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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

30:00

Some home truths about declining research...

Future Tense ·

2023/03/12

Our modern understanding of innovation isn't modern at all, it turns out. Historian, Iwan Rhys Morus, says we're being held back by Victorian-era notions of the future as a land to be conquered; and the lone-genius inventor as the standard bearer of technological advance. Which might explain why research productivity is now sharply declining, despite a substantial rise in research investment.

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30:00

Embracing serendipity and breaking free of...

Future Tense ·

2023/03/05

Clive Thompson has invented a new search tool called the Weird Old Book Finder. It's about… finding weird old books, what else? It's also about embracing serendipity and breaking free of algorithmic shackles. Also, why the development of Google Glass was both a cautionary tale and a punchline; and the vulnerabilities of super fast finance.

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30:00

ChatGPT — the hype, the limitations and the potential

Future Tense ·

2023/02/26

ChatGPT is a controversial new language assistant powered by AI. It can write essays, do coding and even structure complex research briefs, all in a matter of seconds. To its detractors ChatGPT and other AI-text generating tools represents the beginning of the end of human creativity and a future of universal plagiarism. To the less exuberant, it's a sophisticated new educational tool that has significant flaws and needs to be used judiciously. It's also likely to force a rethink

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30:00

Deep Fakes and moral panic

Future Tense ·

2023/02/19

Deep fake videos and audio are growing in sophistication and the technology to make them is readily available online. Many fear they damage our ability to tell truth from fiction and are a threat to democracy. In this episode we provide a reality check. We also look at research into how such fakes can be detected.

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30:00

Managerialism and our obsession with hierarchy

Future Tense ·

2023/02/12

Managerialism is a Neo-liberal philosophy that critics accuse of bloating both the public and private sectors with unnecessary management.It's also accused of having bred a separate highly-paid management class, devoid of expertise. But is it too late to curb its influence and make organisations less hierarchical?

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30:00

A global pandemic treaty; communication...

Future Tense ·

2023/02/05

The world will soon have a universal pandemic treaty, but will all countries sign on and will it prevent future lockdowns? Also, how vulnerable are our undersea cables? And could technology one day allow us to talk with animals?

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30:00

The climate change "winners"

Future Tense ·

2023/01/29

It might be an uncomfortable idea for many, but in the short term climate change will produce "winners" as well as losers. Some countries, companies, communities and species will actually benefit from a warming world. But in what ways and for how long?

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30:00

Coming to terms with noise

Future Tense ·

2023/01/22

When 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.

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30:00

Should we really aim for sustainable development?

Future Tense ·

2023/01/15

The 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.

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30:00

Fashion’s fast future

Future Tense ·

2023/01/08

Fashion is no longer du jour – of the day – it’s of the second. Online platforms are using real-time data and analytics to micro-target what we buy and what we wear. At best, it’s a form of hyper-personalisation, matching people to their clothing preferences. At worst, it risks turbo-charging our already fast fashion industry. But there are also efforts underway to rein-in the waste and make fabrics from more environmentally-friendly materials.

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30:00

The future of satire is no laughing matter

Future Tense ·

2023/01/01

Satire is society’s release valve and it allows us to reflect on just about anything. It’s been around for thousands of years, but social media, shameless leaders and an appetite for outrage are all having an impact on this ancient form of social commentary. So is satire's power dwindling? Or is it evolving for the future?

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30:00

Forgetting, not memory, moves us forward

Future Tense ·

2022/12/25

Forgetting is the only safe response to the world's problems, from a geopolitical perspective, according to author and journalist David Rieff. Sometimes it’s too dangerous to remember. And forgetting is also a good thing in your personal life, say scientists. It moves us forward. The science of memory is giving way to the science of forgetting. Forgetting used to be seen as a failure of the brain, but new research suggests it’s a crucial part of the way our minds function.

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30:00

A Right to Disconnect ... from work

Future Tense ·

2022/12/18

A global push is underway to try and install a Right to Disconnect – allowing workers to strike a healthier balance between work-time and own-time. Working from home during the pandemic arguably raised expectations that people were available 'around the clock'. But did it in fact help spark a reassessment of how we work? Various organisations and governments are also exploring the idea of a four-day week — prioritising productivity over office hours.

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30:00

The cultural impact of streaming; and the "digital...

Future Tense ·

2022/12/11

Australian writers and screen producers fear a significant cultural loss unless US streaming services are forced to increase local content. Quotas of up to 30 per cent exist in Europe and Canada, so why is Australia lagging behind? Also, "digital horders" – why many of us find it so difficult to have an online purge. And why we need to put soil at the centre of future conservation efforts.

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30:00

The trouble with tech-driven farming

Future Tense ·

2022/12/04

New 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.

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30:00

Noise: the invisible ocean pollutant

Future Tense ·

2022/11/27

We used to think our oceans were largely silent but sound is one of the most important senses for marine life. It helps animals feed, breed, communicate and navigate. But human made underwater noise is getting in the way and is now a major global pollutant.

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30:00

Should individuals bear the largest burden for...

Future Tense ·

2022/11/20

It's a common refrain: we all have a responsibility to deal with climate change. But does putting the onus on individuals risk allowing governments and businesses to avoid responsibility? What is the right balance between an individual and a systemic approach to climate action — and how much do the two intertwine? And how do we get beyond ideology in our communications around climate action?

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30:00

Why corporations need to think more about society and...

Future Tense ·

2022/11/13

Do corporations have a role in promoting the common good? Legal expert William Magnuson says they once did and now need to rediscover their true social purpose. He mounts a counterintuitive argument for why big business should think less about money and more about society. Also, new research on the effectiveness of Carbon, Capture and Storage.

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30:00

The positive side of monitoring

Future Tense ·

2022/11/06

Surveillance 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.

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30:00

The complexities of oversimplification

Future Tense ·

2022/10/30

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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333 results

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