About
Hello, I’m Kendall Giles, a researcher and writer who studies and teaches electrical and computer engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and the intersection of science, technology, philosophy, and society. Author Jim Kelly once told me that slipstream is a kind of literary genre or effect that produces in the reader a sense of strangeness, or unease. I think for many people today, with cars that drive themselves, coffee pots networked to the internet, and children’s toys that can speak to, listen to, and watch the kids, we are in a strange and uneasy world that shifts and morphs from changing technologies with each passing day. Welcome to the TechnoSlipstream!
What I’m Creating
I research and teach about the intersection of science, technology, and society, but increasingly I think it is critical that universities engage more with the public, especially regarding complex and powerful technologies being developed and released into the world with sometimes beneficial but often unintended consequences. Towards this, for my own part, I’ve worked toward more engagement through a number of projects. In a program sponsored by the US State Department called TechGirls I created and taught a cybersecurity bootcamp to 61 high school girls from the US, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. I’ve also worked with faculty and administrators from multiple universities in Virginia to prototype more accessible virtual education environments and courses for educators throughout Virginia. And I’ve been fortunate to have been interviewed by media outlets such as CNN and WVTF/NPR.
Another aspect of my public engagement effort is TechnoSlipstream, where my goal with the TechnoSlipstream Podcast is to share, discuss, and explore the critical social and technological issues of our time.
Finally, I also produce the Pseudodragon Newsletter!
If you’d like to support me in these efforts, consider joining us on Patreon!
