Over the past decade many governments, including Chicago’s, have put the spotlight on open data. But how do citizens really feel about these initiatives? A new study from the Pew Research Center found big splits in the public’s awareness of open data and its value for users. John Horrigan, a Senior Researcher at Pew and one of the authors of that report joins us to explain.

New study examines citizens’ feelings on open data initiatives

The University of Illinois is launching a new online MBA program using massive open online courses, or MOOCs. U of I is no stranger to MOOCs. They already offer dozens of courses through Coursera, the largest provider of MOOC education. Coursera representatives say this program would be the first MBA program of its kind. Joining us with more on this new program is Carl Straumsheim, a technology reporter for Inside Higher Ed.

Tech Shift: University of Illinois to launch new online MBA program

Chicago has gotten a lot of attention for its open data efforts, but cities around the region are also getting into the space. Evanston launched its open data portal in February and is starting to see how citizens are using the information and where to go next. Luke Stowe, Digital Services Coordinator for the city of Evanston, joins us with more.

What Evanston is learning a month after launching its open data portal

After much fanfare,  Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute is open. After winning a $70 million federal grant back in 2014 for advanced manufacturing, the UI Labs tech hub is up and running. UI Labs chairman Warren Holtsberg  gives us the details.

UI Labs opens its hub for advanced manufacturing

Suzanne Muchin leads Mind + Matter Studio in Chicago. She and Amanda Lannert, CEO of Jellyvision, were tired of the trend pieces and think pieces about the problem of women being underrepresented in tech businesses that didn’t focus enough on tangible solutions. So they published a list of the five things they’re dedicated to actually doing to help boost women in the workplace. Suzanne joins us in studio to explain the piece in detail.

How to upset the downward trend of women in tech

When it comes to medical emergencies, time is precious. But we’ve all seen ambulances or fire trucks stuck in traffic, sometimes barely inching along. One organization is trying to change that. United Hatzalah is a free emergency service that uses “ambucycles” or a motorcycle ambulance, to navigate the busy city streets of Jerusalem. It also uses an Uber-like app to send the nearest emergency medical professional to the person in need. Eli Beer, founder of United Hatzalah and inventor of the “ambucycle,” explains.

Israeli organization uses emergency ‘ambucycles’ to cut through traffic

It’s a Robot revolution! At least at the Museum of Science and Industry. We took a field trip to the museum to see the exhibit aimed at introducing the public to the future of robotics. “Robot Revolution” starts here in Chicago then goes on a national tour. It runs at the MSI May 21 through January 3.

The ‘Robot Revolution’ begins in Chicago

Questions about 1871’s success - a big win for local company Everpurse - and Washington’s working on helping modernize health care technology. It’s Tech Shift Week in review.

Week in review: Everpurse, tech efforts in healthcare, and the Apple Watch

Now that the Memorial Day weekend is over, students around Chicago are counting down to the end of the school year. And for some, that means coding camp is right around the corner. All this week on Tech Shift, we’re looking at different options kids have to explore science, technology, engineering and math over the summer. We examine a new program from the civic tech group Smart Chicago called Youth-led Tech. Its goal is to introduce students on the South and West sides to coding, and to teach them how to translate their new-found programming skills into a job. Joining us to talk about that is Smart Chicago Executive Director Dan O’Neil, and Dr. Toni Irving, Executive Director of Get In Chicago, a violence prevention and reduction program. 

Summer tech program will introduce South and West Side kids to coding

All this week on Tech Shift we’re looking at summer camp options for kids that focus on science, math or technology. With dozens of camps out there - and some with tuition that costs about $1,000 a week - how do you know which one is worth the price? We thought we’d turn to the people at Chicago Tech Academy for some advice. They sift through many of these programs for their high school students. Principal Linnea Garrett joins us, along with one of her school’s programming language teachers, Kevin Musiorski.

Tech Shift: How to select the best summer tech program at the best price

All week on Tech Shift we’re talking about opportunities for kids to boost their  STEM skills over the summer. WBEZ digital producer and co-host of the Nerdette podcast, Tricia Bobeda, joins us in studio with some science, engineering, technology and math resources Chicago once school lets out. 

Summer STEM resources for Chicago’s kids

The FCC proposes subsidizing broadband access for the poor; Google introduces some pretty fantastic technology; and the latest supercomputing news. Those are just a few stories we explore on our Tech Shift Week in Review. We’re joined by Argonne’s Deputy Director for its leadership computing facility, Susan Coghlan, as well as our WBEZ super digital guy, Tim Akimoff. 

Tech Shift Week in Review: Subsidized internet, new Google gadgetry and supercomputing

Thousands of people across the country are taking part in the third annual National Day of Civic Hacking. Groups in more than 100 cities will meet to design apps, websites and services to try to solve problems in their communities. Chicago is hosting four events in 2015, with goals from improving  neighborhoods to creating more sustainable fisheries. Christopher Whitaker, the Chicago Brigade Captain for Code for America, and Steven Philpott, a Social Ventures Fellow at the Center for Neighborhood Technology, join us along with Kelly Borden, the Citizen Science Education Lead at Adler Planetarium, to fill us in on this year’s event.

Thousands to take part in National Day of Civic Hacking

In 2014 microbes collected from our favorite Chicago dinosaur, that would be the Field Museum’s Sue the T-Rex , were launched into space. It was part of an effort to send microbes from all kinds of earth environments into space to see how they grow. The point? To learn how microbes associated with everyday human life react in a closed, limited-gravity environment and what implications this may have for humans during long-term space travel. Now, the results are in. Dr. David Coil, Project MERCCURI researcher and a Project Scientist in the Microbiology Lab of Jonathan Eisen at the University of California at Davis, joins us with details on the experiment.

Exploratory research into the microbiology of human space travel

The tiny bombardier beetle is explosive. Literally. To fight off predators, it creates explosions inside its abdomen that allows it spray a stream of chemicals at its foes. Now scientists are studying this phenomenon in more detail to see if the bug’s defense mechanism might have practical applications for things like body armor and crash helmets. Dr. Wah-Keat Lee worked on this at Argonne National Laboratory in the south suburbs. He’s now a scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. 

Unlocking the secrets of the bombardier beetle

The nonprofit organization Sunlight Foundation has been keeping track of the tweets politicians didn’t want you to see anymore. The site, called Politwoops, saved the tweets deleted by lawmakers. For the past three years, it tracked thousands of blunders and position changes. It also helped track how Twitter was being used for political discourse. But last week, Twitter suspended Sunlight’s access to its information, shutting down Politwoops. The move raises questions about how the social network balances privacy with the public’s right to know what their politicians are up to online. WBEZ web producer Chris Hagan tells us more.

Twitter restricts access to lawmakers’ deleted tweets

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