The primaries are behind us, and now the election season can begin in earnest. Join Ira and guests in this hour of Science Friday as the talk turns to the technology of voting machines. How can we improve security, reliability, and usability?

We'll also hear about an advance in computer technology, using on-chip components to generate laser light for data transmission. Experts say the photonics research could one day lead to faster computer chips -- and much more.

Finally, we'll talk with one of the authors of a new report on women in science and technology that calls for immediate, dramatic reforms to counter gender biases in academic positions.Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Ed Felten
Professor, Department of Computer Science
Director, Center for Information Technology Policy
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Larry Norden
Associate Council Director, Voting Technology Assessment Project
Brennan Center for Justice
NYU Law School
New York, New York

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Mario Paniccia
Director, Photonics Technology Labs
Intel Corporation
Santa Clara, California

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Maria Zuber
Member, National Academies' Committee on Maximizing the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering
E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics
Head, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Books/Articles Discussed:

Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering (National Academies Press, 2006)

Security Analysis of the Diebold AccuVote-TS Voting Machine

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This segment produced by Charles Bergquist