Think: Digital Futures

Ya like robo-jazz? Featured:   Dr. Richard Savery: Macquarie University Research Fellow (MQRF), Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music: Shimon Aarhus perf. Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and Shimon (provided by Dr. Richard Savery) Faster Does It Kevin McLeod   As AI becomes more advanced and nuanced, it is inevitable that we see it entering the arts. After my conversation with Dr. Sara Oscar, I was curious to descend further down the rabbit hole of artificial creativity. Being a musician, there was no better way to challenge my beliefs of what is or isn't "music" than by exploring robot musicians. But it isn't just techno sounds and glitch, Dr. Richard Savery's robot musician Shimon can rap, sing, and play the marimba in a band.

For decades, stem cells have been the technology that’s just around the corner. The medicine that would fix just about part of the body. But stem cell injections haven’t delivered on their advertised potential. Now, thanks to ingenuity and machine learning, they'll have a shot. Featuring Dr Jiao Jiao Li, School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney Produced and presented by Lawrence Bull

What is 'consciousness'? Featured: Dr Mahendra Samarawickrama; Director of the Centre for Consciousness Studies, Director of the Centre for Sustainable AI Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org The nature of consciousness is an emerging philosophical question that has been pondered for centuries. Now, with the advent of advanced Artificial Intelligence, the ethics and implications of conscious AI is at the forefront of people's minds. However, delving into just what consciousness actually is on the grand scheme of the universe could provide insight into the unanswered questions of the universe.

Where do AI generated imagery fall in the world of art? In September 2022, Jason M. Allen controversially won first prize in the Colorado State Fair's "digital arts/digitally-manipulated photography" competition. This event sparked a growing debate in the art world and on social media over the legitimacy of AI generated artwork. Many artists are calling foul on AI art, and are vehemently opposed to its inclusion in the arts on both creative and legal grounds. However, controversy always follows new technology, one only has to take a look at the last century to see similar fierce opposition to photography's standing as "legitimate" art. To unpack the issue surrounding AI art, I spoke to someone with their foot in both worlds. Dr. Sara Oscar is a photographer and Senior Lecturer at UTS's School of Design. Her research specialises in the cultural impacts of AI and deep neural networks. Hopefully, she can shine some light on the question 'Is AI Art, 'art'? Featured: Dr. Sara Oscar: Senior Lecturer, UTS School of Design Music: Dances and Dames Kevin McLeod Faster Does It Kevin McLeod Presented and Produced by Cameron M. Furlong

All of us have our own relationship with music, for some it provides some background colour to the day, for others it’s an integral part of life. But technology has changed our relationship with music, both in how we consume it and how we collect it. While it’s easier than ever to access an enormous amount of music from every era, genre and country on Earth, has it become more difficult to forge meaningful relationships with artists and their songs? How do we keep track of a lifetime’s worth of music appreciation and listening, and is it even important that we do? Featured:  - Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Darren Cross, Musician Music:  Darren Cross - hONEYCOMB (10.8.5) Darren Cross - Honeeey Pot Darren Cross - Pump Up the Dole-Drums (INFINITE3) Darren Cross - S u m_m e r T a p e d (courtesy of the artist)

Advances in technology and art require a solid foundation of history in order to improve, progress and innovate. What happens when that history is tied up with copyright restrictions or only exists as an expensive artifact? With video games the highest earning entertainment products, can publishers be forgiven for protecting their investments by deciding what relics from the past we now get to discover, or should these long lost treasures be more accessible? Featured: Dr Jaime Garcia Deputy Director (T&L Engagement), Faculty of Engineering and IT, Co-director UTS Games Studio   Music:  Lexica - Albatross (courtesy of Endemic Sound) DEX - Light In Reverse (courtesy of Endemic Sound) Ben Salter - Semi- Pro Gamer (courtesy of the artist)

Do you trust a robot with your beer? Featured: Doctor Nick Bennett: Senior Lecturer, School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Danielle MacDonald: Brewer, Sydney Brewery Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms; sourced from Freesound.org. Outro music Modern Compersion One Man Book. AI will soon have a say in how you beer tastes. Researchers at UTS are developing new brewing technologies that will be able to monitor the brewing of beer at every step of the process. This could lead to more economical and cheaper brews, and the micro-analysis of the process means that brews could be cloned to twin breweries around the world. Can an AI analyst hold a candle to the experience and intuition of a human brewer, or will their own individual strengths elevate the process?

Can a printer save a life? Featured: Professor Majid Warkiani: Biomedical Engineer, University of Technology Sydney Sajad Razavi Bazaz: Biomedical Engineer, PHD Candidate, UTS Produced and Presented by: Andrew Herlinger Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org Stem cell research offers great promise in the treatment of Australians living with diseases, cancers or a physical disfigurement. But with that potential comes concerns over its tendency to being labour intensive, time consuming and expensive. As such, there is plenty of research being conducted that is looking to reduce its costs and time in a way that is both ethical and profitable for those that are investing money into this area. Think Digital Futures' Andrew Herlinger investigates.

Does your robot trust you? As research hastens to making Brain-Computer Interfaces between robots and human a reality, we ought to examine the cultural significance behind it. We must consider the definition of “trust” and how it can be applied to an interface between a robot and a human. We can easily understand how much a human trusts a robot, but have you ever considered if a robot can trust a human? Can we even consider it at all? Cameron M. Furlong investigates. Features: Distinguished Professor CT Lin, UTS School of Computer Science Doctor Chris Muller, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org

What happens when you ask Google to tell you the truth? Featured: Associate Professor Heather Ford: Head Of Discipline Digital and Social Media, UTS Produced and Presented by: Lawrence Bull Music: Theme for Empty Stage by Luella Gren It’s never been so easy to access quick information – a third of Australian adults use virtual assistants. But are we getting the facts?

Just how representative is the world’s largest encyclopedia? Featured: Associate Professor Heather Ford: Head Of Discipline Digital and Social Media, UTS Produced and Presented by: Lawrence Bull Music: Ha-He by Just a Band The world’s biggest encyclopedia has a big problem. Female editors at Wikipedia are outnumbered by a factor of eight. Africans are underrepresented by a factor of 17.  The bias is built into the code, and that code is programming our future. If Wikipedia – one of the largest databases of information on the internet and now used to train neutral networks – is biased, then how can we rely on it be a source of balanced information? Think: Digital Futures’ producer Lawrence Bull investigates.

Are the decisions made by AI really as unbiased as we think they are? Featured: Distinguished Professor Fang Chen: Executive Director of The Data Science Institute, UTS Doctor Ben Swift: Senior Lecturer, School of Computing, ANU Produced and Presented by: Andrew Herlinger Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org As AI and machine learning systems become more advanced, the more we see them enter into different aspects of our day to day lives. We may think that the mathematical functions the machine learning algorithms are trained on are free from the mortal flaw of bias human decisions are cursed by – but the unfortunate reality is that they may not be as unbiased as we want them to be. How do we ensure these digital decision makers are operating fairly? This quandary is quickly becoming a significant concern as AI driven processes become involved in choices that have far-reaching impacts on our daily lives. Think: Digital Futures’ producer Andrew Herlinger investigates.

For the last 5 years, Dr. Su and his team have been developing an electronic nose that can sense gas compound patterns in the air. The E-nose that they have developed has the capability to distinguish between different brands of whiskey, including smelling out counterfeits. However, the dream does not end there for Dr. Su. He sees potential uses for this e-nose as far as drug detection and food safety, and even as a part of a robot with the full suite of human sensors. But how does an e-nose work; how similar is it to a human nose; and can it beat out an eager set of human nostrils in a whiskey sniff test? Dr. Su has your answers.

How can AI help in ensuring gender equality in legislation? Featured: Dr. Ramona Vijeyarasa: Senior Lecturer Faculty of Law, UTS; Architect of the Gender Legislative Index The Hon. Ruth Forrest: Member of the Legislative Council of Tasmania; Independent member for Murchison Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org As more scrutiny is put on the type of exclusionary and gender-biased language used in legislation, law makers should be looking for ways to improve the process of creating laws. How can we know which laws need changing, and to what degree? Such a question cannot be answered by a human-powered review into every single law in existence - there is just too much to go through, and humans are inherently biased no matter how neutral they claim to be. The challenge has been set, and Dr Ramona Vijeyarasa has a solution - the Gender Legislative Index. The GLI compares legislation to global standards and gives a rating as to how biased or unbiased the law is. The GLI currently being used in 4 countries; Australia, Indonesia, The Philippines, and Sri Lanka to assess laws currently in effect. But what about future laws? Well, thanks to Ruth Forrest, the GLI may start to be directly involved in legislation passed in the Tasmanian Parliament. Hopefully, the value of the GLI is seen and its services are implemented at a Federal Level.

Most of our search for love and sex has been uploaded onto apps - for better or worse. What effect is this having on queer communities, and what are the experiences of queer people using these apps? Language warning Featuring: Paul Byron, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Communication, UTS Eric, Former dating app user Damien, Current dating app user Producer/presenter: Josh Green Music: Epidemic sound

As technology and social media algorithms evolve faster than we can monitor them, how has our ability to empathise with others been affected? Featuring: Joshua Krook, PhD candidate, University of Adelaide. Dr Heather Ford, Head of Digital and Social Media, UTS. Brennan Hatton, CTO and co-founder of Equal Reality. Producer/presenter: Bageshri Savyasachi Music: Epidemic sound

What are the experiences of women using technology to make a baby? And how are they navigating the fertility industry online? Featuring: Natalie Hart, donor egg recipient Professor Anita Stuhmcke, faculty of law, UTS Dr Lizle Oosthuizen, reproduction medicine specialist, Cape Fertility Producer/presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound

In order to open up safely after two years of restricted movement, many countries are introducing COVID-19 vaccination passports. But how will this work? In this episode we look at the safety and privacy concerns of these technologies and consider how they should cater to the digitally disadvantaged. Featuring: Dr Manoranjan Mohanty, Lecturer in School of Mathematical and Physical Science at the University of Technology Sydney Dr Helen Paik, Senior Lecturer the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of News South Wales. Dr Katie Attwell, Senior Lecturer in School of Social Sciences at University of Western Australia and Lead Researcher of Coronavax: Preparing Community and Government Producer/Host: Sophie Ellis Music: Epidemic Sound

In this episode we observe how online hate speech can result in real-life consequences. How gaming and social media platforms are failing to censor dangerous content. And pushback from the community. Featured: DK, content creator and gamer on Youtube and Twitch Dr Marian-Andrei Rizoiu, senior lecturer, Behavioural Data Science, University of Technology Sydney Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel With research assistance from Eamonn Culhane Music: Epidemic Sound

Technologies used to read and alter the brain are being introduced in courts around the world. But how will neuro-based evidence revolutionise the way we view criminals? Who decides who is a good citizen? And how do we create a future worth wanting and not merely inherit whatever future results from new technology? Featured: Dr Nicole Vincent, senior lecturer, Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation, UTS Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound

As communities become increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, how are architects using 3D-printing to ensure buildings are energy efficient? Featured: Dr Kim Loo, western Sydney GP, NSW chair, Doctors for the Environment Associate Professor Hank Haeusler, Director of the Bachelor of Computational Design, University of NSW Dr Tim Schork, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, University of Technology Sydney Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound, Blue Dot Sessions

Amazon CEO and billionaire Jeff Bezos recently flew into space, days after billionaire Richard Branson made it into orbit. Space has always been a frontier for innovation, but what has been achieved so far, by the growing privatisation of the space industry? What risks are there? Featured: Kurby Ikin, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants, National Space Society Australia Iver Cairns, Professor in Space Physics, University of Sydney Professor Anna Moore, Director, Institute for Space, Australian National University Dr. Joshua Chou, Senior Lecturer, School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & IT, University of Technology Sydney Producer/Presenter: Soofia Tariq

Dementia is a confronting disease, with many barriers to early diagnosis and lengthy diagnostic processes. Researchers are developing new technologies in the hopes of easing that process. Featured: Sheila and Dale Fernanda Tavares Vasconcelos Oliveira, PhD student, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Dr Jaime Garcia, Senior Lecturer in Games Development, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound

A huge repatriation effort has been ongoing for decades, in an attempt to return the ancestors and sacred objects of Indigenous people back to their homeland. We speak to two men who’ve helped develop a digital archive - to support that movement. Featured: Steve Hemming, associate professor, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, UTS Daryle Rigney, a citizen of the Ngarrindjeri nation, Director of the Indigenous Nations and Collaborative Futures Research hub, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, UTS Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound, Blue Dot Sessions

As we expand our mining of minerals for the green energy transition, we may harm the biodiversity of surrounding areas and cause other environmental consequences. How are researchers developing alternative technologies to extract metals like Lithium sustainably? Featured: Professor Rick Valenta, Director of the WH Bryan Mining and Geology Research Centre, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland Dr Gayathri Naidu, researcher, Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, UTS Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has jumped on the opportunity to expand surveillance laws following the success of Operation Ironside. But members of the cybersecurity community say new laws have been rushed and may encroach on individual privacy. Featured: Patrick Fair, commercial lawyer with expertise in intellectual property, competition law, telecommunications and privacy law Eric Pinkerton, cybersecurity consultant, Trustwave Dr Priyardarsi Nanda, senior lecturer, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, UTS Music: Epidemic Sound Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel

As a parent, you would do whatever you could to ensure that your child has a good life. But what if you knew that your unborn child would have a condition that would severely impact their quality of life? What if you could, at the earliest possible stage, choose against this? Featured: Dr Peter Illingworth, Medical Director, IVF Australia Professor Isabel Karpin, School of Law, University of Technology Sydney Steph Agnew, disability and IVF advocate Producer/Presenter: Toby Hemmings

Which groups of Australians are benefiting most from digital mental health services? And how are psychologists adapting their practice to incorporate these new tools? Featured: Richard Mason, Batyr Lived Experience Speaker Bethany Wootton, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, UTS Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound

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 the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney Associate Professor Payal Mukherjee, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon, ENT lead for research from Royal Prince Alfred’s Institute of Academic Surgery, Clinical Associate Professor of surgery at the University of Sydney, Adjunct Professor at the University of Wollongong and the current chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons NSW. Dr Matthew Rimmer, Professor of intellectual property and innovation at the Queensland University of Technology. Presenter/Producer: Marlene Even Music: Epidemic Sound Sound: 3D bio-printer recording, by Dr Carmine Gentile, second recording by Associate Professor Payal Mukherjee, Professor Gordon Wallace AO, Director ARC Centre for Electromaterial Science and his team.

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

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

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 can help.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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/mince-tv-ben-drayton-290320/

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?

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 way out?

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 in the College of Social Work at Ohio State University

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 of Technology Sydney

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 Computing at Bournemouth University, United Kingdom. Natasha Mauthner - Professor of Social Science Philosophy and Method at Newcastle University Business School, United Kingdom.

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

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 Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Technology Sydney Business School

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.

What is a viral scare and where do they come from? This episode we look at internet urban legends and how hoaxes spread in the age of online misinformation. Featuring: Marcella Tambuscio - Postdoctoral Fellow at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Giovanni Luca Ciampaglia - Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Florida. Anne Kruger - Bureau Editor of First Draft Australia, University of Technology Sydney. Produced by Jake Morcom and Victor Petrovic.

And why it's not being used to improve the public transport system. Featuring: Claudine Moutou - Transport Sociologist at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney. Mat Hounsell - Senior Research Consultant at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney.

What happens to your digital life when you die? Featuring: James Meese - Senior Lecturer in the School of Communication at the University of Technology Sydney. Megan Yip - Estate Planning and Post Death Admin Attorney in California.

What makes video games such a nostalgic medium? This episode we look at the uniquely nostalgic qualities of video games and how the gaming industry is profiting off your nostalgia. Featuring: George Mitri - Avid Gamer and Graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Games Development degree at the University of Technology Sydney. Aaron Chetcuti - Avid Gamer and Graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Games Development degree at the University of Technology Sydney. James Sweeting - PhD Researcher and Associate Lecturer, Transtechnology Research at the University of Plymouth, United Kingdom.

The rate of unemployment for those with intellectual disability is more than four times that of the non-disabled population. Stigma and ableism continue to widen this gap. On this episode, you'll hear about a program tackling this divide and how the online world is helping make career goals a reality. Featuring: Jonathan and Annette - Participants of Start Up. Katie Butler - Program Director for Start Up at Challenge Community Services. Beth Innes - Grants Coordinator at Challenge Community Services. Bronwyn Hemsley - Head of Speech Pathology at the University of Technology Sydney and Researcher on the Start Up program. Full episode transcript available here: https://bit.ly/2YpiSyy

The video gaming world is full of digital geniuses, but this isn't limited to those designing the games. The Modders are an international community of gamers reengineering the code and backend of video games to alter the in-game universe. Many do it for fun, some for prestige, but others are more politically driven. Featuring: Karl Munstedt - Digital Artist and Technologist, Creator of Grand Theft Homo. Dr William Raffe - Codiretor of the Game Studio Research Group and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Technology Sydney.

Porn performers and sex workers face heavy stigma. This stigma is pervasive and socially excludes in multiple ways. In this episode, we look at how many mental health services are discriminating against those working in the adult industry and the online networks offering support for performers. Featuring: Max Arion - Sex Worker and Porn Performer. Leya Tanit - President and Founder of Pineapple Support. Paul Byron - Researcher in the School of Communication at the University of Technology Sydney.

With Earth's natural resources diminishing at a rapid rate, many tech giants are dubbing space as our salvation. Billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are pumping out extravagant technologies intended to establish human life on space bodies with unlimited resources. But what's wrong with these aspirations? And what does having billionaires at the fore of these conversations say about our space goals? Featuring: Damien Williams - PhD Researcher in the Department of Science, Tech and Society at Virginia Tech. Amy Thomas - Researcher in the Indigenous Land and Justice Research Hub at the University of Technology Sydney. Full transcript of the episode available here: https://bit.ly/326FHpU

The stories we tell about technology are mostly positive, they connect our world and make the impossible possible. But when it comes to the technologies used by disabled people, these stories are often lazy and reinforce damaging stereotypes. In this episode, Ashley Shew (Virginia Tech) explores what these stereotypes are and how technology isn't always the fix it's promised to be. Simon Darcy (University of Technology Sydney) unpacks the ableism in disability research while Josh Halstead (UC Berkeley Extension, Disability Designer) advocates for disability inclusion in technology design. Producer / Presenter: Jake Morcom. Full transcript of the episode available here: https://bit.ly/2MTgf3I

Waiting for your next Think: Digital Futures fix? We’ve got something else for you in the meantime. Introducing a new season of All Things Equal. This series will take you into the school yard and beyond, where kids learn that things aren't always fair. Through the stories of real students and staff, Uniform will change the way you think about education; because when it comes to learning, one size does not fit all. Subscribe to All Things Equal in your favourite podcast app, or listen to the show here: https://www.whooshkaa.com/shows/after-metoo-stories-of-social-change

The survival rate of CPR is incredibly low and hasn't changed in more than 25 years. While a compulsory skill for health professionals, research shows CPR performance drastically declines just weeks after receiving training. So why is a skill that helps save lives failing so many? In this episode we look at how feedback devices could help boost the survival rate of CPR. Nursing student Bec Karslake (University of Technology Sydney) explains what it's like to use these devices firsthand, while registered nurse Felicity Dick-Smith (University of Technology Sydney) tosses up the automation of resuscitation.

Smart devices have connected our world, but not without a price. The rise of the internet of things, an interconnected ecosystem of smart devices, raises concerns about the security and privacy of your personal data. But in the digital age, are security and privacy a myth? This episode, hardware security blogger Limited Results explains how IoT tech is failing to keep your information secure. IoT Security expert Imran Makhdoom (University of Technology Sydney) calls out the manufacturers and Pardis Emami (Carnegie Mellon University) argues while privacy isn't dead, it could be without stronger security.

The narrative of the pirate is a potent one. The pirate is a devious, morally corrupt criminal who doesn't care about you or the law. But where does this narrative come from? And just how accurate is it? This episode, James Meese (University of Technology Sydney) introduces us to the original pirates and runs through the timeline of copyright law. Tom MacDonald (Queens University) pleads the case for the political digital pirate, articulating how piracy pushes back against the control of copyright holders.

The adult industry continues to face heavy stigma. Not only are they demoralised for what they do, they're excluded from the financial institutions that many of us take for granted. This makes it extremely difficult to secure a loan, get insurance and keep their business afloat. This episode we unpack how cryptocurrency offers financial autonomy for the adult industry. Mattias Hulting (Ramblin' Brands) walks us through his journey with the vibrator line, Smile Makers. Leah Callon-Butler (intimate.io) introduces us to their plan to cut out the financial gatekeepers, while Adrian Lee (University of Technology Sydney) weighs up the positives and negatives of cryptocurrency.

Virtual assistants have become core to smartphones and speakers, but why are they all women? In this episode, feminist AI researcher Josie Young explains that a series of research projects in the 90s set a problematic baseline for gendering technology. While Josie illustrates how narrow minded design can be damaging, data scientist Theresa Anderson (Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation - University of Technology Sydney) makes the case for an ethical AI framework.

When it comes to the workplace, nowhere are the barriers of gender-based discrimination felt more keenly than in the STEMM fields. This episode we explore where the lines are drawn when it comes to "getting ahead" in male-dominated workplaces, and what we can all do to challenge this hierarchy. Producer Cheyne Anderson chats to Meredith Nash (University of Tasmania) about why the dominant "lean in" philosophy just doesn't cut it. Karen O'Connell (University of Technology Sydney) explains the invisible dimensions of workplace discrimination. And finally we join geologist and science communicator Kathleen Patrick on a trip to Antartica that may just hold the answer.

As the world's pre-eminent gay networking service and the first gay geosocial app to launch on iTunes, Grindr offers its users a filter heavy experience where they can refine the selection of men around them to connect with those they find the most attractive. However, for as long as the app has been running, Grindr has been awash with criticism that one particular filter fosters a culture of racism - an ethnicity filter. This episode, you'll hear from Sinakhone Keodara who not only denounces the app for offering this filter, but is suing Grindr for perpetuating a racist culture. Web developer Trever Faden unpacks why Grindr is so filter heavy, while cyber racism expert Andrew Jakubowicz explains the internet has become a breeding ground for racist behaviour. Producer: Jake Morcom.

Across all mental illnesses, anorexia nervosa has the highest rate of mortality. But pro-eating disorder websites on social media platforms like Instagram and Tumblr host communities of individuals who promote disordered eating as a choice, not as an illness, and use the internet to share tips and discuss their food restrictions. We spoke with author Dr June Alexander, Dr Ysabel Gerrard, Lecturer in Digital Media and Society at The University of Sheffield, and Rachel Cohen, psychologist at the Black Dog Institute and PHD candidate at the University of Technology Sydney.

Digital technology is increasingly used in domestic and family violence. Research from the University of Queensland shows that almost any technology, including social media and GPS-trackers, can be used for abusive purposes. The rise of digital technologies in our everyday life have raised a whole new set of questions concerning preventing domestic violence and enforcing apprehended violence orders. We spoke with Professor Heather Douglas from the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland and Dr Jane Wangmann from the Faculty of Law at the University of Technology Sydney.

Earlier this year students in years three, five, seven, and nine were assessed on their reading, writing, language and numeracy as part of the National Assessment program, or NAPLAN. The data obtained from the NAPLAN tests are collated and used to show all schools' average performance against other schools in the country on the Government MySchool website. Just last month students and parents all over the country received their NAPLAN results admits growing national controversy surrounding the comparability of online and pen-and-paper test results and the validity of the assessment. But is it the technology used to implement the exam, or the assessment itself that is widening the education gap? We spoke with Dr Simon Knight, Lecturer in the Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation and Lynda Pascoe, Principal of the Ngukurr Community Education Centre in the Katherine Region of the Northern Territory.

The rise of artificial intelligence has as many anxious as it does excited, with people concerned that autonomous technologies could automate them out of a job. But as technology continues to make huge leaps forward, there’s very little in the way of policy to ensure these innovations don’t disrupt people's working lives and contribute to a more unequal society. Producer Cheyne Anderson teams up with Think: Sustainability's Jake Morcom to offer two perspectives on the possible impacts of growing automation. Cheyne chats to Nicholas Davis, Head of Society and Innovation at the World Economic Forum, while Jake meets with Nik Dawson, PhD student in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies at the University of Technology Sydney.

Journalist and novelist Behrouz Boochani has been detained on Manus Island since 2013. And despite living in a highly controlled environment designed to prevent access to digital technologies allowing him access to the outside world, Behrouz has been our eyes and ears in to the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre for the last 5 years. We chat with Behrouz from Manus over Whatsapp and we speak with Associate Professor Linda Leung, from the University of Technology Sydney.

In 2013, Texan crypto-anarchist Cody Wilson uploaded blueprints for The Liberator, the world's first 3D printed gun. What followed was a fiery debate over whether or not 3D printed guns should be legal. Producer Cheyne Anderson explores how the 3D printed gun taps into deep anxieties playing out in the United States. She chats to Tim Lytton from the Georgia State University College of Law about the historical context of the debate. Then she chats to Aaron Seymour (University of Technology Sydney) about unpacking the utopian promises of 3D printing and Richard Matthews (University of Adelaide) about the practical challenges getting in the way of their widespread use. For more information head to 2ser.com/thinkdigitalfutures

Australians have until the 15th of November to opt out of having a My Health Record. This episode, producer Joe Koning explores why "opting out" is a problematic way of drawing users into a system. We meet Lisa, a 31 year old woman living in Sydney who discovered she had a My Health Record created for her, without even knowing about it. We also chat to Jane Hall (University of Technology Sydney) and Joshua Badge (Deakin University) about the economic and ethical "Nudge" theory behind the My Health Record.

Would you spend hours watching someone you’ve never met play computer games? What about watching them hang out in the living room with their dog or baking cookies? This episode tackles ideas about digital identity and friendship in live streaming communities and how it’s changing the way we approach our emotional wellbeing. We chat to streamer ThisNancy, IRL streamer and TV Presenter Angharad Yeo, and researcher Rob Gallagher (King’s College London).

A conversation with Rob Gallagher from King's College London on identity, aesthetics and the ASMR community. He wrote the article Eliciting Euphoria Online which you can read here. The video you heard was from ASMR-tist Heather Feather and you can find the online community on Reddit.

Wiradjuri physics and astronomy student Kirsten Banks chats to Myles Houlbrook-Walk about what she sees when she looks up at the stars

The NBN rollout is nearly complete across rural and regional Australia and with it the promise to shrink the digital divide. But it still doesn’t feel that way for many regional Australians still struggling with poor internet speeds and connectivity. This episode we meet the people building independent internet networks for their local community. We meet John Sinclair from the Kangaroo Valley Broadband Network and Tim and Aaron from rural SA and Tassie respectively. We also chat to Robin Braun (University of Technology Sydney) and Nicole Sutton (UTS) about whether the technology will work, and how the NBN became a political football.

Whoever controls the data controls the story. Across the globe, Indigenous peoples are coming together to take control of the data collected “about” them but not “for” them. How can data be used to help rather than problematise? We chat to Maggie Walter (University of Tasmania) about the perceived threat of sovereignty and Bhiamie Williamson (Australian National University) about just saying "no" to data collection.

A reflection on time, and how we mediate it through digital technology. Thanks to Tara and Andrew McLennan.

How are your Facebook posts impacting the health of the planet? It might sound like a contradiction in terms but this episode from Think: Sustainability’s Jake Morcom explores the environmental impact of online data. Jake chats to Ella Barclay, an artist and graduate student at the University of Technology Sydney; Senior Analyst Rodney Getta; and Lecturer Tanya Notley from the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University.

On April 25th 2018, 25 year old Alex Minassian drove a passenger van into pedestrians on a crowded Toronto footpath, killing 10 people and injuring 16 others. Moments before the attack Minassian posted a message on his facebook shedding light on his motive. The message voiced admiration for a man who killed six college students in California in 2014, and announced his allegiance to a internet hate group called the incels, short for “involuntary celibate”. In this episode we hear from Heidi Matthews who teaches in international criminal law (Osgoode Hall Law School), we look at the history of online misogyny with former journalist and researcher Emma A. Jane (University of New South Wales), and talk about the problematic nature of letting incels define themselves with Dr Ramona Vijeyarasa (University of Technology Sydney). Producer: Miles Herbert and Cheyne Anderson.

If you’ve tuned in to news from China over the past couple of months you’d be forgiven for thinking Xi Jinping spent the Summer reading Orwell and is now trying to convince 1.3 billion people how rad it is. From AI facial recognition tech to the nightmarish social credit system, surveillance tech in China is on the rise. This episode we hear two perspectives on the state of surveillance tech in the Middle Kingdom. We look into the historical roots of the social credit system with Wanning Sun (University of Technology Sydney). Then we head to the “laboratory of surveillance tech” Xinjiang province with Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Chin.

If your toddler is accidentally watching gory videos on Youtube Kids, or your Facebook feed won’t stop recommending you ads for formal track pants - you might be the victim of a broken algorithm. Algorithms are often cited as the architects of our digital lives, but how much do they actually influence what we consume online? We watch Youtube with James Meese (University of Technology Sydney), understand the ecosystem with social media researcher Babak Abedin (UTS), and dissect algorithmic culture with Ted Striphas (University of Colorado, Boulder).

The recent anti-sex trafficking bill SESTA-FOSTA sent shock waves through sex industries around the world. But it’s not just income sex workers are losing when their business is forced offline. We chat to Cameron Cox, CEO of Sex Worker Outreach Project; Andre Shakti, sex worker, activist and journalist; Eurydice Aroney (University of Technology Sydney); and John Scott (Queensland University of Technology). WARNING: Explicit Content Further links: The Lysistrada Emergency Fund Third Wave Fund Sex Workers Giving Circle

Behind every major technological innovation is an engineer. Whether inventing, planning, or building, engineers are instrumental to stuff getting done. They’ve built the world around us, but do they have what it takes to save it to? We meet Scott McKeon (From the Ground Up), a student pushing for a human centred approach in engineering. We then chat to Abbas El-Zein (Sydney University) and Sam Perkins (Engineers Without Borders) about what this means for the discipline. Finally, we meet a classroom of students at the University of Technology Sydney who want to make change happen.

With five times more viewers than the NRL Grand Final, and a higher prize money than Wimbledon, the world of competitive video gaming has flown curiously under the radar in Australia. Producer Myles Houlbrook-Walk takes us into the growing Australian Esports scene. First, we delve into the underground culture with Alex Walker (editor Kotaku). Next, we meet some of the players who have gone pro, like FIFA eLeague player Mark Brijeski, Overwatch player Connie Ko, and train alongside Australia’s top League of Legends squad. Finally, we chat to sport scientist Job Fransen (University of Technology Sydney) about the physical demands of professional play!

Thanks to overpopulation and man made climate change, global food stocks are running low. Enter the “future foods” - the gross, weird and wonderful things clickbait articles tell us will be on our dinner plate in ten years time. But there’s more to this debate than just eating worms.  We talk to the colonial gastronomer Jacqui Newling (Sydney Living Museums) about how we didn’t use to be so squeamish. Then we meet researchers Janice McCauley (University of Technology Sydney) and insect farmer Olympia Yarger (GoTerra) about how hard it is to change our tastes. Finally, we speak to Judy Friedlander (University of Technology Sydney) about the mess we’re in.  The Algae products we tried were made by Venus Shell Systems based in Nowra, NSW.

You might have seen the headlines proclaiming astronaut Scott Kelly has returned from a year on the International Space Station with a whopping 7% change in his DNA. That was when compared to his identical twin, Mark Kelly, back on earth. Space travel affects our bodies in ways we still don’t quite understand, but there’s more to this headline than meets the eye. We go behind the news with Digital Futures regular Joshua Chou, Director of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney. To find out more about the terrifying things that happen to your body in space, check out our episode on space health.

When you think about Puerto Rico—decimated by Hurricane Maria, a debt crisis and the longest power blackout in US history—most people see destruction. To a small group of cryptocurrency millionaires, it’s a chance to build a new type of society from scratch. A society built on blockchain technologies. We chat to Dr Pip Ryan (University of Technology Sydney) and Nathan Waters (founder of Peerism) about what a blockchain based society might look like. Then we speak to journalist Antony Loewenstein about whether this is just a case of disaster capitalism in disguise.