Digital Planet

By BBC World ServiceTechnology

Digital Planet episodes

February 23, 2021 Facebook reverses ban on news in Australia
Tech giant Facebook blocked news content across its Australian platform last Thursday on account of a proposed law which would enforce some firms to pay news publishers for use and distribution of their information. Nearly a week later the government has agreed to amend the law and negotiate the value of this content. Tech reporter Angharad Yeo in Australia returns to the show to discuss the new law and how it could be seen as a test case for online regulation across the globe.
Can AI be a playwright?
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Czech playwright Karel Čapek’s production R.U.R. in which the word ‘robot was first used, Prague's Švanda Theatre, working alongside theaitre.com, are set to present a play written entirely by AI, exploring the everyday life of a robot. Reporter Hannah Fisher speaks to Tomáš Studeník, Czech radical innovator, computational linguist Rudolf Rosa and drama expert David Košťák about their upcoming project set to air on 26th February.
Robo Squid and Jellyfish
Engineers have developed a robotic squid that propels itself with pulses of water at the natural resonance of the robot. By using the resonance frequency that the robot naturally has they increased its speed without increasing energy consumption – a trick used by a number of animals in nature. Dr. Nicole Xu, who is researching and creating robotic jellyfish, is on the programme to explain how this technique could allow for much better exploration and monitoring of our oceans.
(Image credit: European Pressphoto Agency)
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Ghislaine Boddington.
Studio Manager: Giles Aspen
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz
51 min
February 16, 2021 Comparing the landscape of Mars to Earth
‘With every new view from the surface of Mars comes a reminder of just how fortunate we are to live on Earth.’ Acclaimed science writer and filmmaker Dr Chris Riley uses images from the landing sites on Mars to compare relative locations on Earth. Hear how you might be able to help.
Old Tech
Our Digital Planet social media community is a-buzz with stories of old technology, and the role you have had in technological history. Several listeners share their experiences with expert opinion from the curator of Technology and Engineering at the Science Museum Dr Rachel Boon.
Wearable Thermoelectric Batteries
Thermoelectric technologies are able to generate electricity by manipulating heat differences, but they are usually bulky and fragile. Dr Jianliang Xiao, and his team based in Colorado, discuss advancements in material composition that have led to the creation of a self-healing and recyclable battery with the potential to power wearable devices.
(Image: NASA)
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Bill Thompson.
Studio Manager: Giles Aspen
Producers: Harrison Lewis and Hannah Fisher
Editor: Deborah Cohen
44 min
February 09, 2021 Wikipedia’s new universal code of conduct
Wikipedia introduces its first universal code of conduct in an attempt to combat aggressive behaviour towards marginalised and ethnic communities. Some editors believe this code will hinder the grassroots of the website. Dr. Jessica Wade of Imperial College London discusses her own experiences whilst attempting to promote awareness of women in science.
Open Banking launches in Brazil
Seven years into a recession, how will open banking in Brazil help to reboot the economy? This month changes in regulation will support open banking and encourage the growth of Fintech. We speak to Ricardo Taveira, CEO of Quanto, a platform that has received $15 million USD in funding to aid open banking and aims to connect digital and traditional banks by sharing user’s financial data.
Cybersecurity and digital identity
This week in our series on the cybersecurity threats of the future: digital identity. What does our digital identity consist of? How will our personal information be stored, protected and shared and why does it pose such a cybersecurity risk? Florian Bohr reports.
(Image: Getty Images)
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Angelica Mari.
Studio Manager: Giles Aspen
Producers: Harrison Lewis and Deborah Cohen
43 min
February 02, 2021 Internet shutdowns in Myanmar and India
Internet services are returning to normal in Myanmar following a partial shutdown after the military took power over the weekend following their accusations of election fraud. In India though, the internet remains down in New Delhi and some surrounding regions as farmer’s protests continue. Mishi Choudhary, founder of the Software Freedom Law Centre in New Delhi, updates us on the situation.
Should Google pay for News content?
Following the threat by Google Australia that it could pull out of the country if new conditions are imposed forcing it to pay for News published in Australia, we speak with Angharad Yeo, tech reporter and the voice behind the “Queens of the Drone Age” podcast on what the row is about, the latest developments and how it might impact users in Australia.
Cybersecurity and Quantum Computing
This week in our series on the cybersecurity threats of the future: Quantum Computing. These new types of computers use the laws of quantum physics and are fundamentally different from our current computers. They are powerful machines – perhaps too powerful for the way we currently protect our data. What can we do about it? Florian Bohr has been finding out more.
(Image: A young woman reads her mobile phone in front of a poster proposing an access to Internet. Credit: Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Bill Thompson.
Producers: Deborah Cohen and Ania Lichtarowicz
45 min
January 26, 2021 Loon Balloon internet deflated
Loon Balloon internet deflated. Also Rabies vaccinations in Malawi – how tech is eliminating the disease in dogs and Cybersecurity and AI.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company has announced it’s winding down Project Loon. Hundred’s of high altitude balloons carrying miniature mobile phone towers were to drift around the globe providing internet connectivity to very remote regions. Digital Planet has been following the project from its first trials in 2013 and even visited one of their base stations in Kenya. We discuss why it didn’t succeed.
Rabies vaccinations in Malawi – how tech is eliminating the disease in dogs
Vaccinating dogs is the best way of reducing human deaths from rabies, but getting a minimum of 70% of dogs vaccination in an area (the coverage needed to eliminate the disease in the dogs) is very time consuming and costly. Now a new app, along with detailed data-driven analysis, has led to halving the time it takes to vaccinate dogs as well as significantly reducing costs and the workload for vets. Dr. Stella Mazeri, from Edinburgh University, is on the show explaining how their data-based approach has been so successful in Malawi.
Cybersecurity and AI
In the second of his reports on cybersecurity threats of the future Florian Bohr looks at artificial intelligence. Apparently, hackers are starting to use machine learning to attack systems more effectively. On the flipside, cybersecurity professionals are depending on AI more and more to control and defend their systems but who will prevail?
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Ghislaine Boddington.
Studio Manager: Giles Aspen
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz
(Image: A Google Project Loon internet balloon. Credit: Reuters/Stephen Lam)
49 min
January 19, 2021 Online manipulation on a global scale
Social media influence by governments and political parties is a growing threat to democracies according to the 2020 media manipulation survey from the Oxford Internet Institute. In the last year social media manipulation campaigns have been recorded in 81 countries, up from 70 countries in 2019 and most of the countries involved have deployed disinformation campaigns. The main author of the report, Dr. Samantha Bradshaw is on the show.
GPS Grazing Collars
How do you control where your animals graze if you can’t fit a fence to keep them contained to a certain area? Use a GPS grazing collar. This technology has been developed by Norwegian firm NoFence and uses GPS to track individual animals and stop them crossing boundaries that have been progammed using a mapping app on a smart phone. The collars emit a bleeping noise that gets louder as animals reach a virtual fence and will receive a small electric shock if they cross it (this is much smaller than one from an electric fence). Electric fences are expensive and difficult to fit in remote terrains and these GPS collars allow farmers to regularly change their grazing sites. We hear about the tech from UK manager of NoFence Synne Foss Budal and about the conservation benefits from Emma Wright from North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty who is trailing the collars in their upland pastures.
Ubiquitous Connectivity and cybersecurity
Late last year the World Economic Forum and the University of Oxford, released a report on the future of cybersecurity. They identified four emerging technology trends that could endanger security in the digital world within the next 5 to 10 years. In a series of reports Digital Planet’s Florian Bohr looks into each of these cybersecurity threats of the future. This week, we hear about how the sheer amount of digital connections between devices, services, and people is an inherent cybersecurity risk.
(Image: Getty Images)
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Angelica Mari
Studio Manager: John Boland
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz
44 min
January 12, 2021 Has tech been compromised in the US Capitol?
Following the events at the US Capitol this week, photos have emerged on social media showing protestors in offices where what appear to be emails can be seen on screen. Also with access to these offices, could protestors have downloaded sensitive data or compromised the tech in some way? Some cybersecurity experts are even questioning if the whole IT system should be replaced. Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai from Vice Motherboard explains the possible risks.
Internet shutdown costs in 2020
The website Top10VPN has released its annual report into the costs of internet shutdowns in 2020. They’ve found the economic cost of internet shutdowns in 2020 was $4.01bn, 50% lower than in 2019, however the total duration of disruptions around the world was up 49% from the previous year. One of the report’s authors, Samuel Woodhams, joins us live.
The tech that helped bring back the first asteroid samples to Earth
The first asteroid samples have reached Earth thanks to some amazing engineering and technology. Chris Edge, Digital Planet listener and IT and communications technician was one of the team that tracked the incoming capsule containing the samples from the asteroid Ryugu so that it could be recovered in the Australian desert.
(Image: Pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol. Credit: Probal Rashid via
Getty Images)
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Ghislaine Boddington.
Studio Manager: Donald MacDonald.
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz
42 min
January 05, 2021 Blindness in the digital age
Smartphone apps and other digital technologies have completely changed the lives of visually impaired and blind people around the world. This special programme on blindness and digital technology takes us through some of the tech responsible.
Motivational speaker Fern Lulham narrates her trip to the shops with her guide-dog Nancy, talking us through the different apps that she uses to help her find her keys, navigate there, and even colour match her clothes. She joins us live.
Presenter Gareth speaks with an Ophthalmologist in Delhi, India who is helping to train visually impaired people about how smartphone apps like ‘Be My Eyes’ can improve their independence and quality of life. We meet Brian Mwenda, the Kenyan inventor of the Fourth Eye and the Sixth Sense, two inexpensive, touch-based echo-location technologies that will help to give cheap and high-quality help with mobility for people with visual impairments around the world.
(Image: Brian Mwiti Mwenda - Hope Tech Plus)
Presenter: Gareth MitchellStudio Expert: Bill Thompson
Producer: Rory Galloway
41 min
December 29, 2020 The best tech stories of 2020
This week Digital Planet looks back on some of the stories we’ve covered in 2020; electricity from Lake Kivu on the Rwandan/DRC border, internet shutdowns across the world, contact tracing apps during the pandemic and how technology has changed digital death rituals and allowed us to grieve.
The programme is presenter by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Ghislaine Boddington, Angelica Mari and Bill Thompson.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Studio Manager: Bob Nettles
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz
44 min
December 22, 2020 Solar grid brings power to Yemen
A solar farm, set and run by women in the Abs district of Yemen is providing cleaner and cheaper electricity to families. Arvind Kumar is Project Manager in the Yemen Country Office of the United Nations Development Programme. He is overseeing the programme and joins us on the show.
Tackling climate change with data
A global initiative to satellite observations, sensors across land and sea, commercial data sets and even citizen observations from our mobile phones is gathering momentum. Now the UNEP is highlighting environmental data as essential combatting climate change. David Jensen, Head of Policy and Innovation, Crisis Management Branch, UN Environment explains their plans.
Smelltech
In the world of virtual reality, companies normally focus on images and sound to create the most immersive experience. But there is a new kid on the block: olfactory VR. Companies now seek to capture one of our more neglected senses and recreate smell in a virtual environment. Digital Planet reporter Florian Bohr has been finding out more.
The programme is presenter by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Bill Thompson.
(Image: Getty Images)
Studio Manager: Matilda Macari
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz
43 min