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Technology Innovations in technology that serve the world

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Michael Sandel, William Haseltine - Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering

Scientific advances have opened previously unimaginable possibilities in the realm of human reproduction. Determining the sex of an early-stage embryo, or shifting the pre-conception arrangement of chromosomes in favor of certain outcomes, further opens the door to sex selection. By various means, it is becoming feasible to genetically engineer a child with specific qualities. In this audio lecture, Michael J. Sandel and William Haseltine debate the moral and ethical implications of such actions.

Joshua Silver - Bringing Vision to the Masses

In the United States, at least 60% of the population wears corrective lenses. Worldwide, in contrast, only 5% of the population does. Such statistics have led Josh Silver, Oxford atomic physicist, to conclude that more than half the world needs vision correction but doesn't have access to it. In this audio lecture, host of the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford, Silver shares how he decided to "do something useful for the world" by creating specialized, liquid-filled corrective lenses that are now worn by some 26,000 people in developing countries.

Devendra Raj Mehta - Bringing Mobility to the Disabled

In remote rural areas in India, 18 million people suffer isolation and poverty due to their inability to work. In this audio interview, Jennifer Roberts, associate editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, converses with D.R. Mehta, whose NGO gives mobility to 20,000 people a year through the fitting of a high-tech prosthetic limb known as the Jaipur Foot. Mehta discusses the genesis of his organization, which makes the prosthesis freely available to the poor.

Dr. Helen Lee - Improved Disease Tests for the Developing World

In developing countries, many tests for infectious diseases never reach the market because there is little financial incentive to pharmaceutical companies to get them there. In this audio interveiw, Alana Conner, senior editor at the Stanford Social Innovation Review, converses with Helen Lee, whose research department at the University of Cambridge has developed tests that allow for the rapid detection—and thus treatment—of diseases in rural settings around the world.

Paul Lamb - Nonprofit Managment and the Web

Nonprofit management now requires the innovative use of information technology. In this Stanford podcast, nonprofit technology consultant Paul Lamb explores how the web is transforming nonprofits and NGOs. He looks ahead to the potential that ubiquitous mobile computing, virtual worlds, user-generated content, and social networking have to upend traditional constraints and to open new doors.

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The Dragonfly Effect - Thumbnail

The Dragonfly Effect

By Jennifer Aaker & Andy Smith 10

Two veterans of consumer psychology, marketing, and entrepreneurship provide a guide to using social media for social change.

The Case for Causal AI

By Sema K. Sgaier, Vincent Huang & Grace Charles 3

Using artificial intelligence to predict behavior can lead to devastating policy mistakes. Health and development programs must learn to apply causal models that better explain why people behave the way they do to help identify the most effective levers for change.