From “hanging chads” to claims of “rigged” Dominion voting machines, the technological improvements to voting technology aimed at improving efficiency and securing trust in the electoral process have been marred in controversy.

Yet, more countries around the world are shifting to electronic voting. In the U.S., most votes will be counted using a touch screen or optical scanner on-site. In the United Arab Emirates and Estonia all votes are submitted online.

David Nemer, UVA Associate Professor in the Department of Media Studies, joins Yael and Mike for this special early edition of November's Good Disruption episode as we head into the U.S. Presidential Election. Together they discuss how culture and trust plays a critical role in the acceptance of electronic voting and the need to protect the entire electoral process from beginning to end.

For more than a century, utility-scale power plants have delivered electricity to millions of customers through a vast grid of connected substations, transmission lines, and distribution lines. This one-way generator-to-customer business model is shifting due to a rapid increase in DERs like rooftop solar and energy storage systems, capable of localized generation and transacting on the grid.

This is disruption in the purest sense, where poor planning and mismanagement of DERs can result in disruption to the current grid system. Yet, if done right, DERs can add cost-efficiency and resiliency to the grid.

Mike and Yael are joined by the Executive Director of the Dominion Energy Innovation Center, Adam Sledd, to discuss DERs and important considerations for a modernized electrical grid.

Social media is one of the biggest and most controversial disruptions in the last decade, arguably the last several decades. More than 5 billion people, or 62% percent of the world's population, have joined Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and other platforms. These platforms are providing marketers greater visibility into consumer needs and creating more opportunities to build brand loyalty. And, they give consumers greater access to shared interest forums, critical health information, and local communities. Yet, there are serious concerns. Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the negative effects of social media on teen mental health. Algorithms, meant to create a more personalized experience, are isolating users from diverse opinions and news sources.

Mike and Yael speak with UVA Darden alum Travis Nixon (MBA '16), Machine Learning Engineer with Meta, about how we might use AI and data to redefine the user experience on social media to achieve healthier outcomes.