Hello Recompilers,
It all kind of happens at once, doesn’t it? Last week I was futzing around trying to get solar power at home and thinking abstractly about what kinds of reasons are worth leaving quarantine for. This week… well things are happening. The right wing has lost its short-lived monopoly on street protest.
Reading:
George Floyd. Regis Korchinski-Paquet. Tony McDade.
Protests are sweeping the country. A police station in Minneapolis was destroyed after the police retreated, after they used up all their ammunition on protestors outside. The border patrol is flying a predator drone, used to surveil and kill people overseas, over the city. City bus drivers are refusing to drive arrested protestors to jail.
As a white American, I have no interest in judging the tactics used by demonstrators and no interest in directing them either. A friend of mine, though, told me they were going to their first militant street demonstration and I compiled advice for them about how to stay safe and effective in the streets, which someone on twitter unrolled.
Oh, and somewhere in all of this Trump started a war on social media because Twitter decided to inform Americans he was lying to them.
Listening:
The Radical AI: Robot Rights? Exploring Algorithmic Colonization with Abeba Birhane
PhD candidate in cognitive science Abeba Birhane joins the hosts to talk about robot rights and the implications of emerging technologies on colonized terrain like Africa.
Conference Talk of the Week:
This talk is part of our “Favorite Talks” YouTube Playlist. Check it out and subscribe!
Deeper Understanding & Better Communication through Art
Anna Rankin at RailsConf Couch 2020 talks about how visual art helps technologists deepen their understanding of subjects and allows them to communicate ideas.
Opportunities:
Recompiler is hiring editors and designers.
Do you know an upcoming conference or CFP that should be included in this newsletter? Email leads to info@recompilermag.com.
This newsletter compiled by Margaret Killjoy (@magpiekilljoy). Margaret is an author, activist, and musician based in Appalachia. Her most recent book series is the Danielle Cain novella series, which starts with The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion.
The Recompiler 