Explore every episode of the podcast Future Tense

The International commitment to ban landmines is wavering. Several European countries are reversing their opposition to using them. The shift comes as disarmament negotiators struggle to regulate the spread of "killer robots" — AI-controlled autonomous weapons. So, is the future of weapons containment and control under threat? And are treaties signed in peace always likely to be vulnerable during times of war?

Guests

Professor Sean Watts — Co-director of the Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare, West Point

Dr Barry de Vries — Research fellow, Public International Law, Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany) Professor Lee Funnell — University of Chicago Law School

Professor Lee Fennell — University of Chicago Law School

Researchers and corporations are already working to relocate data servers beyond the Earth's atmosphere — on satellites.

Data servers are essential to the functioning of the modern world, but they're both power and water hungry. When they're built, they often meet with community concern and environmental protest.

So, why not build data centres in space where solar energy is abundant? What could possibly go wrong?

Finally, we discuss how artificial intelligence is changing the way we write by providing tools for editing, improving clarity, and suggesting new ideas.

Guests

Dr Domenico Vicinanza — Associate Professor of Intelligent Systems and Data Science, Anglia Ruskin University

Damien Dumestier — Space system architect, Thales Alenia Space

Dr Steven Freeland — Emeritus Professor, Western Sydney University and Professorial Fellow, Bond University

Dr Daniel Murphy — Program Lead, Aerosol Properties and Processes, NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)

Associate Professor Ritesh Chugh — Information and Communication Technologies, CQ University

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. 

Original broadcast on March 27, 2022

Guests

Dr Scott Small – Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Columbia University

Dr Oliver Hardt - Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, McGill University (Canada) 

David Rieff – writer and journalist

Further information

Scott Small – Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering

David Rieff – In Praise of Forgetting

Donald Trump is establishing a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. He wants it to rival the country's stockpile of gold. He boasts America will one day be the "Bitcoin superpower of the world", but what's his end game and what will it mean for future global finance? Questions are already being asked about why he's chosen to largely deregulate the cryptocurrency sector and whether his family's personal crypto interests are now driving US policy.

Guests

Associate Professor Larisa Yarovaya — Director of the Centre for Digital Finance, University of Southampton

Professor Robert Elliott — Professor of Economics, University of Birmingham

Dr John Hawkins — senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra

Maximilian Brichta — Communications, University of Southern California

There's been growing research and investment in projects that use the oceans to artificially remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Such techniques involve both a biological and a chemical approach.

To date, carbon removal technologies have been largely land-based, using giant air-purification machines, or planting trees to consume and store carbon. Those efforts have struggled to gain scale and acceptance. So, will a marine-based approach make any difference? It's a controversial idea and not without its difficulties.

Guests

Brad Ack — CEO, Ocean Visions

James Kerry — Senior Marine and Climate Scientist, OceanCare; Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at James Cook University

Romany Webb — Deputy Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School

Rachel Rose Jackson — Climate Campaign Director, Corporate Accountability

YouTube is the second biggest website in the world, containing more than 14.8 billion videos. It's been a huge success, but its public image as a haven for influencers and digital monetisers belies its true character and role. Ryan McGrady from the University of Massachusetts takes us inside the online behemoth. Also, perspectives on boredom, its purpose and prevalence; its relationship to time, and why the measures we undertake to fight boredom so often backfire.

Guests

Isabella Lee — Production assistant, Guardian Australia

Dr Michael Inzlicht — Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto

Dr Maria Balaska — Philosopher and Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire and Åbo Akademi University (Finland)

Dr Ryan McGrady — Senior Research Fellow, Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Future Tense — The vicious cycle of fear and anger — and how it traps society

We like to think that increases in efficiency lead to greater sustainability – to lower resource use. But from cars to computers to bitcoin, it seems the reverse is true – efficiency stimulates demand. It’s an oft forgotten rule of economics called the Jevons Paradox, and it might explain why the demand for almost everything keeps going up even while we simultaneously fret about over-consumption. Also, would you accept a parcel from a stranger, take it on the bus or train with you, and then deliver it to another stranger for a small fee?  It might sound dodgy when you put it like that, but it’s part of an emerging delivery trend call “crowdshipping”. And proponents say it’s about reducing the environmental impact of transport. 

Guests

Dr Blair Fix – Political economist, York University (Canada) 

Dr Adam Dorr – Director of Research, Rethink 

Professor Lynette Cheah – Chair of Sustainable Transport, University of the Sunshine Coast 

 Further information

Blair Fix article - A Tour of the Jevons Paradox: How Energy Efficiency Backfires

Adam Dorr’s article - Rethinking the Jevons Paradox: why more clean energy efficiency is good for the environment

Human beings have a bias toward optimism, says astrophysicist turned author and editor, Sumit Paul-Choudhury. While we may not always acknowledge it, the power of optimism is what drives our species forward. But beware of the modern craze for "Manifesting" — wishful thinking, no matter how intense, only has impact if it's married to action. Also, why we need to rethink globalisation's bad rap. International relations expert, Inanna Hamati-Ataya, argues there are no pure cultures and globalisation is really the means by which humanity flourishes.

Guests

Professor Inanna Hamati-Ataya — Chair of Global International Relations, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Sumit Paul-Choudhury — author, editor and Managing Director, Alternity Limited

Associate Professor Laura D'Olimpio — School of Education, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

Further information

Inanna Hamati-Ataya's article on globalisation 

Laura D'Olimpio's article on manifesting 

Sumit Paul-Choudhury's book The Bright Side

Artificial intelligence, it turns out, has a heavy human backend — they're called "data labellers"; they mostly live in developing countries, and there are ethical questions about their pay and work conditions. So, why aren't we talking more about them? Also, Google and other search companies have begun replacing hyperlinks with AI summaries. It's a move seemingly in line with our AI obsessed times, but what will it do to the tapestry of the internet? And will it simply make online information even harder to verify?

Guests

Dr Zena Assaad — Senior lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University

Professor Toby Walsh — Laureate Fellow and Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence, University of New South Wales

Dr Collin Jennings — writer and academic

Further information

Collin Jennings' article: A linkless internet

Does the spirit of the "Futurist" movement live on today in the likes of Elon Musk and America's intrigue of techno-oligarchs? The Italian poet and fantasist Flippo Tommaso Marinetti almost died in a car crash, and out of that experience was born the "Futurist" movement. It went on to inspire the fascism of Benito Mussolini with an energetic emphasis on disruptive technology, conflict and creating an authoritarian future.

Guests

Annalee Newitz — Journalist and author

Dr Jonathan White — Professor of politics, London School of Economics

Further information

Jonathan White’s article - How Trump and the new right came to ‘own’ the future – while apparently exploiting the past | Jonathan White | The Guardian

Annalee Newitz’s article – How futurism took an abrupt right turn in the 20th century

Does modern economic thinking act as a roadblock to change? Economists Kate Raworth and Rainer Kattel certainly think so. The alternatives they propose involve acknowledging limits not just obsessing about growth. And a caution from design and management expert Raz Godelink – it always pays to be skeptical when big business puts on the sustainability suit. 

Guests

Kate Raworth – Economist and co-founder of Doughnut Economics Action Lab 

Raz Godelnik – Associate Professor of Strategic Design and Management at the School of Design Strategies, Parson's School of Design 

Rainer Kattel – Deputy Director and Professor of Innovation and Public Governance, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London 

It certainly feels like a very shouty world. But have we really reached a new low point in civility? And, if so, where to from here?

We examine what civility really entails and how it can help foster cooperation but also lead to the submission of minorities.

And did you know that even the design of our urban spaces can shape and limit acts of civility? So, how can we make our cities more sociable?

Guests

Dr Eduardo Sadoval — Social Roboticist, UNSW

Dr Saara Liinamaa — Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph. Also, co-investigator, Sociable Cities Project

Rafi Kohan — US-based freelance writer and author

Dr Keith Bybee — Professor of Law and Political Science, Syracuse University

Further information

Rafi Kohan - Trash Talk: The Only Book About Destroying Your Rivals That Isn’t Total Garbage

Keith Bybee - How Civility Works

Sociable Cities Project

When a company CEO can be paid 1,000 times the average employee's salary it's probably time to take a long hard look at wealth inequality. And those calling for the rich to pay more aren't always the ones you'd expect – Patriotic Millionaires is a group of mega rich individuals demanding greater, not lesser taxation. Then there's the Dutch philosopher urging ordinary citizens to put a cap on their own personal wealth. She calls her approach Limitarianism. Also, Rewilding the Internet – how to purify an online environment made toxic by monopolistic capitalism.

Original broadcast on June 21, 2024.

Guests

Dr Ingrid Robeyns – author, philosopher and Chair in Ethics of Institutions, Ethics Institute, Utrecht University (The Netherlands)

Robert Guest – Deputy Editor, The Economist

Morris Pearl – Chair of the Board, The Patriotic Millionaires

Professor Jean-Etienne Joullie — EMLV Business School, Paris

Maria Farrell – Writer and keynote speaker on technology and the future

Further information

Ingrid Robeyns: Limitarianism, The Case Against Extreme Wealth

Robert Guest: The fallacious case for abolishing the rich

Maria Farrell: We need to rewild the Internet

Listen to Future Tense - Managerialism and our obsession with hierarchy

Are we really facing an attention crisis? Historian, Daniel Immerwahr, has his doubts. In fact, he says ours is an era of obsession as much as distraction and of zeal as much as indifference. Also, the paradox of certainty: we crave it, argues the University of Alberta's, Timothy Caulfield, even though it's so easy to fake.

Guests

Daniel Immerwahr — author and Professor of History, Northwestern University and a contributing writer at The New Yorker

Timothy Caulfield — author and Professor of law, University of Alberta

Professor Gloria Mark — data scientist and psychologist, Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine

Further information

Timothy Coulfield: The Certainty Illusion. What You Don't Know and Why It Matters

Daniel Immerwahr's article on Attention

They're cheaper and safer than their lithium counterparts, they're easier to scale-up, and they can hold power for much longer than conventional batteries, so why aren't flow batteries better known? The technology has been under development for decades, but enthusiasts now say they're finding their place in the sun. Also, why more and more cargo companies are turning to wind-power; and do developing countries need to rethink their approach to off-grid power.

Guests

Emeritus Professor Maria Skyllas-Kazacos — School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, University of New South Wales

Emily Mahoney — Researcher, Malapit Lab, Northwestern University (US)

Adjunct Associate Professor Jens Noack — Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland

Associate Prof Paul Munro — Associate Professor in Human Geography, The Environment and Society Group, University of New South Wales

Gavin Allwright — Secretary General, International Windship Association

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is opening-up its storeroom, turning the back end of the operation into a public resource. It's about attracting new patrons, but it's also about accountability, the Museum's managers have declared. Across the Western world museums are having to reexamine their mission and redefine the relationship they have with the public they're meant to serve. We explore why and how. We also look at the balance that's being struck between the physical artefact and its digital equivalent.

Guests

Tim Reeve — Deputy Director, Victorian and Albert Museum, London

Dan Hicks — Professor of Contemporary Archaeology, Oxford University

Karin de Wild — Assistant Professor in Contemporary Museum and Collection Studies, Leiden University (The Netherlands)

Kylie Message-Jones — Professor of Public Humanities, ANU Humanities Research Centre

A series of massive underground tombs for nuclear waste are currently under construction. They've taken decades to plan and build and they're designed to house the world's nuclear waste for millennia to come. So where are they being built? How safe will they be? And how to devise a toxic waste warning sign that will make sense to people living tens of thousands of years from now?

Also, the latest research on how climate change is beginning to impact on internal migration within countries.

Guests

Mark Piesing — a UK-based freelance journalist

Dr Shastra Deo — Nuclear semiotics expert and author, School of Communication and Arts, University of Queensland

Professor Raya Muttarak — Professor of Demography, University of Bologna (Italy)

Lisa — a climate-concerned resident of South-east Queensland

Further information

Mark Piesing's article: How to build a nuclear tomb to last millennia

Terms like "Gen Z", "Boomer" and "Millennial" are popular, but they have no basis in science. Demographers and social scientists are now pushing back. Generational labelling, they argue, is akin to Astrology and while politicians, journalists and media influencers find them irresistible, they actually promote pseudo-science, sew social division and can reinforce prejudicial stereotypes. So why are generational labels so popular?

Guests

Professor Bobby Duffy — Director of the Policy Institute, King's College London. Author of The Generation Myth.

Professor Philip Coen — Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland

Professor Crystal Abidin — digital anthropologist and ethnographer of vernacular internet cultures, Curtin University

Professor David Costanza — Professor of Commerce, University of Virginia

Further information

Philip Coen’s open letter to Pew Research Center on generation labels 

Pew Research Center's response

Why does Utopian thinking get such a bad rap? It’s often derided as delusional and dangerous. But what if that stereotype is designed to limit our imagination and choices? We hear often that people are tired of democracy and turned off by short-term political thinking. So, is it time to be much more adventurous and ambitious – dare we say utopian – in our imagining of the future?   

Guests

Professor William Paris – Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto 

Professor Barbara Prainsack – Professor for Comparative Policy Analysis, University of Vienna 

Professor Anna Abraham – Director of the Torrance Centre for Creativity and Talent Development 

Privatising public services like trains, hospitals or prisons — is a proven vote loser. But governments of both the left and right continue to privatise — when it suits them. And it suits them, it seems, when large sums of money are needed to pay down debt, or when a government seeks to off load risk and liability to the private sector. So, what conditions should be applied to ensure that privatisations truly serve the public interest and don't simply decrease competition?

Guests

Owen Hayford — Strategic legal and commercial adviser, Infralegal

Nino Bucci — Justice and Courts Reporter, The Guardian

Richard Denniss — economist and public policy commentator

Professor Graeme Samuel — Monash University Business School

Benjamin Goodair – Senior post-doctoral researcher, Oxford Universty 

Authoritarians rule through fear. We can clearly see that from China to the Middle East to eastern Europe. But why do we constantly overlook the way in which fear also shapes democratic societies? It's fueling populism and distorting our future focus. Then there's anger. It's inspired generations to man the barricades and right society's wrongs. But anger is increasingly becoming a driver of commerce. There's billions to be made in getting you riled up and keeping you that way. Fear fuels anger, and anger blinds you to recognise that your fear might be misguided. A truly vicious cycle.

Guests

Erika Ferszt – Owner, founder and lead-consultant, Scintillate Brand Consulting

Professor Jennifer Lerner – Public Policy, Management and Decision Science, Harvard University

Professor Robert Peckham – historian and Fellow at the Royal Historical Society, London

Margot Faraci – Global leadership expert

Further information

Robert Peckham – Fear: An Alternative History of the World 

Margot Faraci - Love Leadership Survey

Algorithmic feeds are meant to personalise our online experiences, but increasingly they're flattening our culture and fostering a dull conformity, according to best-selling author Kyle Chayka. And the influence they exert on our lives is increasingly physical not just digital. Also, data scientist Gloria Mark who has crunched the numbers on how our attention spans have fared over the past decade or so. If you can keep focused, you might find it fascinating.

Guests

Professor Gloria Mark – data scientist and psychologist, Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine

Kyle Chayka – author and contributing writer for The New Yorker

Further information

Gloria Mark - Attention Span: A Ground Breaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity 

Kyle Chayka – Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture 

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.

Guests

Dr Edward Crawley – Ford Professor of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Dr Isabel Sebastian – Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney

Gavin Maguire – Global Energy Transition Columnist, Reuters News

Nicola Twilley – Writer and podcaster, author of the forthcoming book "The Birth of Cool"

Nostalgia triggers our emotions and that in turn makes us vulnerable to manipulation. We speak with Richard King about the commodification and weaponisation of nostalgic sentiment. Also, New York Times critic-at-large, Jason Farago, on why he believes our cultural age might be the least innovative in half a millennium.

Guests

Richard King – author and critic

Jason Farago – author, social commentator and critic-at-large, The New York Times

Further information

Richard’s Griffith Review essay - Nostalgia on demand

Jason’s NYT essay - Why Culture Has Come to a Standstill

Most people want to eat better. And many of us have embraced the trend toward "natural" foods and conscious eating.

We equate "natural" with healthy, nutritious and virtuous, but that can often be way off the mark. New research shows many healthy alternatives are anything but. And our embrace of the term natural is more about expressing identity and morality rather than healthy eating. Empowering people to understand what and how they should eat is what it should be about – and one way to do that is by using a food labelling app.

Guests

Professor Sarah Bridle – Chair in Food, Climate and Society, University of York

Alan Levinovitz – Associate Professor of Religious Studies, James Madison University

Laura Marchese – Researcher, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University

Julie Chapon – Co-founder of the Yuka app

Lisa – Brisbane-based food-rating app user

Further information

Sarah Bridle: Food and Climate Change -- Without the Hot Air, UIT Cambridge

Climate Stack Calculator - A free tool to help you add up the climate impact of different food choices

Play the game: Which of your food choices have the biggest climate impact?   

Take A Bite Out of Climate – resources and games to learn how food choices contribute to climate change 

BBC Future – Foodprint Calculator

Methane levels are going up — not down, despite decades spent trying to reduce emissions from agriculture and landfill. But some countries are bucking the trend, we find out who and how.

Breeding sheep and cattle to burp less is one way to reduce methane emissions. ABC Top 5 Science Residency recipient Luisa Olmo talks us through a genetic selection programme that could lead the way forward.

Guests

Dr Ed Clayton – Ruminant nutritionist, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Professor Sam Clark – Professor of Animal Genetics, University of New England

Dr Pep Canadell – Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Environment

Producer

Dr Luisa Olmo — Research Officer, Meat Science and Value Chains, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

The design of your city contributes to how much rain you get. Researchers have found a 'wet island effect' and it's likely to shape the future construction of our cities. Also, better understanding how Artificial Intelligence is used in conflict; and the major Australian study that calls into question the effectiveness of carbon trading.

Guests

Dr Megan Evans – Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management, UNSW Canberra

Professor Dev Niyogi – Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin

Professor Toni Erskine – International Politics, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australian National University, ANU

Further information

Statement from the Clean Energy Regulator

Military spending around the world has reached a new peak, and it's still going up. All eyes are on Ukraine and the Middle East as new strategies and weapons are being put to the test. But are the traditional international rules of warfare too focussed on old technologies? Can they be adjusted to encompass cyber hacking and the use of online civilian proxies?

Guests

Professor Johanna Weaver – Director of the Tech Policy design Centre, Australian National University, ANU

Professor Alexander Hill – Military Historian, University of Calgary

Dr Nan Tian – Senior Researcher and Programme Director, SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme, SIPRI

Dr Jack Watling – Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare, Royal United Services Institute (UK)

Further information

Global Roaming - THE NEW FRONTLINES 01: Welcome to the future of war

Sometimes, despite the hype, despite extensive funding, and despite clever and ingenious thinking, good ideas fail. Or at least don’t live up to their initial promise. There are lessons to be learnt and interesting anecdotes to be told. In this episode we look at four future-focused projects that have never really taken off: Google Glass, solar roads, space tourism and hyperloop technology. 

Guests

Dr Paul Sutter – Astrophysicist, SUNY Stony Brook and the Flatiron Institute, New York 

Sarah Marquart – freelance journalist, editor of From Quarks to Quasars

Andrew Hawkins – Transportation editor, The Verge 

Quinn Myers – Chicago-based journalist and author 'Google Glass'

The UN General Assembly has passed a Declaration on Future Generations. It’s designed to ensure the generations of tomorrow aren’t disadvantaged by the decisions we make today. But is it more than feel good symbolism? Could it one day be as powerful as the Declaration on Human Rights? Also, how a focus on the here and now restricts visionary thinking; and we get the results from the latest 4-day work week trial, this time in Germany.  

Guests

Professor Thomas Hale – Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University  

Professor Brett Bowden – Professor of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, School of Humanities & Communication Arts, Western Sydney University 

Professor Julia Backmann – University of Münster

Further information 

University of Münster - Germany’s four-day working week trial

Blavatnik School of Government - Implementing a Declaration on Future Generations

Brett Bowden - Now is Not the Time: Inside our Obsession with the Present

Robot vacuum cleaners are so innocuous, many people treat them almost like pets. But they're also potential portals into our private life. Story Lab journalist, Julian Fell, learns how to hack a robot vacuum cleaner and uncovers some disturbing facts about the security of connected household appliances. Also, acts of aggression and abuse committed in virtual reality environments. So-called "metacrimes" may be cyber in nature, but they can feel very real and have physical world consequences.

Guests

Dr Milind Tiwari – Postdoctoral research fellow, Charles Sturt University

Dennis Giese – independent security researcher

Sean Kelly – robot vacuum owner

Daniel Swenson – US-based victim of robot vacuum hack

Donald Dansereau – senior lecturer, Australian Centre for Robotics, University of Sydney

Yong Zhi Lim – former cybersecurity tester, TUV SUD

Further information

ABC News - Hackers take control of robot vacuums in multiple cities, yell racial slurs

ABC News - We hacked a robot vacuum — and could watch live through its camera

The heating climate is now recognised as a threat to our inner world – to brain health and rationality. Extreme temperatures not only impact our ability to think and our decision-making they also increase the presence of neurotoxins in the environment. And that can lead to disease and mental degeneration. We speak with the head of the newly formed International Neuro Climate Working Group. Climate anxiety is also caused by changes in our brains. So, is that a blessing or a curse?

Guests

Clayton Page Aldern – Neuroscientist, author and senior reporter, Grist.

Dr Burcin Ikiz – Neuroscientist and Chair of the International Neuro Climate Working Group

Professor Joshua Carlson – Director of the Cognitive X Affective Behaviour and Integrative Neuroscience Lab, Northern Michigan University

Further information

Clayton Aldern - The Weight of Nature.How a Changing Climate Changes Our Minds, Brains and Bodies

The Melting brain

Joshua Carlon - The Age of Climate Anxiety

Climate change on the brain: Neural correlates of climate anxiety

Rana Sylvatica is an unassuming wood frog with an extraordinary gift. In the depths of winter, it can slow down its metabolism, flood its cells with ice and remain in a state of suspended animation for months. But it's what it might be able to teach us about preserving human organs for transplant that has scientists really excited. Also, the menagerie in an icy test tube — San Diego's Frozen Zoo and the fight to preserve biodiversity.

Guests

Dr Ken Storey — Professor of Biology and Biochemistry, Carleton University, Canada.

Dr Saffron Bryant – Senior lecturer, Department of Physics, RMIT University

Marlys Houck – Curator, Frozen Zoo, San Diego Wildlife Alliance

Dr Justine O’Brien – Manager, Conservation Science,Taronga Conservation Society Australia

Further information

Youtube video of a frozen frog thawing

The demand for sex tech is booming. That is, toys and apps that can be used for pleasure, communication or to improve sexual health.

Developers are using innovative ways to incorporate AI in a way that is respectful of both consent and the diversity of human desire.

But it seems some male developers are intent on weaponising it against women.

In this special episode of Future Tense, Stephen Stockwell, explores the power of the emerging technology, its potential benefits and harms, and the need to keep a clear focus on consent.

Guests

Madison Griffiths – Melbourne-based writer, artist and producer

Bryony Cole – host of the Future of Sex Podcast

Professor Alan McKee – pornography researcher and Head of the School of Art, Communication and English, University of Sydney

Ashley Neale – founder of My Peach AI

Further information

Madison Griffiths - Orifice.ai, and the Arousal of Rejection

It was known as Wolf Warrior diplomacy – a brand of Chinese foreign ministry posturing that was as aggressive as it was unexpected. But has Beijing now changed tack? And if so, why? Also, does the theory of Institutional Amnesia explain why our preparedness for natural disasters is often found wanting?

Guests

Assistant Professor Tyler Jost — Political Science, International and Public Affairs, Brown University (US)

Dr Sarah Robertson – Research Fellow in sustainability, RMIT University

Dr Paul Barnes — Senior Research Fellow and emergency and risk management expert, Griffith University

Dr Alastair Stark – Associate Professor in Public Policy, School of Political Science and International Studies, Queensland University

Further information

Future Tense - The best response to disasters: centralised strength or community mitigation?

Select Committee on Australia's Disaster Resilience

Have China's Wolf Warriors Gone Extinct?

Gone are the grandiose infrastructure projects, replaced by an emphasis on smaller development opportunities. China's Belt and Road initiative has entered its second decade — and it's changing. It now also includes a determined focus on green technology. But is the recalibration a sign of the project's overall success? Or a scaling back because of China's growing economic problems? And what has Beijing learnt about debt-levels and governance?

Guests

Professor Christoph Nedopil – Director of Asia Institute, Griffith University

Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian – Political Science, National University of Singapore

Associate Professor Jessica Liao – Political Science, North Carolina State University

2024 has been an eventful year for democracies around the world. More than 80 countries, containing over half the world's population, are holding elections this year. It's democracy's mega test. The implications for the future of democracy and world order are profound.

Guests

Professor Nick Bisley – Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University

Dr Gorana Grjic – Senior Researcher, Swiss and Euro-Atlantic Security Team, ETH Zürich's Center for Security Studies (CSS)

Dr Priya Chako – Associate Professor, International Politics, University of Adelaide

Dr Raul Sanchez-Urribarri – Senior Lecturer in Crime, Justice and Legal Studies, Department of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University

Could the realities of an aging population and a declining birth rate soon make our obsession with youth a thing of the past? It's not just an equity issue it also has implications for politics and economics, because the citizens and consumers of the future will inevitably be older. So, how do we reframe our perceptions of aging to make the most of a very different future workplace?

Guests

Assistant Professor Sven Brodmerkel – Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications, Bond University

Assistant Professor Nicole Dalmer — Associate Director of the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging, McMaster University (Canada)

Avivah Wittenberg-Cox — CEO of the consultancy 20-first — specialising in gender and generational balance

Dr Markus Wettstein – Research Assistant, Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin

Chat GPT pioneer, Sam Altman, reckons democratic countries will need to re-write their social contracts once AI reaches its full potential, such is its power to shape the future. But to quote a famous political aphorism: "he would say that, wouldn't he?" Princeton computer scientist, Arvind Narayanan, joins us to talk about the hype, the reality and the true limits of Artificial Intelligence. His new book is called "AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What it Can't, and How to Tell the Difference". Also, AI's dirty secret – it's a huge consumer of both power and water. And the more popular it becomes, the thirstier it gets.

Guests

Professor Arvind Narayanan – Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Center for Information Technology Policy, Princeton University

Gordon Nobel – Research Director, Business, Economy and Governance, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney

Associate Professor Shaolei Ren — Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Riverside

Further information

Narayanan, Arvind — AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What it Can't, and How to Tell the Difference

Making AI Less "Thirsty": Uncovering and Addressing the Secret Water Footprint of AI Models

IT and Data Centre Sustainability in Australia

Every crisis, they say, presents an opportunity. But history tells us differently. Social philosopher, Roman Krznaric, spells out the vital elements needed to initiate rapid change – and why a better understanding of the way we respond to crises could help in the fight against climate change.

Guests

Dr Roman Krznaric – Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Oxford University

Dr Stefan Peters – Senior Lecturer in Geospatial Science, University of South Australia

Further information

Krznaric, Roman – History for Tomorrow: inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity

Do we underestimate the value of Liberalism? Political philosopher, Alexandre Lefebvre, says liberalism underpins the modern Western world, even if we sometimes struggle to define it. And even when its brand is coopted by party-politics. Rediscovering its pure form, he argues, could be the key to a more tolerant and prosperous future. Also, is the European Union losing its taste for regulation, particularly where big tech is involved? 

Guests

Dr Alexandre Lefebvre – Professor of Politics and Philosophy, University of Sydney

Laura Petrone – Analyst, Thematic Intelligence Team, Global Data

Dr Anabela Malpique – Senior lecturer, Department of Education, Edith Cowen University 

Further information

 Alexandre Lefebvre – Liberalism as a Way of Life

In a world where Donald Trump embraces anti free-trade protectionism and "leftish" governments are going heavy on law and order, do the old political labels of Left and Right really make sense? Is it time for a new way of thinking and talking about political difference? And how do ordinary voters actually choose their political positions? Are their decisions based on ideology or simple tribalism?

Guests

Dr Gregory Millard – Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Kwantlen University, Canada

Dr Simon Otjes – Assistant Professor, Institute of Political Science, Leiden University, The Netherlands

Dr Verlan Lewis – Stirling Professor of Constitutional Studies, Utah Valley University. Visiting scholar, Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University

Further information

Lewis, Verlan – The Myth of Left and Right

The Anthropocene – the idea that we now live in a geological age shaped by human activity — is a controversial topic. It irritates those who reject the whole notion of adverse climate change — and it's also now causing a fight among geologists themselves. So, what's behind the scientific contention?

Also, why some argue that textiles are the new "hidden" plastic plague.

Guests

Dr Erle Ellis – Professor of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Maryland

Dr Francine McCarthy – Professor of Earth Studies, Brock University, Canada

Dr Rebecca Van Amber – Senior Lecturer in Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University

The night sky is getting brighter by about ten per cent each year — that's the scientific estimate. While new forms of lighting technology can reduce the amount of light pollution, the sheer impact of a global boom in artificial lighting is just too much. It threatens the health of both humans and other animals. Historically, darkness has been seen in a negative social and cultural context, so can we change our attitudes and learn to embrace the dark sky? In other words, see the light about the beauty of darkness!

Guests

Ruskin Hartley – Executive Director, Dark Sky International

Dr Paul Bogard – Associate Professor Hamline University (US) and author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light

Dr Tim Edensor – Cultural Geographer, Manchester Metropolitan University 

Further information

DarkSky International: Five principles for responsible outdoor lighting

Nick Dunn/Tim Edensor - Dark Skies: Places, Practises, Communities

If we're genuinely concerned about the impact livestock can have on our environment, why aren't we equally worried about pets? The pet industry is booming and despite the many positive psychological and emotional benefits of pet ownership, concerns about global pet numbers and environmental sustainability are mounting. So, do we need to rethink how we live with domesticated animals? And how can we strike a balance between our seemingly insatiable desire for fur-babies and their subsequent impact on the natural world and our hip pocket?

Guests

Dr Jen Gale – Veterinarian and Director of Vet Sustain (UK)

Dr Emily Hemendinger – Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado

Dr Andrea Laurent Simpson – Research Assistant Professor, Southern Methodist University; Author of Just Like Family: How Companion Animals Joined the Household

Dr Andrew Rowan – founder of the Tufts Centre for Animals and Public Policy; President, Wellbeing International

Dr Belinda Jane Dunstan – Principal Lead, Creative Robotics Lab, University of New South Wales

The rate of technological advancement in sport is unprecedented. From data analytics to robotic umpiring to smart equipment, technologies are reshaping what it means to achieve and compete. Even the International Olympic Committee has now developed an AI strategy. 

It's also big business with the sport industry conservatively estimated at around one per cent of global GDP.

So, when does ingenious innovation become cheating? And if technology pushes us past the point of physical capacity, why bother with human competitors at all?

Guests

Professor Sascha Schmidt – Director of the Centre for Sports and Management, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management

Louis Weston – Barrister and sports lawyer, Outer Temple Chambers, London

Dr John Holash – Assistant Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, The University of Calgary

Robert Marchiori – CEO Cognizant Australia

Further information

21st Century Sports. How Technologies Will Change Sports in the Digital Age

International Olympic Committee - Olympic AI Agenda

Global media players now dominate the entertainment business and hold the whip-hand when it comes to accessing local news content. In this program we get an update on Meta's ban on Canadian news content, specifically how it's impacted production of serious news and what's been the public reaction. We also get a reality check on just how interested the giant US steaming services are in Australian content.

Guests

Aengus Bridgman – Director, Media Ecosystem Observatory (Canada)

Matthew Deaner – CEO, Screen Producers Association

Professor Anna Potter – Digital Media and Cultural Studies, Queensland University of Technology

Further information

When journalism is turned off: Preliminary findings on the effects of Meta’s news ban in Canada

Australian Television Drama’s Uncertain Future: How Cultural Policy is Failing Australians

NASA's new telescope will revolutionise the search for non-Earth based life. It's to be called the Habitable Worlds Observatory and will be powerful enough to peer into the atmosphere of planets outside of our solar system.

But if, or when, we do find evidence of a life form beyond our solar system what do we do next? And who should decide whether or even how we make contact? A new research hub at the University of Andrews is among those drawing up a plan.

Guests

Dr Megan Ansdell – Program Manager, Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA

Professor Adam Frank – Astrobiologist and astrophysicist, University of Rochester, New York

Dr John Elliott – Computational linguist and Coordinator of the SETI Post Detection Hub, University of St Andrews

Professor Ian Roberts — Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge

While technology platforms increasingly dictate the way we write and converse, language is being modified to fight back, to subvert the platforms. In this show we examine the growth of "algospeak".

And if you want to know how we'll all be communicating in the future, just listen to the way teenage girls speak, because young women lead the ongoing development of language.

Guests

Dr James Cohen – Assistant Professor, Media Studies, Queens College, City University of New York

Dr Sali Tagliamonte – Professor of linguistics and Chair of the Department of Linguistics, University of Toronto

Philip Seargeant – Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, Open University UK

Further information

Philip Seargeant's book "The Future Of Language"

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.

Original broadcast on August 20, 2023

Guests

Ed Chambliss – founder and CEO, Best Friend Brands

Lachlan Kerwood-McCall – Economist, Australian National University

Jessica Lynd – Attorney and Senior Associate, International Trade Group, White and Case

Dominic Price – Work Futurist, Atlassian