"SMS Uprising: Mobile Activism in Africa" explores how African activists leverage mobile technology for organization and documentation. It examines gender and access disparities in tech usage and highlights the role of mobile phones in connecting local struggles to global movements, emphasizing their impact on activist strategies.
Featured in New Scientist 's Best Books of 2021'Filled with wonderment and awe ... Greene's eloquent memoir is equal parts escape and comfort.' Publishers WeeklyA powerful reflection on life in isolation, in pursuit of the dream of Mars.In 2013 Kate Greene moved to Mars.On NASA's first HI-SEAS simulated Mars mission in Hawaii, she lived for four months in an isolated geodesic dome with her crewmates, gaining incredible insight into human behaviour in tight quarters, as well as the nature of boredom, dreams and isolation that arise amidst the promise of scientific progress and glory.Greene draws on her experience to contemplate what makes an astronaut, the challenges of freeze-dried eggs and time-lagged correspondence, the cost of shooting for a Planet B.The result is a story of space and life, of the slippage between dreams and reality, of bodies in space, and of humanity's incredible impulse to explore. From trying out life on Mars, Greene examines what it is to live on Earth.'In her thoughtful, well-written account of the mission, Greene reflects on what this and other space missions can teach us about ourselves and life on Earth.' Physics Today
Big Data consists of numerous small data points generated from everyday activities, such as cell phone usage, GPS entries, website visits, online purchases, and ATM transactions. While concerns about the misuse of Big Data—such as surveillance and hacking—often dominate headlines, its positive applications should not be overlooked. In this exploration of Reality Mining, Nathan Eagle and Kate Greene highlight the constructive potential of Big Data analysis, demonstrating how it can enhance various human systems, including political polling and disease tracking, while also addressing privacy concerns. The authors, with Eagle's expertise and Greene's journalism background, present Reality Mining across five levels: individual, neighborhood and organization, city, nation, and world. For each level, they provide accessible explanations of data collection methods and showcase existing or potential applications. Examples include a mobile app designed to assist smokers in quitting, a workplace knowledge system, the use of GPS and mobile data for traffic management, and social media analysis for disease tracking. Eagle and Greene advocate that, when used responsibly, Big Data can significantly improve people's lives, making them healthier and happier.