The technological capabilities of 3D printers continue to advance. In this episode, we explore the capability of 3D bio-printing, the printing of biological structures, such as heart tissue, bones, and skin. Could 3D printed heart tissue replace heart transplants in the future? What hurdles are there to implementing this technology in hospitals in Australia? Featured: Dr Carmine Gentile, lecturer at UTS School of Biomedical Engineering, group leader of the cardiovascular regeneration group at th...
May 28, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 142
Machines are beginning to replace human judgement and other cognitive tasks, not just physical labour, seeing millions of unemployed in coming decades. What will become of the unemployed masses? Idleness and depression? Or bountiful travel and leisure? And how will we distribute welfare equally? Featured: Dikai Liu, Director, Robotics Institute, UTS Benjamin Hunnicutt, historian, professor of work and leisure, Iowa University Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound
May 23, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 141
How are NFTs redefining the art world? Are blockchain powered marketplaces empowering artists or harming the environment? Featured: Craig Blackmoore, digital artist, founder House of Blackmoore Jaysson Guerrero, senior research consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Producer/presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound Some of us, Craig Blackmoore
May 07, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Why has Google fired members of its ethical AI team? How pervasive are problematic algorithms in society? And who is holding developers of new technologies to account? We speak to leading AI researchers about current challenges facing the industry. Featured: Tiberio Caetano, Chief Scientist, Gradient Institute Professor Fang Chen, Executive Director of Data Science, University of Technology Sydney Producer/presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound
Apr 30, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 139
Online devices are becoming ubiquitous in our lives. Some of them are convenient, or even essential- others are just fun novelties. But many people haven’t considered the security risk of, for example, having a camera connected to the internet in their home- or a doll that records their children’s voices. In this episode we’re looking at the risks and benefits of Internet of Things technology- and how you can make sure your devices aren’t giving away your personal information
Dec 24, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 138
They say that nothing gets things moving like a crisis. In this episode of Think: Digital Futures, we’ll take a closer look at how your smartphone is fundamentally changing the way we interact with government services. In today’s world of delivery food and Zoom meetings, should accessing government services be as easy as ordering a pad thai? Or will ridding the public service of the pens and paper that have fueled their longevity simply end in one big glitch?
Dec 18, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Sensors, ever smaller and cheaper, can collect ever more nuanced sets of data. With that data, we can understand our world in ever more detail. That can mean cleaner air in our cities, more efficient water usage, or even saving a rainforest species.
Dec 18, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 136
As climate breakdown makes farming an evermore unstable and unpredictable industry, technology is developing ways to maximise the efficiency of agriculture. This episode we look at how internet enabled devices, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are being used to improve farming practices in Australia.
Dec 08, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 135
Drones are all around us these days... everyone seems to own one, for better or worse. But should we be more wary of these flying sentinels? While they've proven to be effective in some of our biggest challenges, like wildlife conservation, they also pose massive risks to our civil liberties, and widen the surveillance state.
Dec 04, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 134
We're living in an era of unprecedented change... just like previous industrial revolutions, our current one (well underway) is more than the sum of its technological advances; it's the incredible social change that goes along with it. Join former World Economic Forum advisor and author Nicholas Davis, as he discusses why we shouldn't be hands off when it comes to tech, the power of AI... and just what still makes us human in this tech age.
Nov 27, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Scientists have been warning the world about the rise of anti-microbial resistance for decades now- some strains of diseases like gonorrhea, tuberculosis and staph infections are almost completely resistant to even our most powerful drugs. A new project, headed up by the University of Technology Sydney, is working on tracking where this resistance develops, and predicting where resistant microbes might pop up next. We speak to some of the scientists on the project, about how it works, and who it...
Nov 20, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 132
Blockchain, Bitcoin... maybe you switch off when you hear those terms. But the cutting edge technology, and all the exciting possibilities it raises, can be summed up in one word: trust. From making sure your coffee really is fair trade, to trading solar power hours with your neighbour, blockchain is taking is to the future.
Nov 13, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 131
As more of our lives move online, could our democratic rights also be exercised on the internet? Is voting from your phone or computer as safe as popping your ballot into a cardboard box on election day? This week we look at the ins and out of electronic voting- how it's used, and how it could be expanded on in Australia.
Nov 04, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Since 2015, Australia has been developing a database of citizen's biometrics, to be fed into facial recognition software for the purpose of combating crime and identity theft. Most Australians are unaware of the scheme- but if you have a passport or state issued photo ID, your face is in this vast database. In this episode we look at the efficacy of facial recognition, and the implications of its use in Australia.
Oct 09, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 129
The world's biggest tech companies are in a big fight... with an Australian organisation. The ACCC has presented a plan that will force Facebook and Google pay more for news content shared on their sites. It could save the dying journalism industry, but so far, they're not playing ball.
Oct 02, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 128
In this special episode, we sit down with the Human Rights Commissioner Ed Santow. How does technology stand to affect our human rights? Facial recognition, AI, predictive policing... we discuss it all ahead of the AHRC report due out later this year.
Aug 28, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Social media has well and truly become a place of activism. With current COVID restrictions, that is now necessary, with public gatherings banned. How effective is activism online? Derided as "slacktivism", is there nonetheless real world results from our online stands?
Aug 21, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Regional news has been on the decline ever since the advent of the internet. COVID has exacerbated the decline sharply. Without a local publication, huge swaths of regional Australia are becoming "news deserts". As we turn more and more to social media for our information, what is the future of news in a digital world?
Aug 07, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 125
It doesn’t take much to realise that gambling is fast becoming part of our everyday. From the pokies, sports betting, online games and apps, gambling is everywhere and accessible at any time. While the temptations are manageable for some, for others they can be difficult to shake. In the time of the coronavirus shutdown, medical experts have aired concerns for the general public, who they say are just as vulnerable to addiction as anyone else.
Jul 31, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Telehealth has seen a rapid expansion since March, as the government scrambled to slow the spread of coronavirus. Medical professionals have welcomed the changes, and medical associations are calling for them to stay in place after the pandemic is over. So why did it take a pandemic to bring telehealth to all patients? And is it an adequate substitute for in person health appointments.
Jul 28, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Climate breakdown is changing the way people live- in cities, already soaring temperatures are compounded by the concrete, treeless layouts of most urban centres, while extreme weather decimates crops and disrupts our food supply chains. In this week's episode, we explore the possibilities green walls and vertical agriculture present for our urban centres, and how technology could help us adapt to a worsening climate.
Jun 22, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Even before restaurants and pubs were shut down, the bans on public gatherings essentially outlawed our artistic institutions. Along with work meetings and trivia nights, our culture, too, has migrated online. Some institutions have taken the opportunity to innovate in exciting ways, making art more interactive than ever... while others are just trying to survive. What will COVID mean for an industry already on the brink? Looking up to you - Simon Kennedy https://www.mixcloud.com/ben-drayton/min...
May 22, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Misinformation around COVID is just as dangerous as the virus itself. From injecting bleach to destroying 5G towers, myths around corona have spread online like wildfire. The tech companies have taken moves to limit such misinformation, but why now? Especially after years of refusing to remove other lies from online spaces? And will this extend to political lies in the future?
May 15, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Electronic waste is a mounting problem, with hundreds of thousand of tonnes of electronics going into landfill every year, in Australia alone. You're more likely to just buy a new appliance, rather than spending more time and money to get it repaired. Electronic locks on technology mean both owners and repair people struggle to do basic fixes on the things we buy. How did we end up with this throwaway culture, where it's easier to buy something new than to have it repaired? And how do we find a ...
May 08, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Social and digital media have revolutionised what it means to be a fan. But in a connected world, passion runs on overdrive where gushing over your favourites can quickly snowball into flat out cyberwar. This week we're looking at vicious fandoms in the digital age, the rise of stan culture and what happens when fans attack. Featuring: Chris Comerford - Cultural Studies Researcher at the University of Technology Sydney Jared Richards - Staff Writer at Junkee Lauren McInroy - Assistant Professor ...
Dec 16, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Within any organisation, professional or governmental environment there's some level of digital infrastructure enabling people with sensitive information to come forward. But as you'll hear on this episode, these systems are failing to offer adequate protection and anonymity for those courageous enough to blow the whistle. Featuring: Fabio Pietrosanti - President of the Hermes Centre for Transparency and Digital Human Rights Peter Fleming - Professor of Business and Management at the University ...
Dec 11, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 117
A lot of us joke around and say we're addicted to our phones, but when does the endless scrolling and hours of screen time turn into a full blown addiction? This episode we look at digital addictions, how devices are designed to be addictive but also how we're quick to demonise the tech that make our connected lives possible. Featuring: Luke Vu - Psychologist and Clinical Psychology Graduate from the Graduate School of Health at the University of Technology Sydney. Raian Ali - Professor in Compu...
Dec 04, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Humour has taken on new life in the digital age and TikTok is leading the march into obscurity. This episode we dive into the world of the VSCO girl and unpack how internet trends may seem like nonsense, but dig a little deeper and you'll find they actually make complete sense. Featuring: Lauren Strapagiel - Breaking News Reporter at Buzzfeed Paul Byron - Digital Cultures Researcher in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney
Nov 27, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Google will answer somewhere between 3-5 billion searches every day. But overtime, Google has evolved into so much more than a search engine. It's become a place where we confess our deepest, darkest thoughts. This episode, we're taking a look at the data Google collects about you through your searches. But we're not addressing your privacy concerns. Instead, we're looking at how this data could help those in crisis. Featuring: Patrick Berlinquette - Search Engine Marketer Dr Ofer Mintz - Senior...
Nov 20, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 114
What is 3D food printing and why are we doing it? Featuring: Professor Bronwyn Hemsley - Head of Speech Pathology at the University of Technology Sydney. Jonathan Blutinger PhD Student in the School of Engineering at Columbia University.
Oct 25, 2019•18 min•Season 1Ep. 113
