Future Tense

How do we embrace the benefits of a world run on the power of attention/distraction without sending ourselves crazy or constantly diminishing our ability to get jobs done?

“Playing IT Safe” is a new resource to help pre-school children better understand the workings of the digital world. It also gives parents a way to structure the conversations they need to have around cyber safety.

We also examine a pilot program for teenagers called Digital Compass. It’s been co-designed with Australian school students to help them as they navigate the challenges and ambiguities of our digital evolution.

Police officers in many  western countries now dress like paramilitaries. Special police units are being trained and organised along military lines and issued with military-grade weapons. Is this creeping “militarisation” justified and what are the future implications for the effectiveness of policing in democratic societies?

Covid-19 is being weaponised in a new propaganda war against Western democracy, according to Oxford University’s Philip Howard.

His new book shows that misinformation extends far beyond a few bad actors - there's a global industry behind the world’s problem with junk news and political misinformation.

Also, we hear about new legislation that human rights groups say could expose Australian citizens to silent data requests from US authorities.

New Australian research suggests trees may not be the carbon sponges we think they are. The findings compliment a larger international study that suggests the world’s major forests are saturated and will soon begin emitting, not absorbing carbon.

Also, the Finish experiment where citizens are being given individual carbon allocations. It’s all about making carbon trading a very personal affair.