Global Infusions Podcast

In this episode of Global Infusions, the Toms consider the curious causes and effects of changing demographics on the economy and wider society, from pressures on healthcare to a shortage of business heirs in Japan.

They also follow the trail of a sample of moondust collected by Neil Armstrong and ponder Amazon's $10 billion space venture, a metaverse collaboration between Epic, Lego and Sony, evolving cyberwars in Russia, and new non-profit AI technology that is revolutionising how we create and source images.

In this episode, Tom and Tom delve into the murky yet highly organised and crypto-levered world of cybercrime. Attacks come in many forms, from thefts to ransomware to pure destruction. A nightmare for victims at the time, incidents can also be wake-up calls for companies to really get on top of their IT, as was the case for Maersk.

In this episode, the Toms talk about how serendipity has been a powerful force behind discoveries such as penicillin and Viagra, products like Play-Doh and the Post-it note, and the decisions that reshaped YouTube and Instagram, propelling them towards tech-giant status.

They also explore a raft of prescient predictions from 1922 about life today, how the balance of power has shifted in tech start-up financing, fascinating new AI technologies in voice generation and sketch animation, and Microsoft's big metaverse bet.

In this festive edition of Global Infusions, the Toms pore over the enduring real-world influence of science fiction on technology, finding the seeds of the metaverse in Star Trek and Snow Crash, precursors to the iPad and AirPods in 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and inspiration for a modular prosthetic arm called LUKE from…well you probably know where.

Tom Record and Tom Morris talk about rare metals, exploring where they are found, how they are produced and their importance in modern technology – from lithium and cobalt in rechargeable batteries to the use of gallium nitride in next-gen transformers and super-strong neodymium magnets in wind turbines.

In this episode, Tom Record and Tom Morris discuss the sustainability of transport, from cars to planes to ships. They consider how electricity grids will cope, the outlook for batteries, and the role that carbon-neutral liquid fuels could play.

In this month's episode, Tom Record and Tom Morris talk about the weather, how and why it is changing and the implications for how we design our urban environments, from Iranian windcatchers to ultra-white paints and the outlawing of lawns in Las Vegas.

In this episode, Tom Record and Tom Morris discuss the innovations that are reshaping food production, from vertical farming to robotics to coating seeds with bacteria to improve yields, as well as the risks posed by monocultural farming and the use of antibiotics.

They also reflect on the visual artistry of celebrity chefs, Facebook's move towards the metaverse and an unusual side effect of the IPO frenzy on Wall Street.