The Good Robot

Join host Eleanor Drage and guest Tara Merk as they explore how community-owned data centers can revolutionize digital ownership. Discover innovative models that challenge big tech's dominance, promoting sustainability and local empowerment. Learn from Germany's success in renewable energy and cooperative governance. This episode reimagines internet ownership, focusing on community needs for a fairer, greener future.
Reading list:
Tara Merk’s LinkedIn
Community Data Centers  
The making of critical data center studies 
Data infrastructure studies on an unequal planet  
Getting into fights with data centers: Or, a modest proposal for reframing the climate politics of ICT
Data Center Opposition Report 
Edited by: Meibel Dabodabo

Can cloud infrastructure be owned and governed by the people, and not just Big Tech? Friederike von Franqué, policy advisor at Wikimedia Germany, reveals how feminist principles and decentralized infrastructure are transforming the internet from a corporate service into a public commons.
In this episode, we explore Friederike’s work with Wikimedia Germany. From the energy-intensive data centers of Frankfurt to Stockholm’s municipally owned fibre infrastructure, we examine the struggle to build technology that prioritizes the common good over corporate profit. Friederike explains why hyperscalers are not always the solution, and why we need environmental accountability and community-driven design.
This conversation pulls back the curtain on the hidden data systems powering our lives, offering a provocative roadmap for a more equitable and sustainable digital future.

Reading List:
Friederike von Franque website
"Enough of the Billionaires and Their Big Tech. 'Frugal Tech' Will Build Us All a Better World": An article by Eleanor Drage.
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikimedia Germany
“Wikipedia Is Running On Its Own Metal: The Power and Limits of Self-Hosted Infrastructure”by Wikimedia Europe 
Data centres are reshaping the global investment landscape by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 

Edited by: Meibel Dabodabo

Why do we often overlook the transformative power of open licensing in technology? Richard Bowman, a researcher and advocate for open source innovation, reveals how open licensing and frugal tech principles are not just ideas but powerful tools for global change.
In this episode, we delve into Richard's journey from developing innovative microscopy to championing open source scientific hardware that challenges traditional tech ownership and promotes accessibility. Discover how these principles are reshaping global health and education, inspiring new ways to think about technology's role in society. Richard dismantles the myth that technology is neutral, illustrating how it can be a force for justice and empowerment.
From creating locally repairable microscopes to developing community-driven scientific tools, this conversation uncovers the potential of open technology in crafting a more equitable and sustainable world.
Reading list:
Richard Bowman’s GitHub https://github.com/rwb27
OpenFlexure Official Website https://openflexure.org/
The Humanitarian Technology Trust https://httrust.org/
We need to break science out of its ivory tower – here’s one way to do this by Jenny Molloy https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-break-science-out-of-its-ivory-tower-heres-one-way-to-do-this-76354
The Open Source Hardware Movement by Andre Maia Chagas https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000014
Making hardware open source can help us fight future pandemics by Richard Bowman and Julian Stirling https://theconversation.com/making-hardware-open-source-can-help-us-fight-future-pandemics-heres-how-we-get-there-153280
Microscopy for everyone: how the OpenFlexure microscope is changing global healthcare https://www.theiet.org/membership/member-news/member-news-july-august-2025-issue/microscopy-for-everyone-how-the-openflexure-microscope-is-changing-global-healthcare
OpenFlexure in MagPi Magazine (Issue 158, p. 112) https://magazine.raspberrypi.com/issues/158
Sharing of hardware is a missing link in the open science puzzle via SPARC https://sparcopen.org/impact-story/often-overlooked-sharing-of-hardware-is-a-missing-link-in-open-science-puzzle/
Open Science Hardware Policy by Julieta Arancio https://osh-policy.org/
Edited by: Meibel Dabodabo

Why do we often miss the profound impact of design in social justice? Terresa Hardaway, a graphic design professor and social justice advocate, uncovers how racialized and abolitionist design principles are not just concepts but powerful tools for societal change.
In this episode, we explore Terresa's journey into the world of design that challenges systemic racism and promotes equity. Learn how these principles are reshaping community activism and inspiring new ways to think about design's role in society. Terresa dismantles the myth that design is neutral, illustrating how it can be a force for liberation and empowerment. From the creation of protest fonts to the development of community-centered spaces, this conversation reveals the transformative potential of design in crafting a more just and inclusive world.
Reading List:
https://terresahardaway.com/
https://design.umn.edu/directory/terresa-hardaway 
‘Stop Killing Black People’: How a Minneapolis designer branded a movement
Blackbird Revolt
Black Garnet Books
Racism Untaught: Revealing and Unlearning Racialized Design by Lisa E. Mercer and Terresa Hardaway
Stop Killing Black People Font

Edited by: Meibel Dabodabo

Why do we overlook the power of traditional crafts in modern innovation? Elisabetta Matsumoto, a physicist and textile expert, reveals how knitting and smocking are not just crafts but catalysts for groundbreaking advancements.
In this episode, we delve into Elisabetta's exploration of textile techniques that are transforming sustainable fashion and medical technology. Discover how these crafts are revolutionizing pelvic surgeries and inspiring flexible programming languages. Elisabetta challenges the notion that high-tech must be costly, showing how ancient practices can lead to democratized tech solutions. From the intricacies of textile geometry to the broader implications for inclusivity and sustainability, this conversation uncovers the hidden potential of crafts in shaping a more equitable future.
Reading list:
How one physicist is unraveling the mathematics of knitting
Elisabetta A. Matsumoto's work

Edited by: Meibel Dabodabo