Future Tense
317 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 33 ratingsA critical look at new technologies, new approaches and new ways of thinking, from politics to media to environmental sustainability.
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Episodes
Emotional Intelligence and the promise of a better workplace
July 10, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBIt’s not enough to be smart. If you’re to avoid being automated out of a job in future, you’ll need to develop your Emotional Intelligence. New research suggests more and more companies see an organisational benefit in promoting such skills. But is the rhetoric being backed up with training? Also, a reality check on the “great resignation” - has the pandemic really spawned a new era of job mobility?
Algorithmic audiencing, bioluminescent lighting and the virtues of a circular city
July 03, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBWe examine the role algorithms play in limiting free-speech; we hear about the development of bacteria-driven lighting in France; we explore how the shape of our cities can influence weather patterns; and we learn about new research that applies a chemical approach to the simulation of touch.
Reembracing the spirit of public service
June 19, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe Future is Public is a global campaign aimed at creating a new narrative around public service. It’s about curbing the dominance of Neoliberalism in public policy. While in Australia, there are expectations the new government in Canberra will decrease the use of external consultants and make changes to the way government departments and agencies operate.
Cities – the hot beds of evolution
June 12, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBUrban life has not only reshaped what it means to be human, cities are also changing animals. Rats in different parts of New York are evolving separately. Ecologist Rob Dunn describes cities as accelerators of evolution. Also in this episode, how city administrators compete for dominance using the same approach as social media influencers. And why house-flipping has gone algorithmic.
Disinformation and propaganda in a time of conflict
June 05, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe crisis in Ukraine, like all wars, is a testing ground for new tactics and weapons. It’s also a conflict fought off the battlefield – on people’s computers, televisions and smartphones So, what have we learnt about the power of propaganda and disinformation during the current conflict? Also, the urge to shut-down – why governments of varying persuasions keep pulling the plug on their own internet services.
The Earth BioGenome Project; the church of women; and what do we really think about facial recognition technology?
May 29, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBIn this program we explore an ambitious science project aimed at to documenting the genomes of all known creatures; we'll hear why the future of the Anglican church is female; and explore the latest research into public perceptions of facial recognition technology.
The population conundrum
May 22, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBConcerns that we'll soon have too many people on the Earth sit alongside apprehension that we are facing a looming demographic crisis. So how do we address both issues without further damaging the planet?
Does data science need a Hippocratic oath?
May 15, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe use and misuse of our data can have enormous personal and societal consequences, so what ethical constraints are there on data scientists?
Cliodynamics, the Hinge of History and why all history is revisionist
May 08, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe idea that history is circular is called Cliodynamics and it’s currently in vogue with many commentators on international affairs. But do such theories help or hinder our understanding of history and its predictive powers?
Big data and farming – the promise and the fear
May 01, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBBoosting your productivity by up to 25% - what industry wouldn't want to do that? That’s the future big tech promises for agriculture – one where extensive data is gathered on every aspect of the supply chain. But farmers are worried about privacy. And there are also questions about environmental impacts of big ag getting into big data.
A slow move towards a plastic free future
April 24, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBOver the past two decades we’ve become increasingly sensitive to the overuse of plastic and more concerned about its environmental impact – but to what effect? Feel-good campaigns aside, the signs for the future are far from promising.
Are Sovereign Wealth Funds the best way of safeguarding the future?
April 17, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThere are currently around 150 of these funds in the world worth in excess of $USD 9 trillion.
Space-based Solar – energy above the clouds
April 10, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBScientists are busy testing ways to build a giant solar farm in space. Also, what to do about the increasing levels of space junk finding its way into our oceans?
The future of satire is no laughing matter
April 03, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBSatire has been around for thousands of years, but is its power dwindling?
Forgetting, not memory, moves us forward
March 27, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBForgetting is the only safe response to the world's problems, from a geopolitical perspective, according to author and journalist David Rieff. And forgetting is also a good thing in your personal life, say scientists. It moves us forward.
When development aid goes wrong - propping up bad regimes
March 20, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBFor many people, the provision of overseas aid is a democratic imperative and a universal good. But what if the situation is more complicated than that?
The fall of cash & the rise of central bank digital currencies
March 13, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBPhysical cash still plays an important role in the financial system, but could it be replaced by a digital alternative? Governments around the world are looking to Central Bank Digital Currencies, but there are concerns around privacy and loss of financial freedom.
What might a cashless future look like?
March 13, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBPhysical cash still plays an important role in the financial system, but could it be replaced by a digital alternative? Governments around the world are looking to Central Bank Digital Currencies, but there are concerns around privacy and loss of financial freedom.
Drones, witnessing and the view from above
March 06, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBAdvocates claim drones make war safer for civilians and soldiers by making it more technical and precise. But drones are also being used as a “witness” of conflict by activists keen to tell different stories about warfare and the heavy price often paid by civilians.
Banning books and floating suburbs
February 27, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBBanning books belongs in the dark ages and is anathema to modern liberal democracy, but in the United States there’s a widespread campaign underway to censor what students can read. Also, why is the UN involved in a project to build a floating neighbourhood on the South Korean coast?
Fashion’s fast future
February 20, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBFashion is getting even faster, but there are also efforts underway to rein-in the waste and make fabrics from more environmentally-friendly materials.
Space pollution, stunted high-rise and the joy of missing out
February 13, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBAs Earth’s upper atmosphere becomes more congested, it’s also becoming more polluted, and the impact could be dire. Also, why doing without could make for a fuller future; and what’s behind China’s ban on really tall buildings?
The opportunity costs of global pollution
February 06, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBPollution has long been seen as a health problem, but increasingly its being redefined as an opportunity cost to both individuals and society - and as a burden on future generations.
Rare Earths and the difficulties of supply
January 30, 2022 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBRare Earths are essential to modern life, but their extraction comes at a price. So, how do we clean-up mining efforts & build a diverse network of suppliers without destroying the environment?
Litigating our way out of climate change
January 16, 2022 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBResponses to climate change are often marked by frustration as much as fear. Those seeking to end our fossil-fuel dependency are increasingly turning to litigation to force the hands of companies and governments - often on human rights grounds. But do the courts have a legitimate role to play in leading the way? Or is this a form of judicial activism?
Is the process of ageing inevitable?
January 02, 2022 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBSome animals, like sea sponges, can live for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. They also never get cancer. Understanding why that’s the case has led scientists to question conventional notions of ageing. The idea that future humans may never grow old now seems theoretically possible.
Rewilding to safeguard biodiversity
December 26, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBRewilding is a conservation approach based on the reintroduction of lost animal species to their natural habitats. Its original manifestation was controversial because it centred on apex predators like wolves. But the approach has matured and advocates believe it now has a crucial role to play in securing future biodiversity levels.
Social media: harm and transformative justice
December 19, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBDespite increased safety features, policies and content moderation practices, social media platforms continue to be sites where people perpetrate and experience harm. A new approach to platform governance called Transformative and Restorative Justice could help address the underlying causes of harmful behaviour and promote safer and more inclusive digital communities.
Coming to terms with noise
December 12, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBWhen the global pandemic struck the world’s major cities were plunged into silence. But were they? New research casts doubt on just how quiet it really got when people were suddenly forced from the streets. It adds to our complex understanding of noise and sound and how both will shape our future.
Geopolitics in a post fossil-fuel world
December 05, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBWhat will the global political landscape look like when the world’s dependency on fossil fuels is finally over? Adjustments are already being made, but for so-called “petrostates” like Saudi Arabia and Russia, the prospects look particularly bleak. Experts warn of new inequalities and shifting power dynamics. They also warn of a fall in available energy levels as nations transition to renewables.
Our adolescent future and reassessing human rights
November 28, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBPaul Howe has a novel theory that could help explain the current state of humanity. Adolescence, he says, isn’t so much a time of life as a state of mind – and it’s transforming our adult world. Also, why an emphasis on human rights has failed to reduce global inequality; and redefining minimalism as “intentional living”.
The new globalisation
November 21, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBHistorian and economist, Marc Levinson, argues we’ve entered the fourth age of globalisation. An era, he says, that will be driven by the movement of “bits and bytes, not goods”. Also, should fintech companies be marketing their wares to children as young as six? And why is NASA planning to open fire on a pair of asteroids?
Technology: Questions of ethics and fairness
November 14, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe technology sector has a long history of designing devices to lock in customers and accelerate consumption. But “planned obsolescence” as it’s called is facing a push-back. We also speak with Margaret Mitchell, who helped set up the AI ethics group at Google, only to find she was shown the door when the company’s bosses didn’t like what she had to tell them.
An international approach to regulating AI
November 07, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBSimon Chesterman argues for a new global agency to regulate the development of artificial intelligence. One that would also ensure an equitable distribution of its benefits. Professor Chesterman, the Dean of the Law at the National University of Singapore, says discussion around AI has been dominated by the US, Europe and China, but smaller Asian nations also want a seat at the table.
An update on nuclear energy
October 31, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBIf you think coal is controversial, spare a thought for nuclear energy. It may not be everybody’s choice as a replacement for fossil fuels, but the technology is evolving, new reactors are being built and researchers are working on making them smaller and mobile. In this episode we give an overview on the size and scale of the nuclear energy sector - and the changes and challenges it faces.
The positive side of monitoring
October 24, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBSurveillance has become mainstream in the 21st century. It’s now so ubiquitous that many of us no longer notice its intrusion in our personal lives. But not all forms of monitoring are designed to exploit and/or contain. In this episode we look at several interesting monitoring technologies designed to assist and heal.
Disappearing cookies and a shortage of chips
October 17, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBGoogle has affirmed its decision to ban all third-party cookies from its popular Chrome browser by the end of 2023. Cookies have long under-pinned the business model for online marketing. Some analysts are predicting a “cookiepocalypse”. But others say that’s hard to swallow. Also, the world is currently facing a global shortage of computer chips. We examine why that’s occurred and when the blockage is likely to shift. ...
Planning for a problematic future
October 10, 2021 01:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBWe all know the value of planning, but in a complex, complicated and often confounding world it can be difficult knowing how to start. Scenario Planning is planning tool for uncertain situations - find out what it entails and how it might benefit organisations and businesses.
The atomisation of religious belief
October 03, 2021 00:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe big traditional religions of the world are losing followers, but not just, as is commonly thought, to atheism and secularism. Religion as such won't die any time soon because human beings are “hard-wired” to believe in the religious and the supernatural. Some analysts say the world is experiencing a shift toward individualistic spiritual expression, including a return to paganism.
Should we really aim for sustainable development?
September 26, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe terms “sustainability” and “sustainable development” are now so commonplace as to be meaningless – according to the sceptics. Worse still, a focus on sustainability, they say, can actually mask the very real problems we have in dealing with climate change and managing the world’s diminishing resources.
The Metaverse – turning life into one big online experience
September 19, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBFacebook’s CEO has spoken about changing the social media platform into a “metaverse” company and he’s pledged billions to the cause. The metaverse is a term Silicon Valley uses for the next stage of the internet: a world in which all activities are conducted in an immersive Virtual Reality environment. But would Zoom-weary humans want to live in such a world? And is it really just a cover for surveillance capitalism? ...
Big tech’s big challenge
September 12, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBNew legislation aimed at curbing the power and influence of the big technology companies has been drawn up in both the United States and Europe. While in China, the government has already implemented sweeping changes to the way Chinese technology companies can operate in the PRC and beyond. So, have we now entered a new age of tech regulation?
Our long-term battle with short-term thinking
September 05, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBIs our inability to think long-term influenced by the sheer number of threats we face? In times of crisis, it seems, human beings find it harder to think beyond their immediate difficulties. We investigate. Also, new research on why threats of punishment often fail to deter bad behaviour; and we get an update on Seabed2030, the global initiative to map the ocean floor.
Link rot, pay walls and the perils of preservation
August 29, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe cliché is that once something goes online, it’s up there forever. But the truth is that the Internet has a memory problem and some of what we’re losing – or could potentially lose – has significance and value. While archivists struggle with the challenge of preserving our digital record, the rise of pay walls present a particular problem.
AI inventors; “Affectivism” and the problem with Virtual Reality
August 22, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBAn Australian court has given inventor status to a piece of Artificial Intelligence. It’s big news in the tech sector, but does it have real world significance? Also, a new research discipline called "Affectivism" – what is it and how will it influence our understanding of human behaviour? And why one New York researcher has labelled Virtual Reality the “rich white kid with famous parents” who “never stops failing upward”. ...
Bitcoin: silly speculation or the future of finance?
August 15, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBAlmost every week, Bitcoin makes the headlines. Rollercoaster prices, environmental concerns and even the latest scams regularly make the news. But the sheer proliferation of stories surrounding Bitcoin has made it hard to understand what’s happening, let alone the technology itself. This week, Edwina Stott unpicks some of the biggest headlines in Bitcoin to get to the bottom of what’s really going on and what it means for the future. ...
A new alliance of democracies
August 08, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBPresident Joe Bidden wants to establish a new alliance of democracies to counter the rise of authoritarianism. He’s planning a global summit for later this year. But is such an alliance achievable in a 21st century marked by heightened geo-economic interdependency? Or is it simply a nostalgic yearning for the past? And if such an alliance could be formed, is the United States really up to the job of leading it?
Outsourcing, automation and the messiness of global labour
August 01, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBAutomation and outsourcing are dirty words for many people in Western countries worried about their future employment prospects. Developing countries are seen to be the major beneficiaries of off-shore labour, with multinationals hoovering up increased profits. But the reality is a lot more complex and even messy. Now, even developing countries are starting to feel the pain.
The trouble with Tech-driven farming
July 25, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBNew technologies are transforming agriculture, but getting farmers to experiment with different tech combinations remains an issue. A technologically-infused approach can bring benefits, but it also carries risks. In the developing world it can sometimes undermine traditional farming practices and increase inequality.
Ransomware – a very 21st century crime
July 18, 2021 02:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe rush to go digital during Covid-19 has coincided with a marked rise in ransomware attacks. Some have a political dimension, some are merely opportunistic, but all make sound business sense from a criminal perspective. We discuss the ins and outs of ransomware operations and meet a man whose job is to negotiate with the criminals.