Send us a text Saving lives at sea with an autonomous lifeboat An autonomous lifeboat is being tested in Scottish waters in a bid to save many more lives at sea. Currently, the main reason for not launching lifeboat rescue missions to distress calls is the risk to the rescuers – not only will those already in danger be probably lost but also those going out to save them. With a crew-less boat this is no longer a risk. The vessel will use an AI detection system to identify victims in the water an...
Dec 05, 2023•40 min•Ep. 9
Send us a text AI could consume as much energy as a small country (Netherlands) by 2027 The rise of AI powered tech has been phenomenal over the past year, but with the explosion in its popularity the energy costs needed to support these services have also risen rapidly. AI uses much more power than more traditional tech and a new study in the journal Joule suggests that AI tech could use as much energy as a small country, like the Netherlands or Sweden, by 2027. The accuracy of the prediction n...
Nov 28, 2023•56 min•Ep. 8
Send us a text Tech increases access to contraceptives in Cameroon A counselling app for family planning, used by nurses at a women and children’s hospital in Yaoundé, Cameroon, has increased the use of long-term reversable contraceptives (LARCs) threefold. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, shows that the impact of the app was similar to giving large discounts on these contraceptives. Nurses used a tablet computer to conduct counselling sessions with clients, which recorded t...
Nov 21, 2023•39 min•Ep. 7
Send us a text Connecting every school in the world to the Internet One in three people around the world still doesn’t have access to the Internet, including 1.3 billion children who can’t get online at home. But many of these children can’t connect at school either, meaning they won’t learn digital skills that are desperately needed in an increasingly digital world. Without them they stand little chance of lifting themselves out of poverty. A global initiative run by UNICEF and the Internationa...
Nov 14, 2023•38 min•Ep. 6
Send us a text Internet shutdowns - where are we now? We could report on the latest internet shutdowns every week – and we will be bringing you regular updates. This week Founder and Director of Netblocks, Alp Toker, is on Somewhere on Earth to give us a snapshot of where people can’t currently get online and why. Listener feedback And our editor Ania Lichtarowicz responds to feedback from our listeners’ Stefano Ghazzali, Jennifer Rae Krato, Sam Quinn, DK Mok and Danny Lloyd on everything from 3...
Nov 07, 2023•37 min•Ep. 5
Send us a text Ukraine deepfake videos undermine trust The first ever study of deep fake videos on Twitter/X from the war on Ukraine shows that some users lost trust in any footage coming from the conflict – even when it was real. They also found that online conspiracy theories are using deepfakes to support their claims. Lead author John Twomey from University College Cork is on the show. The EU’s crackdown on Gaza misinformation online Mislabelled videos, doctored images and many other false c...
Nov 05, 2023•43 min•Ep. 4
Send us a text 3D print your new home in a week from recycled plastic bottles Major natural disasters like floods or wild fires leave tens of thousands of people homeless every year. If they’re lucky, they will find themselves in temporary accommodation. But what if 3D printing a new home allowed people to have permanent high quality shelter within a matter of weeks? Ross Maguire, CEO of Azure Printed Homes is currently printing a room in a day from used plastic bottles. He’s on the show to expl...
Nov 03, 2023•53 min•Ep. 3
Send us a text Invisible e-waste - 7.3 billion e-toys add to e-waste mountain It's estimated that every year invisible e-waste amounts to 9 billion kilogrammes - that's one-sixth of e-waste worldwide. According to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum almost $10 billion in essential raw materials is recoverable from things many people don't even realise are electronic e.g. toys, vapes and cables. Magdalena Charytanowicz, Communications Manager at WEEE explains the problem wh...
Nov 02, 2023•41 min•Ep. 2
Send us a text A new robot to detect breast cancer Imagine going to the supermarket to do your weekly shop and also getting a breast examination at the same time. The screening would be performed not by a human but a robot, designed by engineers at the University of Bristol and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the UK. It's called "IRIS" and it looks like a mechanical claw which can apply very specific forces and detect lumps using sensor technology deeper in the breast tissue than ever before ...
Oct 31, 2023•36 min•Ep. 1
Send us a text Meet some of our studio experts who will be guiding you through the tech for good stories on Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast. Ghislaine Boddington, Pete Guest and Angelica Mari join Gareth Mitchell to tell you more about themselves.Episode one coming October 31st!Subscribe now and don't miss out. Find a story + Make it News = Change the World Support the show Editor: Ania LichtarowiczProduction Manager: Liz Tuohy Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner For ...
Oct 29, 2023•5 min
Send us a text A special appeal to tell your friends about "Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast" - a unique tech show looking at untold and unloved tech stories from around the world - stories you will hear nowhere else!Episode one coming October 31st!Subscribe now and don't miss out. Find a story + Make it News = Change the World Support the show Editor: Ania LichtarowiczProduction Manager: Liz Tuohy Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner For new episodes, subscribe whereve...
Oct 28, 2023•3 min
Send us a text Call out for listeners. Come and join us on "Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast." Episode one coming October 31st!Subscribe now and don't miss out. Find a story + Make it News = Change the World Support the show Editor: Ania LichtarowiczProduction Manager: Liz Tuohy Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2265960/supporters/newFollow us on all the socials: Jo...
Oct 27, 2023•3 min
Send us a text Gareth Mitchell tells us more about "Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast"Episode one coming October 31st!Subscribe now and don't miss out. Find a story + Make it News = Change the World Support the show Editor: Ania LichtarowiczProduction Manager: Liz Tuohy Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2265960/supporters/newFollow us on all the socials: Join our Fac...
Oct 26, 2023•3 min
Send us a text Yes that's right, Somewhere on Earth is here!We tell the untold and unloved tech stories from Somewhere on Earth to help create a tech for good ecosystem, where new ideas and new technologies can find support and evolve.Subscribe now and don't miss out. Find a story + Make it News = Change the World Support the show Editor: Ania LichtarowiczProduction Manager: Liz Tuohy Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts o...
Oct 24, 2023•4 min
