Technology Podcast 236: Iranian Blogger Dies in Prison, Robofish, CCTV Revisited, and Battlestar Galactica

March 23, 2009

I'm sorry, but you have to love a robotic fish, especially one that is being deployed to combat pollution. This little guy's been swimming around the London aquarium for a while, but Tech Podcast 236 brings word that schools of the little beauties will be equipped with sensors, and then deployed to monitor pollution at ports around Europe. Bottom feeders, indeed. We'll hear from Rory Doyle, a researcher who is involved in the project.

We also hear about Omidreza Mirsayafi, an Iranian blogger who recently died in the country's notorious Evin Prison. Mirsayafi had been arrested once before, but released. Then, in February, he was summoned again for questioning, and detained. It is unclear exactly how Mirsayafi died, although as you'll hear in the podcast, he had been extremely depressed since being detained. Most of the articles on Mirsayafi' blog were about Persian music and culture, not politics. Human rights groups are calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. This post will give you a feel for Mirsayafi's writing.

There was a lot of feedback, both on the blog and via email, to our segment last week on closed-circuit television in the United Kingdom. One great email came from Doktor Jon, a 30 year industry veteran who took some of our coverage to task. Listen in to our follow-up and have some CCTV myths and statistics questioned and debunked.

And we end with homage to Battlestar Galactica (BSG), the Sci-Fi network's immense "reimaging" of the original series. We know it's not strictly tech, or even science, but we couldn't resist including it this week, considering the United Nations thinks that the way BSG tackled hot topics like terrorism, torture and refugees makes it worthy of (a panel) discussion. Frak me.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Battlestar Galactica is going to the U.N. (tvsquad.com)
• Jillian York: Blogging in Iran: A Dangerous Prospect (huffingtonpost.com)
• CCTV to Spy Four Year Old Kids at School [Privacy] (gizmodo.com)

Comments

[Charles Soto]

I generally enjoy the podcast, but would you please keep the stories relevant? The story on "Iranian bloggers" isn't a technology story. It's a political story. There are plenty of venues for political news already. Sure, these people post stuff to "blogs," but that doesn't make it relevant. If they were using network filters to censor, or they were actively attacking remote networks, etc. then it would be relevant.

[Curt]

You want stories that are the aural equivalent of blueprints for the Enterprise? Or refrigerator repair manuals? If the implications of technology are "irrelevant" to you, I thank G-d you're not an important man. How many "scientists" with your aversion to "politics" wound up inventing flame throwers and biotoxins because they knew that the faces melting on the receiving ends were just simply "irrelevant." I'd suggest you pass on Clark's podcast (sorry, buddy) and send me your address. I'll pass the plate and see if we can't get you a subscription to Popular Mechanics.