Joe chat with Kalila Shapiro, a Processing Foundation fellow who is currently writing a series on VR Ethics for All Tech Is Human, a

Fake News! Battling misinformation & building trust online w/ Macaela Bennett

Feb 3rd, 2020 28m 4s

How can we fight misinformation & build trust online with news? David & Joe chat with Macaela Bennett from NewsGuard about our information ecosystem, building media literacy skills, and where we're headed.Our relationship with tech is messy..

Mental health data: what happens to your sensitive telehealth info? Convo w Lauri Goldkind

Jan 20th, 2020 27m 7s

What happens to your sensitive mental health data when using a telehealth platform? Is it secure? What if the company is sold? Does anyone really read the terms of service?David & Joe chat with Dr. Lauri Goldkind about data protection, the qu

Do we need more theater in tech? Pat McAndrew on the power of the stage to explore tech's impact

Jan 6th, 2020 27m 20s

Is theater the best medium to explore the impact of technology on the human condition? We chat with playwright, actor, and fellow podcaster (S.H.I.P.S.) Pat McAndrew on the power of the stage to explore all of the weird, wild, and confusing way

AI Criminologist Renée Cummings: fighting bias, promoting justice, debating ethics!

Dec 18th, 2019 29m 35s

We chat with AI Criminologist Renée Cummings about fighting bias in AI, promoting social justice, and thorny debates around emerging tech! Oh, and of course Minority Report comes up. On Funny as Tech, tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comed

Tech & Parenting: The psychology of smartphone use with Teodora Pavkovic

Dec 2nd, 2019 35m 6s

Humane tech! David & Joe chat with psychologist Teodora Pavkovic about parenting and tech, humane tech, and the psychology of smartphone use.Get in touch with Funny as Tech! Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tec

Marshall Davis Jones and the Power of Voice

Nov 18th, 2019 37m 42s

David & Joe speak with acclaimed spoken word artist Marshall Davis Jones about his groundbreaking work Touchscreen, the intersection of tech & humanity, and the power of voice and paralanguage. Marshall Jones is a celebrated spoken word artis

A Human Algorithm--author & human rights attorney Flynn Coleman on how AI is changing humanity

Nov 4th, 2019 37m 36s

Should robots have rights? Can AI have agency? Why do we get upset when a person kicks a robotic dog? Should we chat we are deceased loved ones? In this episode of Funny as Tech, hosts David Ryan Polgar (tech ethicist) and Joe Leonardo (UCB c

Inside Joe Leonardo: we crack open the mind of our comedian co-host

Oct 21st, 2019 15m 48s

WHO is Joe Leonardo? What makes him tick? In this somewhat-special episode of Funny as Tech, David puts co-host Joe Leonardo in the host seat to ask about what his innermost feelings towards life, death, and technology.FUNNY AS TECH Our Rela