Sometimes, despite the hype, despite extensive funding, and despite clever and ingenious thinking, good ideas fail. Or at least don’t live up to their initial promise. There are lessons to be learnt and interesting anecdotes to be told. In this episode we look at four future-focused projects that have never really taken off: Google Glass, solar roads, space tourism and hyperloop technology.  Guests  Dr Paul Sutter – Astrophysicist, SUNY Stony Brook and the Flatiron Institute, New...

The UN General Assembly has passed a Declaration on Future Generations. It’s designed to ensure the generations of tomorrow aren’t disadvantaged by the decisions we make today. But is it more than feel good symbolism? Could it one day be as powerful as the Declaration on Human Rights? Also, how a focus on the here and now restricts visionary thinking; and we get the results from the latest 4-day work week trial, this time in Germany.   Guests  Professor Thomas Hale – Blavatnik School of...

Robot vacuum cleaners are so innocuous, many people treat them almost like pets. But they're also potential portals into our private life. Story Lab journalist, Julian Fell, learns how to hack a robot vacuum cleaner and uncovers some disturbing facts about the security of connected household appliances. Also, acts of aggression and abuse committed in virtual reality environments. So-called "metacrimes" may be cyber in nature, but they can feel very real and have physical world...

The heating climate is now recognised as a threat to our inner world – to brain health and rationality. Extreme temperatures not only impact our ability to think and our decision-making they also increase the presence of neurotoxins in the environment. And that can lead to disease and mental degeneration. We speak with the head of the newly formed International Neuro Climate Working Group. Climate anxiety is also caused by changes in our brains. So, is that a blessing or a...

Rana Sylvatica is an unassuming wood frog with an extraordinary gift. In the depths of winter, it can slow down its metabolism, flood its cells with ice and remain in a state of suspended animation for months. But it's what it might be able to teach us about preserving human organs for transplant that has scientists really excited. Also, the menagerie in an icy test tube — San Diego's Frozen Zoo and the fight to preserve biodiversity. Guests Dr Ken Storey — Professor of Biology and...

The demand for sex tech is booming. That is, toys and apps that can be used for pleasure, communication or to improve sexual health. Developers are using innovative ways to incorporate AI in a way that is respectful of both consent and the diversity of human desire. But it seems some male developers are intent on weaponising it against women. In this special episode of Future Tense, Stephen Stockwell, explores the power of the emerging technology, its potential benefits and harms, and the...

It was known as Wolf Warrior diplomacy – a brand of Chinese foreign ministry posturing that was as aggressive as it was unexpected. But has Beijing now changed tack? And if so, why? Also, does the theory of Institutional Amnesia explain why our preparedness for natural disasters is often found wanting? Guests Assistant Professor Tyler Jost — Political Science, International and Public Affairs, Brown University (US) Dr Sarah Robertson – Research Fellow in sustainability, RMIT University Dr...

Gone are the grandiose infrastructure projects, replaced by an emphasis on smaller development opportunities. China's Belt and Road initiative has entered its second decade — and it's changing. It now also includes a determined focus on green technology. But is the recalibration a sign of the project's overall success? Or a scaling back because of China's growing economic problems? And what has Beijing learnt about debt-levels and governance? Guests Professor Christoph Nedopil – Director of...

2024 has been an eventful year for democracies around the world. More than 80 countries, containing over half the world's population, are holding elections this year. It's democracy's mega test. The implications for the future of democracy and world order are profound. Guests Professor Nick Bisley – Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University Dr Gorana Grjic – Senior Researcher, Swiss and Euro-Atlantic Security Team, ETH Zürich's Center for Security Studies...

Could the realities of an aging population and a declining birth rate soon make our obsession with youth a thing of the past? It's not just an equity issue it also has implications for politics and economics, because the citizens and consumers of the future will inevitably be older. So, how do we reframe our perceptions of aging to make the most of a very different future workplace? Guests Assistant Professor Sven Brodmerkel – Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications, Bond...

Chat GPT pioneer, Sam Altman, reckons democratic countries will need to re-write their social contracts once AI reaches its full potential, such is its power to shape the future. But to quote a famous political aphorism: "he would say that, wouldn't he?" Princeton computer scientist, Arvind Narayanan, joins us to talk about the hype, the reality and the true limits of Artificial Intelligence. His new book is called "AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What it Can't, and How to...

Every crisis, they say, presents an opportunity. But history tells us differently. Social philosopher, Roman Krznaric, spells out the vital elements needed to initiate rapid change – and why a better understanding of the way we respond to crises could help in the fight against climate change. Guests Dr Roman Krznaric – Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Oxford University Dr Stefan Peters – Senior Lecturer in Geospatial Science, University of South...

Do we underestimate the value of Liberalism? Political philosopher, Alexandre Lefebvre, says liberalism underpins the modern Western world, even if we sometimes struggle to define it. And even when its brand is coopted by party-politics. Rediscovering its pure form, he argues, could be the key to a more tolerant and prosperous future. Also, is the European Union losing its taste for regulation, particularly where big tech is involved?  Guests Dr Alexandre Lefebvre – Professor of Politics...

In a world where Donald Trump embraces anti free-trade protectionism and "leftish" governments are going heavy on law and order, do the old political labels of Left and Right really make sense? Is it time for a new way of thinking and talking about political difference? And how do ordinary voters actually choose their political positions? Are their decisions based on ideology or simple tribalism? Guests Dr Gregory Millard – Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Kwantlen...

The Anthropocene – the idea that we now live in a geological age shaped by human activity — is a controversial topic. It irritates those who reject the whole notion of adverse climate change — and it's also now causing a fight among geologists themselves. So, what's behind the scientific contention? Also, why some argue that textiles are the new "hidden" plastic plague. Guests Dr Erle Ellis – Professor of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Maryland Dr Francine McCarthy –...

The night sky is getting brighter by about ten per cent each year — that's the scientific estimate. While new forms of lighting technology can reduce the amount of light pollution, the sheer impact of a global boom in artificial lighting is just too much. It threatens the health of both humans and other animals. Historically, darkness has been seen in a negative social and cultural context, so can we change our attitudes and learn to embrace the dark sky? In other words, see the light about...

If we're genuinely concerned about the impact livestock can have on our environment, why aren't we equally worried about pets? The pet industry is booming and despite the many positive psychological and emotional benefits of pet ownership, concerns about global pet numbers and environmental sustainability are mounting. So, do we need to rethink how we live with domesticated animals? And how can we strike a balance between our seemingly insatiable desire for fur-babies and their subsequent...

The rate of technological advancement in sport is unprecedented. From data analytics to robotic umpiring to smart equipment, technologies are reshaping what it means to achieve and compete. Even the International Olympic Committee has now developed an AI strategy.  It's also big business with the sport industry conservatively estimated at around one per cent of global GDP. So, when does ingenious innovation become cheating? And if technology pushes us past the point of physical capacity,...

Global media players now dominate the entertainment business and hold the whip-hand when it comes to accessing local news content. In this program we get an update on Meta's ban on Canadian news content, specifically how it's impacted production of serious news and what's been the public reaction. We also get a reality check on just how interested the giant US steaming services are in Australian content. Guests Aengus Bridgman – Director, Media Ecosystem Observatory (Canada) Matthew Deaner...

NASA's new telescope will revolutionise the search for non-Earth based life. It's to be called the Habitable Worlds Observatory and will be powerful enough to peer into the atmosphere of planets outside of our solar system. But if, or when, we do find evidence of a life form beyond our solar system what do we do next? And who should decide whether or even how we make contact? A new research hub at the University of Andrews is among those drawing up a plan. Guests Dr Megan Ansdell – Program...

While technology platforms increasingly dictate the way we write and converse, language is being modified to fight back, to subvert the platforms. In this show we examine the growth of "algospeak". And if you want to know how we'll all be communicating in the future, just listen to the way teenage girls speak, because young women lead the ongoing development of language. Guests Dr James Cohen – Assistant Professor, Media Studies, Queens College, City University of New York Dr Sali...

It's time to rethink what we mean by productivity, says work futurist, Dominic Price. What's important isn't output, but outcomes. And confusing the two, he says, is simply counter-productive! Also, benefit corporations — why many businesses are moving away from an obsession with profit at all cost; And why a compulsory savings model could help control inflation without raising interest rates. Original broadcast on August 20, 2023 Guests Ed Chambliss – founder and CEO, Best Friend...

When a company CEO can be paid 1,000 times the average employee's salary it's probably time to take a long hard look at wealth inequality. And those calling for the rich to pay more aren't always the ones you'd expect – Patriotic Millionaires is a group of mega rich individuals demanding greater, not lesser taxation. Then there's the Dutch philosopher urging ordinary citizens to put a cap on their own personal wealth. She calls her approach Limitarianism. Also, Rewilding the Internet – how to...

They've just unveiled the world's largest air purifier in Iceland. Christened "Mammoth" the machine can filter up to 36,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year. It's the biggest carbon capture device ever built – but is it mammoth enough? And do the economics stack up? Other scientists are using microbes to speed the process of mineralisation, the turning of CO2 into rock. And all the while the search for alternative energy sources continues with an Icelandic company even getting...