Patt Morrison schedule for Wednesday, August 22, 2012

1:06 – 1:39

OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

Cell phones know where you’re going before you do
Was your 3 p.m. appointment in downtown L.A. or near the beach? Maybe your phone can remind you. A group of computer scientists from the University of Birmingham in England have developed a formula that, through analyzing cell phone data of a person and their closest friends, could predict where a person would be in the next 24 hours within 60 feet. Though attempts to predict locations based on individual’s cell phone in the past were not very accurate, by including data from friends, results markedly improved. That way, if two people were driving towards a coffee shop where they frequently met, the formula would be able to predict they were heading there. The better ability to track an individual could lead to advertising opportunities to track customers and efforts by law enforcement to track criminals, but privacy concerns are also a large part of the issue.

Guest:
Mirco Musolesi, computer science researcher at the University of Birmingham

 

2:06 – 2:39

OPEN

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

The Chinatown war that shaped LA

Seeking prosperity and wealth, Chinese immigrants poured into California in the early part of the 19^th century. Los Angeles’ Chinatown was one of the communities that grew from the influx of immigration, but racial tension soon erupted in the area. Patt talks with historian Scott Zesch about what life was like in that part of town and the violence that eventually erupted in the tragic Massacre of 1871.

 

Guests:

Scott Zesch, author, THE CHINATOWN WAR: Chinese Los Angeles and the Massacre of 1871