Bridging the Gaps: A Portal for Curious Minds
74 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsIn-depth conversations with researchers, explorers and thought leaders from around the world, on cutting edge research and original ideas.
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Episodes
“Evolutionary Intelligence: How Technology Will Make Us Smarter” with Professor W. Russell Neuman
March 31, 2024 17:57 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBArtificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most remarkable advancements of our time. It is a powerful evolving technology that has transformed the way we interact with machines and perceive the capabilities of computer systems. However, with this newfound power comes a natural apprehension. There is a noticeable fear surrounding the unintentional consequences and unintended implications of Artificial Intelligence. As this technology becomes increasingly integrated into our daily l...
“Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity Centered” with Professor Don Norman
March 06, 2024 00:06 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBHas human behaviour pushed our world to the edge, especially the mistaken belief that the earth’s resources are infinite? And can a shift in human behaviour rescue us? The challenges we face, from collapsing social structures to the climate crisis, have been centuries in the making. It is immensely critical that we take immediate and decisive actions; we must transform ourselves to improve our circumstances. In his new book “Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity Center...
“The AI Playbook: Mastering the Rare Art of Machine Learning Deployment” with Eric Siegel
February 11, 2024 13:24 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBThe most powerful tool often comes with the greatest challenges. In recent times Machine learning has emerged as the world's leading general-purpose technology, yet its implementation remains notably complex. Beyond the realm of Big Tech and a select few leading enterprises, many machine learning initiatives don’t succeed, failing to deliver on their potential. What's lacking? A specialised business approach and development & deployment strategy tailored for widespread adoption. In his recent...
“Sharing Our Science: How to Write and Speak STEM” with Professor Brandon Brown
February 07, 2024 00:46 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBScience communication plays an important role in bridging the gap between researchers and the general public, fostering understanding, engagement, and appreciation for scientific explorations and advancements. In an era where science and technology shape every aspect of our lives, effective communication of research findings is more critical than ever. This is also a time where there are conflicting views about scientific work and polarizations in societies. This makes effective science commu...
“The Good-Enough Life” with Dr Avram Alpert
September 02, 2023 16:58 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBWe live in a society driven by a relentless pursuit of greatness, where we are constantly pushed to attain the highest levels of wealth, power, and fame. This relentless fixation on greatness leads to stress and anxiety, strains our interpersonal connections, fosters extensive political and economic disparities, and contributes to the deterioration of our natural environment. In his book “The Good-Enough Life” author and educator Avram Alpert explores the idea of whether embracing our limita...
“Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness” with Professor Nicholas Humphrey
July 15, 2023 12:17 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBWe experience, thus we exist. Our conscious perceptions form the foundation of our self-awareness. They play a vital role in shaping our understanding of ourselves as sentient beings: present, alive, and significant. However, what is the origin of consciousness, and how does the process of experiencing sensations and developing a sense of awareness contribute to its emergence? Is this capacity limited solely to humans? Do other animals share this ability? And what about the potential for futu...
“The Smartness Mandate” with Professor Orit Halpern
June 06, 2023 22:35 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBSmartness has permeated our lives in the form of smartphones, smart cars, smart homes, and smart cities. It has become a mandate, a pervasive force that governs politics, economics, and the environment. As our world faces increasingly complex challenges, the drive for ubiquitous computing raises important questions. What exactly is this 'smartness mandate'? How did it emerge, and what does it reveal about our evolving understanding and management of reality? How did we come to view the planet...
“Ending Epidemics: A History of Escape from Contagion” with Richard Conniff
May 28, 2023 11:12 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBIt is difficult to imagine a not-so-distant past when deadly diseases were a routine part of life. Even more astonishing is the fact that during that time, prevailing medical beliefs attributed these diseases to harmful miasmas, bodily humors, and divine dyspepsia. However, a groundbreaking revelation occurred with the discovery of the world of microorganisms, which led to the understanding that these tiny organisms might be responsible for transmitting and spreading diseases. These pivotal d...
“Kendall Square and the Making of a Global Innovation Hub” with Robert Buderi
May 20, 2023 12:55 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBKendall Square, situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has earned the reputation of being "the most innovative square mile on the planet." It serves as a vibrant epicentre for life sciences, housing renowned companies such as Biogen, Moderna, Pfizer, Takeda, and many others. Additionally, it stands as a prominent hub for technology, with giants like Google, Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple occupying substantial portions of valuable office space within its bounds. The square is also ...
“Worlds Without End: Exoplanets, Habitability, and the Future of Humanity” with Prof. Chris Impey
April 16, 2023 12:53 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBWhen considering the long-term survival and sustainability of human civilization, two developments hold significant implications. Firstly, humanity has been recklessly depleting resources, causing species extinctions, and degrading essential elements for life on Earth for centuries. Secondly, advancements in the science of discovering habitable planets outside our solar system have opened up the possibility of establishing human civilization beyond our increasingly inhospitable planetary home...
Reclaiming Human Intelligence and “How to Stay Smart in a Smart World” with Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer
April 01, 2023 18:14 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBThe future of technology is a subject of debate among experts. Some predict a bleak future where robots become dominant, leaving humans behind. Others, known as tech industry boosters, believe that replacing humans with software can lead to a better world. Critics of the tech industry express concern about the negative consequences of surveillance capitalism. Despite these differences, there is a shared belief that machines will eventually surpass humans in most areas. In his recent book "How...
“A Traveller’s Guide to the Stars” with Physicist, Author and Nasa Technologist Les Johnson
March 13, 2023 20:00 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBThe ancient ambition of exploring the cosmos and possibly even inhabiting other planets may one day come true, as we discover more and more exoplanets and intend to develop innovative propulsion techniques suitable for interstellar travel. Projects like 100 Year Starship and Breakthrough Starshot enable us to study the challenges involved with a view to develop solutions, furthering the idea of interstellar travel. In his new book “A Traveller’s Guide to the Stars” physicist and Nasa Technolo...
“When Galaxies Were Born: The Quest for Cosmic Dawn” with Professor Richard Ellis
January 29, 2023 11:46 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBLooking for the earliest galaxies is like travelling back in time. Something that astronomers do all the time. Astronomers use huge and powerful telescopes to see not only farther and deeper into space, but also back in time. The hunt for the oldest galaxies using observational astronomy needs not only a thorough grasp of the physics and chemistry of the early cosmos, but also the human ingenuity of building large size telescopes and designing innovative instrumentation. Large and complicated...
Cloud Empires: Governing State-like Digital Platforms & Regaining Control with Prof Vili Lehdonvirta
January 08, 2023 16:36 - 1 hour - 74.8 MBThe rise of the platform economy puts state-like power in the hands of platform owners with little or no accountability. Over the past few decades, the chaotic and lawless early Internet evolved into a digital reality where e-commerce and digital services platform owners dictate decisions that affect millions living in different countries and jurisdictions. In his book “Cloud Empires: How Digital Platforms Are Overtaking the State and How We Can Regain Control” professor Vili Lehdonvirta expl...
“The Exquisite Machine: The New Science of the Heart” with Professor Sian Harding
December 01, 2022 15:55 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MBThe heartbeat may be the first physical manifestation of an unborn child that can be seen six weeks after conception, and it continues roughly 100,000 times per day for as long as we are alive. Scientists and researchers have attempted to recreate the heart's flawless engineering for decades in labs all around the world, but have been unsuccessful. Its exact operation and capacity to meet both our bodily and emotional demands makes it a marvel of engineering that is unmatched by anything buil...
“Working with AI”: Human-Machine Collaborations with Prof. Thomas Davenport and Prof. Steven Miller
October 31, 2022 23:20 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBThere is a widespread view that artificial intelligence is a job destroyer technical endeavour. There is both enthusiasm and doom around automation and the use of artificial intelligence-enabled "smart" solutions at work. In their latest book “Working with AI: Real Stories of Human-Machine Collaboration”, management and technology experts professor Thomas Davenport and professor Steven Miller explain that AI is not primarily a job destroyer, despite popular predictions, prescriptions, and con...
"Zero to Birth: How the Human Brain Is Built" with Professor William Harris
October 15, 2022 17:27 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBA single fertilised egg generates an embryo. Different cell types in this embryo develop into various organs of a new human being, including a new human brain. Everything starts with a single fertilised egg, and in the embryo, some embryonic cells develop into neural stem cells that construct the brain. By the time a baby is born, its brain is already made up of billions of precisely designed neurons that are connected by trillions of synapses to form a small, compact but incredibly powerful ...
“The Case Against Reality” and The Hard Problem of Consciousness with Professor Donald Hoffman
July 19, 2022 16:44 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBWhat is the true nature of reality? Does the objective reality reported back by our senses paint a complete picture of the true reality? Is it possible that the world we see is not objective reality and it is just an interface to a deeper, true reality. In his book “The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes” cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman Challenges leading scientific theories that claim that our senses report back objective reality. He argues that while we shou...
Augmented Thinking: The New Convergence of Art, Technology, and Science with Professor Julio Ottino
June 27, 2022 23:21 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBWe live in an age of increasing complexity and uncertainty. We live in a time when humanity faces extremely complex challenges. Our ability, or lack thereof, to create solutions to such extremely complicated challenges may determine our long-term survival as a civilization. The question is: is our existing style of thinking adequate, or do we require a new style of thinking in order to innovate and lead into the future. In their recent book Julio Ottino and Bruce Mau make a case for “The Nexu...
“Machines like Us: TOWARD AI WITH COMMON SENSE” with Professor Ronald Brachman
June 04, 2022 13:33 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBThere is a consensus among the researchers in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning that today’s artificial intelligence systems are narrowly focused, are designed to tackle specialised tasks and cannot operate in general settings. An important feature of the human brain that enables us to operate in general settings, and in unfamiliar situations is our common sense. In their new book “Machines like Us: TOWARD AI WITH COMMON SENSE” Hector Levesque and Ronald Brachman expla...
“The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds” with Professor Christopher Mason
May 19, 2022 16:01 - 42 minutes - 39 MBWe are the only known species that understands species go extinct. We also understand that climate calamity, apocalyptic war, or the demise of the sun in a few billion years will all inevitably bring life on Earth to an end. So it is extremely important we do whatever we can to avoid extinction. We have a moral obligation to prevent extinction, and we have a responsibility to act as life-form shepherds—not just for our species, but for all species on which we rely, as well as those yet to co...
"The Joy of Science" with Professor Jim Al-Khalili
May 13, 2022 13:03 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBCan living scientifically empower us to navigate the complexities of today’s complex and unpredictable world? Can the joy of critical thinking and the effectiveness of the scientific method assist us in making better decisions? Can living a more rational life help us navigate modern life more confidently? In his new book “The Joy of Science” acclaimed physicist Jim Al-Khalili invites readers to engage with the world as scientists have been trained to do. He shows how the fundamental principle...
"Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans" with Professor Melanie Mitchell
May 01, 2022 01:19 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBRecent developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence are fascinating as well as terrifying; there are extravagant promises as well as frustrating setbacks; there is great progress in narrowly focused AI applications, and there is lack of progress in the field of Artificial General Intelligence. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps I speak with professor Melanie Mitchell and we discuss the history, recent successes, huge expectations and emerging fears and frustrations in the field of A...
The End of Astronauts, Robotic Space Missions and Our Future on Earth & Beyond with Prof Martin Rees
March 31, 2022 18:26 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBHuman space exploration is challenging as well as fascinating. However, the excitement of space flight for astronauts comes at a high cost and is riddled with danger. As our robot explorers become more capable, governments and corporations must consider whether the ambition to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars is worth the cost and risk. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with professor Martin Rees who is one of the authors of “The End of Astronauts: Why Robots Are the Future of...
"Spark: The Life of Electricity and the Electricity of Life" with Professor Timothy Jorgensen
March 17, 2022 15:13 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBWhen we think about electricity, we most often think of the energy that powers various devices and appliances around us, or perhaps we visualise the lightning-streaked clouds of a stormy sky. But there is more to electricity and “life at its essence is nothing if not electrical”. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Timothy Jorgensen and we discuss his recent book “Spark: The Life of Electricity and the Electricity of Life ”. The book explains the science of electricit...
Asking Better Questions for Problem Solving, Innovation and Effective Leadership with Hal Gregersen
February 27, 2022 22:15 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBEvery problem or issue raises new questions, which must be correctly answered in order to address the problem or resolve the issue. What if we could get a better answer to our most troublesome problem—at work or at home—just by altering the question? If asking right questions is essential for creative problem solving and innovation, and for effective leadership, shouldn’t we know more about how to arrive at right questions? In his book “Questions Are the Answer: A Breakthrough Approach to You...
On Public Communication of Science and Technology with Professor Bruce Lewenstein
February 12, 2022 14:12 - 1 hour - 63.6 MBFrom the museums of the fifteenth century, to the public lectures of Michael Faraday in the nineteenth century, and to various science fairs & festivals of the twenty-first century, public engagement of science has evolved immensely. Public engagement of science in this age of hyper connectivity is “a multidimensional and multi-directional activity”. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps I speak with professor Bruce Lewenstien, a widely-known authority on public communication of science and te...
"Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering" with Dr Scott Small
January 20, 2022 13:37 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MBWe all wish to have a better memory, yet there are times when it fails us. Until recently, most people, even memory scientists, believed that forgetting served no purpose. However, new research in psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and computer science paints a different picture. It informs us that forgetting is not a failure of our minds. It's not even a benign glitch. It is, in fact, good for us and, alongside memory, it is a required and a separate function for our minds. It benefits our ...
"Learning How to Learn": Techniques to Help You Learn with Dr Barbra Oakley (CLASSIC)
January 03, 2022 16:59 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBHumans have fundamental ability and cognitive resources to learn new concepts and acquire new skills and knowledge, although this may not seem natural to most of us at first. The key is to understand how the brain works so we can harness its potential by developing and adopting learning techniques that are effective and more rewarding. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Dr Barbara Oakley about “Learning how to learn”. Dr. Oakley encourages learners to recognize that everyone l...
"The Self-Assembling Brain" and Quest for Improved AI with Professor Peter Robin Hiesinger
November 07, 2021 22:48 - 1 hour - 62.5 MBHow does a network of individual neural cells become a brain? How does a neural network learn, hold information and exhibit intelligence? While neurobiologists study how nature achieves this feat, computer scientists interested in artificial intelligence attempt to achieve it through technology. Are there ideas that researchers in the field of artificial intelligence borrow from their counterparts in the field of neuroscience? Can a better understanding of the development and working of the b...
Quantum Computers: Building and Harnessing the Power of Quantum Machines with Prof. Andrea Morello
August 31, 2021 00:02 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBQuantum computers store data and perform computations by utilizing properties of quantum physics. Quantum computations are performed by these machines by utilizing quantum state features such as superposition and entanglement. Traditional computers store data in binary “bits,” which can be either 0s or 1s. A quantum bit, or qubit, is the fundamental memory unit in a quantum computer. Quantum states such as the spin of an electron or the direction of a photon, are used to create qubits. This c...
"Nano Comes to Life": DNA NanoTech, Medicine and the Future of Biology with Professor Sonia Contera
August 22, 2021 13:46 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBNanotechnology allows scientists to better understand, interact with, and manipulate biology by creating and manufacturing artificial structures and even machines at the nanoscale out of DNA, proteins, and other biological molecules. From nanoscale machines that can target individual cancer cells and deliver drugs more effectively to nanoantibiotics that can fight resistant bacteria, to the engineering of tissues and organs for research, drug discovery, and transplantation, nanotechnology is ...
"Free Will" Through the Lenses of Philosophy and Neuroscience with Dr Alfred Mele
July 25, 2021 19:33 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBThe debate over whether or not free will exists is not new. The main points of contention in this discussion are whether or not we have control over our actions, and if so, what kind of control we have and to what extent. On the one hand, we have a strong sense of liberty, which causes us to trust in our own free will. An intuitive and instinctive sense of free will, on the other hand, could be misinterpreted. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Dr Aflred Mele and we discuss th...
Time, Space and Nature of Reality through the Lens of Quantum Theory with Dr Carlo Rovelli
June 13, 2021 18:47 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBWhat is time? Is time real or just an illusion? Time is an enigma, a mystery that never ceases to perplex us. Philosophers, poets, painters and thinkers have long debated its significance, while scientists have discovered that its structure differs from our intuitive understanding of it. Our view of time has changed dramatically throughout the years, from Boltzmann to quantum theory, and from Einstein to loop quantum gravity. In the huge cosmos, time moves at various speeds in different plac...
The Spike: Journey of Electric Signals in Brain from Perception to Action with Prof. Mark Humphries
June 07, 2021 14:10 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBNeurons are the fundamental building blocks of the brain. In the human brain, billions of these neurons communicate and liaise with one another using spikes, blips of electric voltages. Studying and understanding how these spikes emerge in the brain, how they travel through the brain and how this communication leads to meaningful actions are part of the cutting edge research in the field of neuroscience. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps I speak with professor Mark Humphries and discuss t...
History of Information with Professor Paul Duguid
April 19, 2021 18:57 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBOver centuries “information has shaped and been shaped by human society”, writes professor Paul Duguid at the start of the book “Information: A Historical Companion”. Duguid is one of the editors of this book that reconstructs the rise of human approaches to creating, managing, and sharing facts and knowledge. The book is organised as thirteen long form chapters and more than hundred short form entries in a list of thematic objects, tools and concepts that are critical for our understanding o...
"On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done" with Professor David Badre
February 09, 2021 00:35 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBNeural mechanisms in the human brain that are responsible for generating and keeping track of plans, and influencing a cascade of brain states that can link our goals with the correct actions are known as Cognitive Control. These mechanisms and processes enable us to transform plans and goals into actions. Cognitive Control, also known as Executive Control inhibits automatic responses and supports flexible, adaptive responses and enables sophisticated actions to achieve desired goals. From ma...
"Philosophy & Ethics of Technology" with Professor Peter-Paul Verbeek
January 31, 2021 01:00 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBPhilosophical reflection on technology is not new, it is about as old as philosophy itself. However, as the impact of technology on everyday human life and on society keeps increasing, and new and emerging technologies permeate nearly every aspect of our daily lives, it is crucial that human-technology relationships are studied extensively and understood thoroughly. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with philosopher Professor Peter-Paul Verbeek who suggests that human-technology ...
"A Passion for Ignorance" and for Denials and Negations with Professor Renata Salecl
October 26, 2020 15:24 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBIgnorance, denials and negations have always been part of human experience. In this post-truth, post-industrial world, we often feel overwhelmed by the information and misinformation overload. Although we claim to live in an information age, consciously or unconsciously, actively or passively more and more we are choosing to ignore, deny and negate facts and valid opinions. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with philosopher and sociologist Professor Renata Salecl and we this discu...
Intriguing Science of Sense of Smell with Professor Matthew Cobb
October 12, 2020 23:03 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBSense of smell is the process of creating the perception of smell. Animals use smell for a range of essential functions such as to find food or a mate, to sense danger and to send and receive signals and complex messages with other members of a species. Despite being so fundamental for all animals, including us, the sense of smell remains mysterious. We understand far less about this sense than we know about other senses. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps I speak with Professor Matthew Cob...
"Exploring the Mysteries of Our Universe's First Seconds" with Dr Dan Hooper
September 20, 2020 16:44 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBScientists now have a good understanding of how our universe evolved over the past 13.8 billion years, but we know very little about what happened in the first few seconds after the Big Bang. Dr Dan Hooper, a senior scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Lab and a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago, emphasises that understanding the earliest moments of the universe is vital to tackle, and to decipher mysteries such as dark matter and dark energy. In his boo...
"The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)" with Dr Katie Mack
August 27, 2020 12:37 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBThroughout history philosophers, poets and explorers have been pondering upon and debating the question that what the long term future of our universe would be. The focus has been on two intriguing perspectives: would the universe continue to exist forever or would it end at some point in time in future. Modern scientists seem to be in agreement that in the distant future the world will end; our universe will die. At that time, humanity might still exist in many unrecognizable spinoff forms, ...
Artificial Intelligence: Fascinating Opportunities & Emerging Challenges with Professor Bart Selman
August 14, 2020 11:54 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBResearch and development in the field of Artificial Intelligence is progressing at an amazing pace. These developments are moving beyond simple applications such as machine vision, autonomous vehicles, natural language processing and medical diagnosis. Future AI systems will be able to use reasoning to make decisions; will employ innovative models of non-human intelligence; will augment human intelligence through human centric AI Systems. These systems will enable us to discover solutions to ...
"Philosophy of Information" and "Ethics of Information" with Professor Luciano Floridi
July 05, 2020 14:32 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBInformation is a crucial concept. Its significance is evident by the fact that the present era is labelled as the information age. An intriguing question is: What is information? Although information is always around us, in the realm of digital artefacts and connectivity as well as in biological entities and processes, it is still an elusive concept. This is perhaps the hardest and most central problem that is the focus of a new area of research known as philosophy of information. This episod...
"The Evolution of Knowledge: Rethinking Science for The Anthropocene" with Professor Jürgen Renn
June 02, 2020 15:26 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBMost history of science publications narrowly focus on specific periods in human history, or particular disciplines of scientific discovery, or small sets of scientists and philosophers. However there is a view that history of science can be better understood against the background of a history of knowledge including not only theoretical but also intuitive and practical knowledge. This can be further broadened by including cognitive, material and social dimensions of knowledge. Studying how k...
"Dark Data: Why What You Don't Know Matters" with Professor David Hand
March 11, 2020 22:03 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MBIn the era of big data and super-fast information capturing and processing systems, it is easy to imagine that we have all the information that lead to actionable insights, that we need to make good decisions. However, according to David Hand, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and Senior Research Investigator at Imperial College London, the data we have are never complete. Just as much of the universe is composed of dark matter, invisible to us but nonetheless present, the universe of inform...
Origin Of Mathematics and Mathematical Thinking with Dr Keith Devlin
March 02, 2020 08:42 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBMathematics is everywhere. We use numbers, quantities, values and measurements almost all the time. Counting and quantifying is part of almost everything that we do. An interesting question is how did it all start. When did humans start thinking mathematically and what is the origin of mathematical thinking. As we start tacking these questions, we stumble upon few more queries: how did our brain evolve to do mathematics; what are fundamental capacities that enable humans to do mathematica...
Timefulness: Thinking Like a Geologist with Professor Marcia Bjornerud
December 04, 2019 13:47 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBOur planet’s history, from its initial formation to present day, spans over a long period of time. It is not easy to conceptually imagine such a large timescale and most of us adopt a narrow perspective of temporal proportion. This constricted view, according to professor Marcia Bjornerud underlies many of the environmental problems we are creating for ourselves. The lifespan of Earth can seem unfathomable compared to the brevity of human existence, but a narrow view of time makes it difficul...
"The Technology Trap" and the Future of Work with Dr Carl Frey
October 22, 2019 16:58 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBAn intriguing set of questions that is being explored by researchers across the globe and is being discussed and brainstormed in various organisations and think tanks is: “what is the future of work”; “how forthcoming AI and Automation revolution will impact on the nature and structure of work”; and “what would be the impact of these changes on the fabric of society from social, economic and political perspectives”. In a 2013 study “The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Com...
How Cooking Made Us Human with Professor Richard Wrangham
July 20, 2019 22:12 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBHumans are the only animals that cook their food. One of the implications of cooking food, as noted by Oliver Goldsmith is, “of all other animals we spend the least time in eating”. In a ground-breaking theory of our origins, primatologist Richard Wrangham argues that the shift from raw to cooked food was a key factor in human development. When our ancestors adapted to using fire, humanity as we know it, began. Wrangham notes that as a result of eating cooked food, the human digestive tract s...