Think: Digital Futures

Latest Episodes:

Viral Scarelore Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

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.

What Happens To Your Opal Card Data Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

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.

Your Digital Life and Death Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

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.

Video Game Nostalgia Sep 17, 2019

Show notes

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.

Intellectual Disability and the Gig Economy Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

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 Modders Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

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.

The Mental Health Crisis in the Adult Industry Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

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.

Why Space Travel is a Colonial Crisis Jul 04, 2019

Show notes

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

Technology and Inspiration Porn Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

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

Introducing Uniform - A new season of All Things Equal May 09, 2019

Show notes

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