My Tech Entertainment Picks For May

This month I focus on women in STEM with a powerful book from a former countdown numbers whizz, a thrilling dystopian series that isn’t for the claustrophobic, and more.

It’s that time of the month again…your favourite time, I hope. Yup, I’m back with a fresh selection of tech entertainment recommendations for May.

I recently moderated the latest webcast in our EY Women in Technology ‘In the Spotlight’ series, How to dream it, code it and make it happen, which saw me join a panel of other successful female leaders to discuss how women can navigate the challenges of building and scaling a tech business.

We’re still a long way off achieving gender parity in tech — and in STEM on the whole, for that matter. Because we need to do everything we can to advance this crucial agenda, my picks this month all do exactly that in some way. Enjoy!

READ: She’s in CTRL

As we discussed in the webcast, women should dare to dream. And they have more power to make those dreams come true than they may believe — a point underscored in Women in CTRL, an inspirational must-read that explores why women are under-represented in tech, why this matters, and what we can do about it.

She’s in CTRL is brought to us by computer scientist Anne-Marie Imafidon, co-founder of Stemettes, an award-winning social initiative dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women in the STEM sectors, but many of you will know her better as Countdown’s one-time numbers whizz.

In this powerful book, Imafidon draws on her own experiences and the stories of other pioneers and innovators who have, against the odds, transformed tech, offering practical advice on how we can ensure the tech story shaping our world is as inclusive as possible.

WATCH: Silo

After premiering on Apple TV+ earlier in May, Graham Yost’s rich dystopian drama series has delighted even the pickiest critics….and me. Silo is based on Hugh Howey’s trilogy of the same name, which I read as each book came out. Although this show is very different, it harnesses Howey’s existential story.

Adapting Wool, the first book in the trilogy, Silo transports viewers to a ruined, toxic future, where we meet engineer Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson). After Sheriff Becker breaks a cardinal rule and residents die mysteriously, our protagonist begins to uncover the truth about the vast subterranean cylinder in which thousands are forced to live as they wait for the planet to recover.

My favourite thing about Silo? It’s hard to say. The story is incredibly well written, adding layer upon layer of intrigue with every scene. The characters who populate that story have real depth, giving it heart, and the casting is on fire. Perhaps the best character of all, though, is Yost’s grimy Steampunk/Brutalist future itself, whose new order Rebecca is brave enough to question. A woman in STEM challenging the status quo — that’s what we like to see.

LISTEN: White Town, Women in Technology

This offbeat synth-pop album from 1997 won’t be to everyone’s taste (I’m not even sure it’s to mine), but there’s no denying its magnetism. And any creative work that increases awareness of the need for more women in tech gets my vote, even if it has very little to do with the movement itself.

The second studio album by British recording artist White Town, Women in Technology is perhaps best known for the critically-acclaimed track, Your Woman — its only top-ten single, which has since earned a humble spot in the lower echelons of the pop canon.

White Town, the stage name of British-Indian musician Jyoti Prakash Mishra, recorded Women in Technology in his bedroom. Although the album ultimately failed to accomplish real commercial success, it’s widely regarded as something of a trailblazer, changing the way artists made music and proving they can change an industry — just as women and their allies will do with tech.

FOLLOW: Linda Yaccarino

Twitter has been on quite the ride since Elon Musk bought the platform for $44billion last year. But the tumult may soon come to an end under the reign of its new CEO Linda Yaccarino, whose smooth but tough management style at NBCUniversal and other major brands earned her the sobriquet, “The Velvet Hammer”. Love it.

What a mammoth challenge Yaccarino faces, coaxing back many of the advertisers who abandoned ship after Musk’s takeover, but it’s a challenge this seasoned media exec seems up for. I’ll be keeping a close eye on her leadership journey at Twitter — what do you think, can she put the firm back on track?

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Thanks for reading. As always, if you follow any of my recommendations, please share your thoughts. And let me know how you’re helping to close the gender gap in STEM.