♪ [applause] announcer: next, internet activist and blogger ethan zuckerman talked about civic participationnd the role technology has in shaping social norms. he spoke to students at right is universally -- at rice university. this is one hour and 15 minutes. ethan: i want to tell you a little bit about where i'm coming from and how that informs some of the work that i'm doing at the moment. i teach at the m.i.t. media lab, which is one of the stranger academic institutions in the world, really the only rule behind the m.i.t. media lab is that you have to be working on inventing the future and you have to be studying something that nobody else is studying. my colleague at the top of the screen there used to be one of the top rock climbers in the world, ended up losing both of his legs below the knee in a climbing accident, and went on to become an amazing researcher in biomechanical limbs. below him is a designer, who looks for inspiration in natural patterns and builds materials and buildings and services that look like organisms. my work is not nearly this , but it is sometimes a lot more

ethan zuckerman is director of the center for civic media at m. m.i.t. and research scientist at m.i.t. media. if i'm not mistaken ethan worked for one of the first dot-com enterprises where, among other things, he invented the pop-up ads. something he seems to have since regretted. ethan is also a founding member of global voices online, a popular nonprofit network of bloggers, translators and citizen journalists in over 150 countries and in more than 30 languages. in 2007 he joined the advisory board and in 2011 foreign policy magazine add ed him to its list of top global and i am honored to present our speaker ethan zuckerman who presents civics in the age of mistrust. please join me in welcoming him to rice. >>> well, thanks so much and thanks for coming out. it's wonderful to be here in this beautiful space and this gorgeous campus. i want to tell you a little bit about where i'm coming from and how that information some of the work that i'm doing at the moment. i teach at the m.i.t. media lab which is one of the stranger academic institutions in th

it is my pleasure to present ethan zuckerman. please join me in welcoming ethan to rice. [applause] mr. zuckerman: thank you so much. it is wonderful to be here in this beautiful state on this gorgeous campus. want to tell you about where i from and how that informs some of the work that i am doing at the moment. i teach at the m.i.t. media lab which is one of the stranger academic institutions in the world. behind the media you have to be future on inventing the and you have to be studying something that no one else is studying. my colleague at the top of the screen used to be one of the top rock climbers in the world and ended up losing both of his legs below the knee in a climbing accident and went on to become an amazing researcher in biomechanical limbs. terry oxman is as designer -- mary future and you have to be studying something that no one else is studying. my colleague at the top of the screen used to be one of the o's and surfaces that look like cells or organisms. pretty is not nearly as but in some ways it is more global and colorful. i study civic media. i'm