Margaret finishes a conversation with Bridget Todd about the woman who invented software and her rather strange family.

Margaret finishes a conversation with Bridget Todd about the woman who invented software and her rather strange family.

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff

As long as there&rsquo;s been oppression, there&rsquo;ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be&mdash;and fight to be&mdash;free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

Part Two: Ada Lovelace and Lord Byron: The First Computer Programmer, Child of the First Vampire

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e4491cdb-d3cb-4fec-863c-b146015841b9/transcript

Margaret continues telling you the sordid history of Automated License Plate Readers and the people who have stood up against them

Sources:

https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/
https://azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen
https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs
https://www.winonapost.com/news/crime/all-of-wpd-s-flock-cameras-stolen/article_9c61aa25-411b-4f2f-a5cd-ca02942f5f9f.html
https://krocnews.com/stolen-flock-cameras-winona-mn/
https://www.winonapost.com/news/wpd-wont-replace-stolen-flock-cameras-citing-public-trust/article_06a67859-2d97-414b-aa8f-d8751ad214bb.html
https://www.military.com/air-force-engineer-accused-of-cutting-down-13-police-cameras-says-they-are-unconstitutional
https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/justice/2025/12/16/timeline-the-brief-troubled-history-of-flock-cameras-in-eugene-springfield/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/09/03/ai-startup-flock-thinks-it-can-eliminate-all-crime-in-america/
https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/flock-cameras-destroyed-nationwide-ice-backlash-2026/
https://ngscinc.com/history-license-plate-recognition
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/automatic-license-plate-readers-legal-status-and-policy-recommendations
https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/
https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/state-house-hopeful-arrested-in-flock-fiasco/article_2bb9aca2-5ede-4f42-9329-a8754aad7350.html
https://www.facebook.com/MontereyCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0YWZxSJqZSBJu2BDQiQQnWUqzNiYEoHxQEgF88NBRjRXfDwQxMtqfNyHoiry5m3Mel
https://www.wlky.com/article/attorney-lmpd-flock-camera-scandal/69895783
https://www.alxnow.com/2026/07/14/alexandria-man-arrested-for-allegedly-destroying-multiple-license-plate-readers/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-sawed-old-braeswood-22370015.php
https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/flock-safety-cameras-vandalized-on-long-island-after-accusations-cop-tracked-lover/
https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/flock-cameras-vandalized-in-monterey-county/
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/03/police-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-getting-pushback-florida/90915780007/
https://web.archive.org/web/20120819233022/http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html
https://www.etymonline.com/word/scofflaw
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/anti-surveillance-mapmaker-refuses-flock-safetys-cease-and-desist-demand
https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/
https://www.eff.org/document/flock-safety-cd-deflockme
https://www.eff.org/document/eff-deflock-letter-flock-safety
https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/
https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/31/kechi-police-lieutenant-arrested-using-police-technology-stalk-wife/
https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/former-kechi-police-lieutenant-sentenced-in-stalking-case/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2015/05/11/paradise-valley-license-plate-camera-reader/27144369/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-show-customers-license-plates-come-under-scrutiny-1475451302
https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/va-alpr.pdf
https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/42/4232.asp
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/10/dea-plans-to-expand-license-plate-surveillance-program/
https://qz.com/1400791/that-road-sign-telling-you-how-fast-youre-driving-may-be-part-of-a-us-government-surveillance-network
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443995604578004723603576296
https://www.docsumo.com/blog/optical-character-recognition-history
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3330771.stm
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18001802465783784125
https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/texas/corpus-christi-police-use-basic-license-plate-readers-not-flock/
https://legislativeanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ALPRS-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf

Margaret continues telling you the sordid history of Automated License Plate Readers and the people who have stood up against them
Sources:
<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/">https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/ https://azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/ https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs https://www.winonapost.com/news/crime/all-of-wpd-s-flock-cameras-stolen/article_9c61aa25-411b-4f2f-a5cd-ca02942f5f9f.html https://krocnews.com/stolen-flock-cameras-winona-mn/ https://www.winonapost.com/news/wpd-wont-replace-stolen-flock-cameras-citing-public-trust/article_06a67859-2d97-414b-aa8f-d8751ad214bb.html https://www.military.com/air-force-engineer-accused-of-cutting-down-13-police-cameras-says-they-are-unconstitutional https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/justice/2025/12/16/timeline-the-brief-troubled-history-of-flock-cameras-in-eugene-springfield/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/09/03/ai-startup-flock-thinks-it-can-eliminate-all-crime-in-america/ https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/flock-cameras-destroyed-nationwide-ice-backlash-2026/ https://ngscinc.com/history-license-plate-recognition https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/automatic-license-plate-readers-legal-status-and-policy-recommendations https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/ https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/state-house-hopeful-arrested-in-flock-fiasco/article_2bb9aca2-5ede-4f42-9329-a8754aad7350.html https://www.facebook.com/MontereyCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0YWZxSJqZSBJu2BDQiQQnWUqzNiYEoHxQEgF88NBRjRXfDwQxMtqfNyHoiry5m3Mel https://www.wlky.com/article/attorney-lmpd-flock-camera-scandal/69895783 https://www.alxnow.com/2026/07/14/alexandria-man-arrested-for-allegedly-destroying-multiple-license-plate-readers/ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-sawed-old-braeswood-22370015.php https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/flock-safety-cameras-vandalized-on-long-island-after-accusations-cop-tracked-lover/ https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/flock-cameras-vandalized-in-monterey-county/ https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/03/police-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-getting-pushback-florida/90915780007/ https://web.archive.org/web/20120819233022/http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html https://www.etymonline.com/word/scofflaw https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/anti-surveillance-mapmaker-refuses-flock-safetys-cease-and-desist-demand https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/ https://www.eff.org/document/flock-safety-cd-deflockme https://www.eff.org/document/eff-deflock-letter-flock-safety https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/ https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/31/kechi-police-lieutenant-arrested-using-police-technology-stalk-wife/ https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/former-kechi-police-lieutenant-sentenced-in-stalking-case/ https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2015/05/11/paradise-valley-license-plate-camera-reader/27144369/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-show-customers-license-plates-come-under-scrutiny-1475451302 https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/va-alpr.pdf https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/42/4232.asp https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/10/dea-plans-to-expand-license-plate-surveillance-program/ https://qz.com/1400791/that-road-sign-telling-you-how-fast-youre-driving-may-be-part-of-a-us-government-surveillance-network https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443995604578004723603576296 https://www.docsumo.com/blog/optical-character-recognition-history http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3330771.stm https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18001802465783784125 https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/texas/corpus-christi-police-use-basic-license-plate-readers-not-flock/ https://legislativeanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ALPRS-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf</a>

Part Two: The Valiant War on Flock: How People Are Fighting Mass Surveillance

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bfb114b2-168a-417e-afa3-b4b9000fdd66/transcript

Margaret tells you the sordid history of Automated License Plate Readers and the people who have stood up against them

Sources:

https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/
https://azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen
https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs
https://www.winonapost.com/news/crime/all-of-wpd-s-flock-cameras-stolen/article_9c61aa25-411b-4f2f-a5cd-ca02942f5f9f.html
https://krocnews.com/stolen-flock-cameras-winona-mn/
https://www.winonapost.com/news/wpd-wont-replace-stolen-flock-cameras-citing-public-trust/article_06a67859-2d97-414b-aa8f-d8751ad214bb.html
https://www.military.com/air-force-engineer-accused-of-cutting-down-13-police-cameras-says-they-are-unconstitutional
https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/justice/2025/12/16/timeline-the-brief-troubled-history-of-flock-cameras-in-eugene-springfield/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/09/03/ai-startup-flock-thinks-it-can-eliminate-all-crime-in-america/
https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/flock-cameras-destroyed-nationwide-ice-backlash-2026/
https://ngscinc.com/history-license-plate-recognition
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/automatic-license-plate-readers-legal-status-and-policy-recommendations
https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/
https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/state-house-hopeful-arrested-in-flock-fiasco/article_2bb9aca2-5ede-4f42-9329-a8754aad7350.html
https://www.facebook.com/MontereyCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0YWZxSJqZSBJu2BDQiQQnWUqzNiYEoHxQEgF88NBRjRXfDwQxMtqfNyHoiry5m3Mel
https://www.wlky.com/article/attorney-lmpd-flock-camera-scandal/69895783
https://www.alxnow.com/2026/07/14/alexandria-man-arrested-for-allegedly-destroying-multiple-license-plate-readers/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-sawed-old-braeswood-22370015.php
https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/flock-safety-cameras-vandalized-on-long-island-after-accusations-cop-tracked-lover/
https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/flock-cameras-vandalized-in-monterey-county/
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/03/police-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-getting-pushback-florida/90915780007/
https://web.archive.org/web/20120819233022/http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html
https://www.etymonline.com/word/scofflaw
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/anti-surveillance-mapmaker-refuses-flock-safetys-cease-and-desist-demand
https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/
https://www.eff.org/document/flock-safety-cd-deflockme
https://www.eff.org/document/eff-deflock-letter-flock-safety
https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/
https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/31/kechi-police-lieutenant-arrested-using-police-technology-stalk-wife/
https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/former-kechi-police-lieutenant-sentenced-in-stalking-case/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2015/05/11/paradise-valley-license-plate-camera-reader/27144369/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-show-customers-license-plates-come-under-scrutiny-1475451302
https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/va-alpr.pdf
https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/42/4232.asp
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/10/dea-plans-to-expand-license-plate-surveillance-program/
https://qz.com/1400791/that-road-sign-telling-you-how-fast-youre-driving-may-be-part-of-a-us-government-surveillance-network
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443995604578004723603576296
https://www.docsumo.com/blog/optical-character-recognition-history
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3330771.stm
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18001802465783784125
https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/texas/corpus-christi-police-use-basic-license-plate-readers-not-flock/
https://legislativeanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ALPRS-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf

Margaret tells you the sordid history of Automated License Plate Readers and the people who have stood up against them
Sources:
<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/">https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/ https://azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/ https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs https://www.winonapost.com/news/crime/all-of-wpd-s-flock-cameras-stolen/article_9c61aa25-411b-4f2f-a5cd-ca02942f5f9f.html https://krocnews.com/stolen-flock-cameras-winona-mn/ https://www.winonapost.com/news/wpd-wont-replace-stolen-flock-cameras-citing-public-trust/article_06a67859-2d97-414b-aa8f-d8751ad214bb.html https://www.military.com/air-force-engineer-accused-of-cutting-down-13-police-cameras-says-they-are-unconstitutional https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/justice/2025/12/16/timeline-the-brief-troubled-history-of-flock-cameras-in-eugene-springfield/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/09/03/ai-startup-flock-thinks-it-can-eliminate-all-crime-in-america/ https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/flock-cameras-destroyed-nationwide-ice-backlash-2026/ https://ngscinc.com/history-license-plate-recognition https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/automatic-license-plate-readers-legal-status-and-policy-recommendations https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/ https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/state-house-hopeful-arrested-in-flock-fiasco/article_2bb9aca2-5ede-4f42-9329-a8754aad7350.html https://www.facebook.com/MontereyCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0YWZxSJqZSBJu2BDQiQQnWUqzNiYEoHxQEgF88NBRjRXfDwQxMtqfNyHoiry5m3Mel https://www.wlky.com/article/attorney-lmpd-flock-camera-scandal/69895783 https://www.alxnow.com/2026/07/14/alexandria-man-arrested-for-allegedly-destroying-multiple-license-plate-readers/ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-sawed-old-braeswood-22370015.php https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/flock-safety-cameras-vandalized-on-long-island-after-accusations-cop-tracked-lover/ https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/flock-cameras-vandalized-in-monterey-county/ https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/03/police-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-getting-pushback-florida/90915780007/ https://web.archive.org/web/20120819233022/http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html https://www.etymonline.com/word/scofflaw https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/anti-surveillance-mapmaker-refuses-flock-safetys-cease-and-desist-demand https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/ https://www.eff.org/document/flock-safety-cd-deflockme https://www.eff.org/document/eff-deflock-letter-flock-safety https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/ https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/31/kechi-police-lieutenant-arrested-using-police-technology-stalk-wife/ https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/former-kechi-police-lieutenant-sentenced-in-stalking-case/ https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2015/05/11/paradise-valley-license-plate-camera-reader/27144369/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-show-customers-license-plates-come-under-scrutiny-1475451302 https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/va-alpr.pdf https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/42/4232.asp https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/10/dea-plans-to-expand-license-plate-surveillance-program/ https://qz.com/1400791/that-road-sign-telling-you-how-fast-youre-driving-may-be-part-of-a-us-government-surveillance-network https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443995604578004723603576296 https://www.docsumo.com/blog/optical-character-recognition-history http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3330771.stm https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18001802465783784125 https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/texas/corpus-christi-police-use-basic-license-plate-readers-not-flock/ https://legislativeanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ALPRS-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf </a>

Part One: The Valiant War on Flock: How People Are Fighting Mass Surveillance

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/555dfb41-5829-41fa-9da2-b4b700182992/transcript

Natural Causes is a podcast about the politics and practicalities of going outside in a world on fire, hosted by Dr. James Stout. It approaches the outdoors, conservation, agriculture, food sovereignty, and Indigenous land rights as interconnected issues. We want to combine unflinching journalism with unabashed advocacy for the land we all share, and welcome everyone into the outdoors and the fight for our public lands. Our shared wild spaces are under threat like never before, from climate change, the Trump administration, and extractive capitalism. Now, more than ever, we need serious journalism and serious solidarity that engages people with the struggle to protect these spaces for generations to come. New episodes weekly.


Listen here and subscribe to Natural Causes on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

Natural Causes is a podcast about the politics and practicalities of going outside in a world on fire, hosted by Dr. James Stout. It approaches the outdoors, conservation, agriculture, food sovereignty, and Indigenous land rights as interconnected issues. We want to combine unflinching journalism with unabashed advocacy for the land we all share, and welcome everyone into the outdoors and the fight for our public lands. Our shared wild spaces are under threat like never before, from climate change, the Trump administration, and extractive capitalism. Now, more than ever, we need serious journalism and serious solidarity that engages people with the struggle to protect these spaces for generations to come. New episodes weekly.
 Listen <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-natural-causes-340763248">here</a> and subscribe to Natural Causes on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

Introducing: Natural Causes

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Part Two: Ada Lovelace and Lord Byron: The First Computer Programmer, Child of the First Vampire

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