David Weinberger interviews Stephen Wolfram on his highly praised “computational knowledge engine” Wolfram Alpha shortly before it was launched publicly for Radio Berkman.

“[…]asking if we look at the world, the universe as it is, and you know,what are the kind of underlying primitives, what are the computational,the simple programs that can potentially drive all of this stuff, andWolfram Alpha it’s sort of the realization that all this knowledge thatis out there in this world […]”

MEP Eva Lichtenberger answers questions by Leo Findeisen about the dangers implied for civil rights in some of the upcoming decisions in the European Parliament in 2008 or the voting of June 2009. She outlines several issues that are partly interrelated and give rise for many concerns. These issues are the

• Telecom-Package which still includes  passages that would allow for searching children’s iPods while checking in at the airport; the so-called
• French Three-Strikes-model that would e.g. allow private persons, families and businesses to be cut off their internet access; and the
• ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) process where a lack of transparency about what mandate the European Council has given its diplomats to elaborate – behind closed doors – on rigid laws to enforce intellectual property rights in all developed nations, e.g. by border officials or via online surveillance. 

She also discusses some historical developments that lead to the current state of the European Union, its institutions and the dialog with its citizens, about the motivations of Spanish and English MEPs to seek strong measures of surveillance because of their fear of new terror attacks, and some of the major changes European policy making is undergoing these years.