509: World’s first robot Olympics, plus the latest information science updates

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Brian Reeves: Welcome to Information Changes Everything. Join us as we take a snappy look at the latest news about information and technology changing our world. This podcast is produced by the University of Michigan School of Information – UMSI. 

I’m Brian Reeves.

Alicia Myers: and I’m Alicia Myers.

Brian Reeves: As always, we'd love your feedback at [email protected]. And remember, we link to every story in our show notes. Let’s jump in...

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Alicia Myers: The world’s first robot Olympics (real name: World Humanoid Robot Games) was held in China last month. Over 500 robots from 16 countries competed in Olympic-type contests like running, boxing and soccer and domestic tasks like cleaning a hotel room. Quartz reported that while the spectators laughed and cheered the robots’ stumbles and pratfalls, the showcase underlined China’s ambition and multi-billion-dollar investment in humanoid robotics.

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Brian Reeves: Microsoft shut down Skype in May, and now another relic of the Internet’s early days will end in September: AOL dial-up service. Hard to imagine, but apparently there are still people enduring 1990s-level download speeds in 2025. According to CNN about 160,000 households in the U.S. are still using dial-up as their sole connection to the internet. AOL says subscribers will still be able to access all their other plan benefits, whatever those might be.

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Alicia Myers: Shades of Pygmalion: Visitors to the Palace of Versailles outside Paris can now carry on spoken conversations with the garden statuary. A tourist-friendly audio tool powered by OpenAI allows tourists to ask questions of the 20 statues, ranging from their provenance to how they feel about pigeons. The Palace’s Director of Digital tells the New York Times this new feature is part of an effort to attract younger and more local visitors to the historic site. 

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Brian Reeves: In August, Instagram announced a new feature to let you “responsibly share your location with friends using the new Instagram map.” According to CBS News, turning off that feature isn’t intuitive, nor is it obvious when it’s on. Some experts worry that users could accidentally share information they’d rather keep private. They say there are many reasons not to opt in and better ways to intentionally share your location. 

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Alicia Myers: The Boston Public Library is collaborating with Harvard University and OpenAI to digitize hundreds of years of historic public documents in the library’s collection. The library’s goal is to increase public access to the documents. NPR reports that OpenAI supposedly benefits by being able to train its large language models on high-quality materials that are out of copyright and therefore unlikely to lead to lawsuits.

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Brian Reeves: According to Sky News, The Cambridge Dictionary added 6,000 new words this year and many of these words entered the culture through social media influencers. Apparently Cambridge lexicographers feel that slang words like delulu, tradwife, snackable and skibidi aren’t just fads but will have a lasting place in our vocabularies. Well, at least until Boomers start using them, and then pfftt. 

(03:30)

Alicia Myers: Our smartphone cameras take beautiful photos, but MakeUseOf.com has a list of 10 more things your camera can do you might not know. You probably use it to scan QR codes and barcodes, but with the right apps, you could turn documents into PDFs, use it to measure objects, identify a strange plant or see how that Ikea table will look in your dining room. 

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Brian Reeves: Using AI, Texas A&M researchers have created an interactive map showing America’s weather-induced power outage hot spots. See for yourself just how well – or badly – your electric utility performs when the winds blow. The map drills down to individual counties with the number of outages rated from minor to extreme. And if you happen to live in Southeast Michigan, here’s confirmation you lose power more often than most. 

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Alicia Myers: OK, everyone, let’s focus… Apparently, we humans have a tendency to become distracted while working online. Yeah, shocker. Here are a few new resources to keep you on track. Some of us really are trying to buckle down. Lifehacker reports that Focus Friend just overtook ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app on US App Store charts. Focus Friend is a Pomodoro time focus app with a cute little bean that knits socks for you while you work and chides you when you don’t. Accumulated socks can be traded for decor items for your virtual room or a new skin for your bean. And if your distractions arise from within, namely your Chrome browser, HowToGeek has some suggestions to minimize temptations. Tips include turning off notifications, setting up a separate work profile, and removing some of those shortcuts to entertainment sites on the start page. Work now, play later. 

Brian Reeves: For links to all these stories, make sure to check out our show notes.

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Now, some news from UMSI.

Alicia Myers: Undergraduates across disciplines are looking to understand and leverage artificial intelligence — not just as a tool in their browser, but as a force reshaping the workforce and the world. Two courses launching at the University of Michigan School of Information this fall will answer that call. The courses “Understanding AI” and “Coding without Coding” have no prerequisites, making them accessible to students from any academic background. Both count toward UMSI’s new minor in human-centered AI. 

Alicia Myers: Click the link in our show notes to learn more about all the great things going on at UMSI.

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Brian Reeves: Remember, UMSI offers a fully online master’s degree in applied data science. Join the “leaders and best” by earning a University of Michigan master’s from anywhere in the world. To learn more, visit umsi.info/mads. The link is in our show notes.

The University of Michigan School of Information creates and shares knowledge that empowers people to use information and technology to build a better world. If you liked this episode of Information Changes Everything, subscribe and leave us a review—it helps listeners like you find our show and continue the conversation.

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This podcast is written and edited by Glenda Bullock and the Marketing & Communications team at UMSI. Pirate Audio is powered by humans and AI and provides hosting, production, and distribution. 

Thanks again for tuning in, and remember: Information changes everything. See you next time!