Earth + Humans

Geographic Data Science

Think for a minute about your geographic data. What exactly is that, you might be wondering? The phone in your pocket, the smart watch on your wrist, the GPS in your car –- all of these devices, and many more, collect and use your geographic data. It can help you navigate from one place to another, but it can also use the data from others to let you know to avoid your normal route home because of an accident. US News and World Report recently listed geography as one of the top 10 science jobs. This can likely be attributed to booming industries that rely on and create data that can be mapped. In this episode of Earth + Humans, we welcome Dr. Michael Goodchild, one of the founders of the field and a professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, to learn more about geographic data science, the future of the field, how to protect your privacy, and more!

Urban Equity

“Equity” has become a buzzword in recent months but there are a lot of questions surrounding the topic. How does equity differ from equality? What inequities exist in our communities, how did they get there and what can we do to make our communities more equitable? These are just a few of questions discussed in the first episode of Earth + Humans, as Dr. Trisalyn Nelson – host of Earth + Humans, as well as director of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University – sits down with Dr. Deirdre Pfeiffer, professor of urban planning. Editor’s note: In this episode our guest highlights the important issue of homelessness in Maricopa County and its impact on different racial communities. In the statistics on Whites representing 83% of the total population, 71% of the population in poverty, and 58% of the population experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County, the category White includes Hispanics. The episode incorrectly states that the category White excludes Hispanics.

Earth + Humans, a problem in need of solutions

"It's complicated" - the relationship status that hits you in the pit of your stomach. But, it's also the best way to describe the relationship we, the human race, are in with our planet. When it comes to the Earth and the humans who call it home, we have a lot of work to do to repair this fragile relationship. The Earth + Humans podcast aims to highlight some of the people who are researching these issues and their work to find solutions to some of our world's biggest problems. Earth + Humans is produced by the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University.