Are attitudes towards drinking changing as we learn more about the impact alcohol can have on our bodies? Drinking has been part of our social and cultural activities for centuries. But cultural norms appear to be shifting. So, could alcohol go the way of cigarettes and become socially unacceptable?
Are attitudes towards drinking changing as we learn more about the impact alcohol can have on our bodies? Drinking has been part of our social and cultural activities for centuries. But cultural norms appear to be shifting. So, could alcohol go the way of cigarettes and become socially unacceptable?
The Arctic permafrost is melting, and ancient viruses and bacteria are gradually being freed from the ice. The risks are significant, and it's only one of several possible sources for the next pandemic. But scientists and researchers are working to identify potential threats and better prepare the world for future pandemics.
The Arctic permafrost is melting, and ancient viruses and bacteria are gradually being freed from the ice. The risks are significant, and it's only one of several possible sources for the next pandemic. But scientists and researchers are working to identify potential threats and better prepare the world for future pandemics.
Bribery involves using money to try and buy a person's favour, but what do you call it when someone uses their resources not to win someone over, but to destroy their political career? Until now, it's had no name. But James D'Angelo, from the Congressional Research Institute in the US, has just invented one . He calls it "brubery" – and it's threatening the very future of Western politics, he says. Also, high tech largess or digital colonialism ? Seeing global tech's expansion from a very differ...
Bribery involves using money to try and buy a person's favour, but what do you call it when someone uses their resources not to win someone over, but to destroy their political career? Until now, it's had no name. But James D'Angelo, from the Congressional Research Institute in the US, has just invented one . He calls it "brubery" – and it's threatening the very future of Western politics, he says. Also, high tech largess or digital colonialism ? Seeing global tech's expansion from a very differ...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 of how we asses...
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 of how we asses...
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.
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.
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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....
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....
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.
