The opportunity costs of global pollution
Pollution 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.
Feb 06, 2022•29 min
Future Tense
A critical look at new technologies, new approaches and new ways of thinking, from politics to media to environmental sustainability.
Episodes
The opportunity costs of global pollution
Pollution 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.
Feb 06, 2022•29 min
Rare Earths and the difficulties of supply
Rare 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?
Jan 30, 2022•29 min
Rare Earths and the difficulties of supply
Rare 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?
Jan 30, 2022•29 min
Is dumbness our destiny?
Most of us are healthier, wealthier and better educated than ever before. We have greater access to knowledge and expertise than any previous generation. So, why do humans keep doing stupid things? And why is the world awash with conspiracy? Have we already passed “peak intelligence”? And if so, what can we do to ensure a smarter future?
Jan 23, 2022•29 min
Is dumbness our destiny?
Most of us are healthier, wealthier and better educated than ever before. We have greater access to knowledge and expertise than any previous generation. So, why do humans keep doing stupid things? And why is the world awash with conspiracy? Have we already passed “peak intelligence”? And if so, what can we do to ensure a smarter future?
Jan 23, 2022•29 min
Litigating our way out of climate change
Responses 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?
Jan 16, 2022•29 min
Litigating our way out of climate change
Responses 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?
Jan 16, 2022•29 min
The power of storytelling – a cautionary tale
Stories like opinions have become a necessity of modern life. Everybody is encouraged to have an opinion and everybody – in the vernacular of countless motivation speakers – is encouraged to be the “hero of their own story”. But are we in danger of making too much of them? If the story becomes the central device for much of our communication, do we risk losing our sense of objective reality?
Jan 09, 2022•29 min
Is the process of ageing inevitable?
Some 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.
Jan 02, 2022•29 min
Is the process of ageing inevitable?
Some 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.
Jan 02, 2022•29 min
Rewilding to safeguard biodiversity
Rewilding 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.
Dec 26, 2021•29 min
Rewilding to safeguard biodiversity
Rewilding 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.
Dec 26, 2021•29 min
Social media: harm and transformative justice
Despite 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.
Dec 19, 2021•29 min
Social media: harm and transformative justice
Despite 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.
Dec 19, 2021•29 min
Coming to terms with noise
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.
Dec 12, 2021•29 min
Coming to terms with noise
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.
Dec 12, 2021•29 min
Geopolitics in a post fossil-fuel world
What 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.
Dec 05, 2021•29 min
Geopolitics in a post fossil-fuel world
What 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.
Dec 05, 2021•29 min
Our adolescent future and reassessing human rights
Paul 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”.
Nov 28, 2021•29 min
The new globalisation
Historian 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?
Nov 21, 2021•29 min
The new globalisation
Historian 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?
Nov 21, 2021•29 min
Technology: Questions of ethics and fairness
The 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.
Nov 14, 2021•29 min
Technology: Questions of ethics and fairness
The 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.
Nov 14, 2021•29 min
An international approach to regulating AI
Simon 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.
Nov 07, 2021•29 min
An international approach to regulating AI
Simon 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.
Nov 07, 2021•29 min
An update on nuclear energy
If 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.
Oct 31, 2021•29 min
An update on nuclear energy
If 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.
Oct 31, 2021•29 min
The positive side of monitoring
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.
Oct 24, 2021•29 min
The positive side of monitoring
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.
Oct 24, 2021•29 min