# 525: Some Sort of Metal

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2026-05-14
- Length: 1h 03m
- Episode: 525
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal
- Listen: https://embedded.fm/episodes/525

## Summary

Dr. Tom Williams, a computer science professor at the Colorado School of Mines and author of 'Degrees of Freedom: On Robotics and Social Justice,' discusses the intersection of robotics, ethics, and social justice. He argues that roboticists must consider societal impacts, citing Waki Kamino’s research on MLB’s automated ball-strike system and the teleoperation of robots like EngKey. Williams advocates for integrating ethics into engineering education through methods like participatory design and improvisation to address issues of race, gender, and labor.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=7) Introduction: Dr. Tom Williams and the Colorado School of Mines
- [2:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=147) Lightning Round: Defining Robots and Fictional Characters
- [9:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=568) The Colorado School of Mines and Robotics Education
- [13:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=782) The Fluid Definition of a Robot and MLB Umpires
- [18:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=1084) Degrees of Freedom: Ethics, Race, and Control Systems
- [28:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=1729) Teleoperation, Labor, and Global Power Dynamics
- [41:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=2479) Environmental Impact: AI Water Use and Criticism
- [50:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=3014) Integrating Ethics into Computer Science Curriculum
- [57:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=3431) Participatory Design and Improvisation Methods
- [1:01:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal#t=3676) Closing Thoughts and Karel Čapek Quote

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Degrees of Freedom: On Robotics and Social Justice (product)
- Sex, Race, and Robots: How to Be Human in the Age of AI (product)
- Embodied AI Safety: Reimagining safety engineering for artificial intelligence in physical systems (product)
- Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence (product)
- A Psalm for the Wild-Built (product)
- Platform Decay (product)
- Death of the Author (product)
- The Murderbot Diaries (product)
- Critical Role (other)
- The Good Place (other)
- Mines Interactive Robotics Research Lab (other)
- Waymo (product)
- EngKey (product)
- Siri (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Kate Darling on the Future of Robotics and AI Ethics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-10-24-kate-darling-on-the-future-of-robotics-and-ai-ethics) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Episode Forty-Six: Carlotta Berry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-04-28-episode-forty-six-carlotta-berry) (Robot Talk)
- [Episode 112: Getting creative with robotics - Vali Lalioti](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2025-03-07-episode-112-getting-creative-with-robotics-vali-lalioti) (Robot Talk)
- [Black in Robotics’ Ayanna Howard, Monroe Kennedy III on diversity & inclusion](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-09-16-black-in-robotics-ayanna-howard-monroe-kennedy-iii-on-diversity-inclusion) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Episode 110: Designing ethical robots - Catherine Menon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2025-02-21-episode-110-designing-ethical-robots-catherine-menon) (Robot Talk)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-05-14-525-some-sort-of-metal. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.