Familiar Shapes
Technology and magic have a long, rich history together. Each Wednesday, filmmaker Heather Freeman guides us through this apparent paradox with technologists and historians from around the world. If you're into history, witchcraft, magic, social media, artificial intelligence, infotech, or ethics, this podcast brings them together with friendly familiars and malicious bots.
Episodes
22 episodes
21. The Ongoing Book of Human Magic
In this last episode of Familiar Shapes, we’ll look at the brighter sides of the history of witchcraft, as well as efforts to make sure digital technologies are safe and equitable. We’ll say a fond farewell to our speakers – and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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49:40
20. Tools of the Art
In this second-to-last episode of Familiar Shapes, we’ll look at magical thinking in the digital age. We may not all be chaos magicians, but yelling at broken machines sure feels good. In this episode
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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28:27
19. The Ethical Machine
We consider the moral challenges of big data, machine learning, and the need for ethics in computer science and information technology.In this episode Heather Freeman interviews:...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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32:58
18. Judge Thy Neighbor
This week’s episode focuses on the research of Dr. Patrick Bergemann, which was the basis of his 2019 book Judge Thy Neighbor: Denunciations in t...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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19:23
17. Addicted to You
We consider solutions to the social media monsters we all feed — even if only a few of us are their creators. In this episode Heather Freeman interviews:
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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30:40
16. I Still Believe
When and why did the early modern witch trials end — or did they? In this episode, Heather Freeman interviews: Dr. John Callow...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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18:06
15. Cambridge Analytica
It’s been said that personal data is the new oil. Just a few years ago, companies like Cambridge Analytica bought user data from social media companies to create hyper-targeted political ads. Cambridge Analytica isn’t around anymore, but the pr...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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30:44
14. Gothic Clickbait
Racy, frightening, and sensationalist, early modern pamphlets about witch trials were the clickbait of their day. And just like clickbait today, they shaped popular beliefs in dangerous ways.In this episode,
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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32:22
13. Easy Breezy Bots
It’s incredibly easy to build a bot. And incredibly hard to track down their makers. In this episode, Heather Freeman interviews:
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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23:59
12. The Exceptional Witchfinder
We check out the legal structures surrounding the early modern witch trials and consider how Matthew Hopkins, the infamous 17th-century ‘Witchfinder General’, was himself pestered him by diabolic familiars. In this episode,
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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34:50
11. Faux
In this episode of Familiar Shapes, we dig into the very heart of this entire series: misinformation. What exactly is it? How do we distinguish it from true information? And how is dangerous, false information spread on social media?&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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36:59
10. Witchy Women
Who was accused of witchcraft? Mostly women. But for reasons that are both predictable and surprising.In this episode, Heather Freeman interviews:
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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28:20
9. Learned Machines
In this episode, we look at some of the more sophisticated bots, from those that employ Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, to those that employ -- well, human beings.In this episode,
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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36:38
8. Anatomy of a Familiar
What exactly was the early modern witch’s familiar? Was it a cuddly pet or a malevolent demon? In this episode, Heather Freeman interviews:
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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24:52
7. Fool Me Once
Note to Listeners - DOH! I managed to upload an incorrect version and just realized that now. Classy. Your welcome. If you already listened to it, really sorry about those audio errors. And if you haven't listene...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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23:09
6.1 Addendum - Present and Dangerous Disinfo
This is an important note to listeners. Disinfo campaigns are happening right now on social media, amidst national protests, demonstrations, and the on-going pandemic. It's up to each of us to fact check the things we see before ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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3:40
6. My Buddy Luridan
We’ll see what early modern grimoires tell us about the magical beliefs and practices of that era. And then we’ll take a gander at summoning Luridan the Familiar. (You know. For kicks.)In this episode,
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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27:08
5. The Well-Intentioned Bot
We’ll look at how social bots interact with people in on-line social networks, and how sometimes people behave like, well, bots. In this episode, Heather Freeman interviews:
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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26:02
4. The Cunning Folks' Commons
Who were the early modern cunning folk, and what exactly were they doing with all those books? And how do we act ethically in a community and avoid the 'Tragedy of the Commons'?In this episode,
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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37:12
3. Magical Networks
What did early modern people really think about magic? And how do on-line spaces differ from real-world spaces?In this episode, Heather Freeman interviews:<...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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31:06
