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PODCAST

Future Tense

A critical look at new technologies, new approaches and new ways of thinking, from politics to media to environmental sustainability.

society & culture tech news

All Episodes

29:08

The Great Plunder – curbing human creativity through...

Future Tense ·

2023/12/17

Technology companies aren’t just stealing your intellectual property – your creative content - they’re making vast profits out of selling it back to you. AI-powered apps like ChatGPT are trained on vast amounts of stolen data. What’s worse, it’s all justified as a public good. They call it “efficient infringement”. So, why are they allowed to get away with it? And what can be done about it? Also, the Living Building Challenge – it’s about building better construction and healthier

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29:08

Sweltering Cities – the cost of exponential urbanisation

Future Tense ·

2023/12/10

It's estimated that by 2050 more than 70 per cent of the world's population will live in cities. Urbanisation carries many benefits, but it also threatens to intensify the climate crisis. So, how do we better design our cities to minimise the "urban heat island" effect? The solutions are out there, but do we have the will to put them into practice?

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29:08

Technology churn versus digital Inclusion

Future Tense ·

2023/12/03

The constant upgrading of technology is wearing people down — one in five Australians now saying they feel "overwhelmed" by technological change, according to a recent report. Those at greatest risk of falling further behind include the elderly, the indigenous and migrant and refugee communities. In both health and education there's a push underway to improve access to vital technologies and create a more inclusive digital environment

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29:08

How ancient trees could help in the fight against...

Future Tense ·

2023/11/26

Unlike animals, trees don't have a biological clock, under ideal conditions they can live for thousands of years. Scientists say understanding how ancient trees have survived could help us protect forests from the ravages of climate change. But working out how to propagate them is the tricky part.

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29:08

Why knowing when to finish is as important as getting...

Future Tense ·

2023/11/19

In this episode of Future Tense – why charities should have a limited future… getting academics and researchers to think about the end of their research, not just the beginning… and a thoughtful take on the outsourcing of our intelligence –what do we lose when we let machines think for us?

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29:08

The great scan — mapping below Earth's surface

Future Tense ·

2023/11/12

Austrian archaeologist, Immo Trinks, has a grand ambition – to map the entire landscape of Europe, below ground! The 3D scanning technology he's using won't just uncover hidden archaeological treasures, it can also be used to check below our cities and major transportation routes for geological faults. Also, why mucking about with subatomic particles could help scientists develop a form of underground GPS.

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29:08

Giving old technology a future-focussed twist

Future Tense ·

2023/11/05

The hydrofoil looks set for a second coming – as a ferry. The boats, which are fitted with skis and electric batteries, literally plane across the top of the water. They're fast, less polluting than traditional passenger craft and could be the perfect marriage between climate-friendly technology and rapid transit needs. Authorities in Sweden and the UK are just about to begin trials. Also, turning trucks into trams – why are Swedish researchers looking to electrify their roads? And

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29:08

Cory Doctorow: Platform capitalism and the curse of...

Future Tense ·

2023/10/29

Amazon now feels more like a racket than an open shopping platform; you can't find posts from your friends on Facebook because it's clogged with unsolicited advertising; and Uber no longer seems like a cool, efficient taxi service, it's morphed instead into a global machine for turning gig workers into the new underclass – it's all part of a process Cory Doctorow has dubbed "enshittification". In this feature interview, the Canadian sci-fi author, journalist and digital rights

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29:08

Architecture's AI crossroads

Future Tense ·

2023/10/22

Advanced Artificial Intelligence and new digital technologies are revolutionising the architectural industry. Architects in Brisbane, for example, have mapped every millimetre of historic Lamb House using a 3D scanner – inside and out – and the speed and accuracy of their modelling saves money and prevents error. The opportunities for creativity are enormous, particularly where AI is concerned. But is the industry inadvertently making itself redundant?

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29:08

People have to solve the climate crisis — technology...

Future Tense ·

2023/10/15

Science and technology cannot solve our most challenging and complex environmental problems. At least not on their own, not without a greater emphasis on person-to-person engagement — people working together across knowledge systems. ABC Top 5 Science Media Resident, Dr Rohan Fisher, says sci-tech too often avoids the difficult, social-political and cultural dimensions. Human-generated problems require human-centric solutions, he argues. In this episode we explore how to utilise

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29:08

China's plan for a digital currency will have global...

Future Tense ·

2023/10/08

The Chinese Government, and its Central Bank, are currently experimenting with a digital currency. The hope is that it will make financial transactions faster, more efficient and cheaper for government, business and ordinary citizens. Some speculate it's about giving China's currency an edge over the PRC's major economic competitor, the United States. But whether Beijing's experiment succeeds or not will depend on matters of trust, surveillance and international appeal.

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29:08

Worshipping a divine AI and turning outer space into...

Future Tense ·

2023/10/01

It's only a matter of time before people start worshipping Artificial Intelligence as a religion, that's what Philosopher and ethicist, Neil McArthur, believes. And he says while the emergence of AI-based religion would carry risks, there's no basis for discriminating between AI-based religions and more established ones. Also, why artists are sending their creations into the heavens and what makes for good "space art".

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29:08

The normalisation of economic warfare

Future Tense ·

2023/09/24

"Geoeconomic confrontation" ranks as one of the most severe risks facing the world, according to a recent World Economic Forum report. Trade is increasingly becoming a weapon of warfare, and the future consequences for world co-operation could be significant. So, should the use of sanctions be regulated by an international body? And if a global regulator was established would it have teeth?

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29:08

Considering unintended consequences is the new...

Future Tense ·

2023/09/17

In our uber-connected world, the development and management of really anything is becoming increasingly complex. Planning for the future has to involve more than just grand ambitions, it also needs to be alert to unintended consequences. Otherwise things you didn't even dream about will go wrong and that can prove enormously costly. Part of the solution is to think past the immediate and adopt a systematic approach to thinking.

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28:58

The complexities of oversimplification

Future Tense ·

2023/09/10

Have technologists lost the art of keeping it simple? Do the devices they design actually make our lives more complicated, not less? Striving for simplicity could positively impact many aspects of modern life. But oversimplification risks stereotyping individuals and confusing our sense of historical perspective.

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54:00

The Circular Economy approach – thinking systemically...

Future Tense ·

2023/09/03

Much of the way we think about the economy and our environment is based on a linear model – a system of extraction, consumption and waste. But advocates for a "circular economy" approach argue it's time to start mimicking the cycles of nature that keep the planet healthy. It's about seeing waste as a resource and thinking about the future impact of today's decisions. It's a noble idea, but is it realistic?

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29:08

Should you pay to drive into your city centre — for...

Future Tense ·

2023/08/27

Authorities in New York city are planning to introduce a congestion pricing scheme. Vehicles entering certain parts of Manhattan will soon have to pay for the right to do so. Proponents of such schemes say they help reduce traffic, improve air quality, and can boost public transport patronage and funding. But from the experience of other cities around the world, vested interests and partisan politics can prove a stumbling block. So, what measures work best and how do you ensure

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29:08

Rethinking productivity and the pushback to...

Future Tense ·

2023/08/20

It's time to rethink what we mean by productivity, says work futurist, Dominic Price. What's important isn't output, but outcomes. And confusing the two, he says, is simply counter-productive! Also, benefit corporations — why many businesses are moving away from an obsession with profit at all cost; And why a compulsory savings model could help control inflation without raising interest rates.

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29:08

Acoustic restoration of ecosystems — how the sound of...

Future Tense ·

2023/08/13

Scientists are experimenting with sound to try and lure seabirds back to depleted environments. But not just any sounds – we're talking about the coos and calls associated with breeding. It's all part of an ecological approach called Acoustic Restoration and its already having an impact on Palmyra Atoll – a remote island halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa. It's hoped the acoustic approach can revive many different kinds of ecosystems, even after natural disasters — when

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29:08

Air conditioning: keeping us cool but making the...

Future Tense ·

2023/08/06

Around two billion air conditioners are currently in use across the globe but the amount of electricity they use is not sustainable, so what are some alternatives?

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