Think: Digital Futures

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Will Man Become Machine In 2045? Oct 02, 2017

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There's a growing movement of people who want to harness the technological revolution in order to push our minds and bodies beyond biological limitations. They're called "transhumanists" and their aim is humble: digital immortality. Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson Speakers: Meow Ludo, founder of Bio-foundry Peter Xing, co-founder Transhumanism Australia Avinash Singh, PhD Researcher at the University of Technology Sydney

Why You Can't Buy Pizza With Bitcoin Sep 24, 2017

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We're in the middle of a "Bitcoin boom". The price of the digital currency is shooting past the price of gold. And it's not the only cryptocurrency having a moment with Ethereum even beating Bitcoin for steepest rise in value. But despite all the hype around cyrptocurrencies, you still can't buy a pizza with them. At least, not in Sydney anyway. Will the influence of Bitcoin ever break out of tech circles and seep into the "real" world? How can Bitcoin change our day to day lives? Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson Speakers: Dr Philippa Ryan, Barrister and Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney Chris Duckett, APAC Editor of ZDNet Harley Jones, Snake Catcher

Everyone Wants To Be Sherlock Holmes Sep 17, 2017

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Our lives are increasingly being lived on the internet. Everything from social interaction, buying groceries, to committing crimes now happens online. Today's show examines how the digital age has transformed not just how people commit crimes, but how forensic scientists, police, and citizens are turning to the internet to seek justice outside the traditional criminal justice system. Producer/Presenter: Miles P Herbert Speakers: Layla Betts: Reddit Moderator Claude Roux: Professor of Forensic Science and the founding Director of the UTS Centre for Forensic Science Peter Price: CEO of Crimestoppers NSW Michael Salter: Senior Lecturer In Criminology, Western Sydney University

How To Survive In Space Sep 10, 2017

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With commercial space flights fast becoming a reality, there's every chance you might travel to outer space in your lifetime. But we are boldly going where humans aren't supposed to go. At least, not from a medical standpoint. From brittle bones to flat eyes, this episode is about all the terrifying impacts of space travel on the human body. Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson Speakers: Joshua Chou, Director of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney Nial Wheate, Pharmaceutical Chemist at the University of Sydney

Is It Really The "Digital Divide" That Separates Us? Sep 04, 2017

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We often hear about the need to close the "digital divide" in Australia - that is, the gulf between those who are digitally included and those who are not. But when we picture the divide this way we lose sight of the myriad of cultural, economic and political issues that prevent people in Australia from participating in the digital sphere. These are problems that the NBN alone can't fix. So, it's time to re-frame the debate. This episode features two conversations that challenge our assumptions about digital access in remote Indigenous communities and among detainees at Villawood Detention Centre. Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson Speakers: Laurel Dyson, Honorary Associate at the School of Software at the University of Technology Sydney Linda Leung, Associate Professor and Honorary Associate at the UTS Business School

Because It's There Aug 27, 2017

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From communications satellites to commercial space flights, our atmosphere is open for business. And with the space industry currently generating more money than some countries, everybody wants in on the action. Gone are the days of the Cold War-era space race, they've been replaced by a new generation of tech entrepreneurs. This "New Space" network of Silicon Valley visionaries dream of pushing the boundaries of human exploration in their aim of building a space utopia. But are we really drawn to the wild frontiers of space "because it's there"? Or is it another resource for the ultra-rich to exploit for profit? Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson Speakers: Patrick Wang, CEO SpaceOps Australia Matthew Johnson, PHD Candidate at the University of Technology Sydney Professor Steven Freeland, Dean of the School of Law at Western Sydney University.

What Will The Future Sound Like? Aug 13, 2017

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Close your eyes. What can you hear? Our sense of hearing is often overlooked but our ears are capable of communicating information to us in ways we don't even realise are happening. The growing field of sonification is all about harnessing our sense of hearing. An increasing number of artists, researchers and storytellers are using sonification to challenge the ways we imagine our future. Presenter/Producer: Cheyne Anderson Speakers: Gail Priest, Sound Artist Mark O'Connor, Learning Technologist at the University of Technology Sydney Leah Borromeo, co-founder Climate Symphony Katherin Round, co-founder Climate Symphony Jamie Perera, co-founder Climate Symphony Martin Keary, Youtuber "Tantacrul"

How Is Sex Technology Changing Intimacy? Aug 06, 2017

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When William Butler invented one of the first electromagnetic stimulators in the 1880s, he was pretty chuffed. His unwieldy machine appeared to be a genius solution to help doctors struggling to keep up with the growing cases of hysteria - a chronic illness of distress peculiar to frustrated women. What he didn't realise at the time was that he had just invented one of the first vibrators. This vibrator was designed to allow doctors to give women the only known relief for hysteria - an orgasm. Since then, sex technology has evolved alongside our changing attitudes towards sexuality. And it's not just the act of being intimate that's changing, but the very ways we understand and express closeness. Warning: Sexual content Speakers: Judith Glover - Research Design at RMIT Tanya Koens - sexologist at Surrey Hills Therapy Ross Dawson - futurist & entrepreneur Paul Byron - Research Assistant at University of Technology Sydney Kay - Max Black Newtown

The Spectacle Of Social Media In China Jul 30, 2017

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With 830 million users worldwide, when a video goes viral on WeChat it really goes viral. Last year, a dark genre of videos featuring grisly accidents captured on CCTV spread across the app at lightning speed. What draws people to the spectacle of death? And how does the notoriously censor-heavy Chinese government respond to this? This episode features a conversation with Professor Wanning Sun from the University of Technology Sydney, discussing the digital age in China and whether there's something fundamentally human about sharing images that shock us. Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson Speaker: Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Technology Sydney

Is Technology Killing Democracy? Jul 23, 2017

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Traditionally, democracy and technological innovation went hand in hand. In the 19th century, the printing press let the public share their views for the first time. In the 20th century, television and radio helped news spread across the globe. But in the 21st century, social media is opening the floodgates for an age of information overload. Can a healthy democracy still operate in 140 characters or less? Producers/Presenters: Cheyne Anderson & Miles P Herbert Speakers: Emma Balfour, Honours student at the University of Sydney Carl Rhodes, Professor of Organizational Studies at the University of Technology Sydney Jonathan Marshall, Research Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney Daya Thussu, Professor of International Communication at the University of Westminster

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