What happens to our data when we die? Mike and Josh chat about the growing trend in online memorialisation, with social media pages being turned into digital monuments for the dead. Is it ethical? Is it even in good taste? Tune in to find out!

Useful links

* Facebook: Memorialized Accounts* Instagram: What happens when a deceased person’s account is memorialized?

Is subscription culture good for us? Or is it making us lazy? Mike and Josh chat about the many pros and cons of subscription services with friend of the show Lindsey-Claire Hogg. From Netflix and Spotify to the benefits of unified platforms, there are many questions to be answered, including what this means for the High Street, and does it really offer us more choice? Listen in to find out…

Are AI really alive? Can they ever be alive? Mike and Josh

take on the big questions, and more, as they wonder what it means to be alive,

what it means to be human, and what we mean by ‘human’ in the first place.

Mike and Josh are joined by friend of the show Emily Lynn to chat about all things work-related. From productivity apps and resources, to tips on how to get down to writing, this podcast will help you focus your efforts and get things done!

Useful links

* Forest (app)* Pushbullet (app)* Microsoft OneNote* Gladstone’s Library

What is human enhancement and where will it take us next? Mike

and Josh are joined by Lindsey-Claire Hogg to chat about all things

enhancement-related from sport and athletics to back-street clinics, robot

surgeons and body hackers. Definitely not one to be missed!

Related podcasts

* Genetics, Gender and Caster Semenya

Mike and Josh are joined by Ben Goldsworthy to discuss the issue of dehumanisation in warfare. Topics covered include drone warfare, cyberwarfare, war-games and the nature of war itself.

Useful links

* TTAC21 paper mentioned in the podcast* Star Trek: A Taste of Armageddon* Limbo by Bernard Wolfe* Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Mike and Josh are joined by PhD researcher Lindsey-Claire Hogg to discuss the law around organ transplants, and specifically, tissue transplants in minors (children). In what proves to be a fascinating discussion, Lindsey outlines the difference between organ and tissue transplants, how we define ‘minors’ and what we mean by informed consent. Who knew organ donation could be so interesting!

Mike and Josh chat to Emily Lynn, founder Let’s Talk Academia – an online community and blog founded in 2017. The blog has proven extremely popular with early career researchers, who have found it a great place to share their experiences of academic life, and the many challenges academia can bring.

About Emily Lynn

Emily is an AHRC-funded researcher at Lancaster University. Her research explores the relationship between faith-based organisations and social welfare in contemporary British society. See Emily’s researcher profile.

Useful links

* Let’s Talk Academia* The Law of Killer Robots* MJRyder.net

Mike and Josh talk about the murky world of professional ghostwriting, and consider the impact AI may have on written media in the near future. With AI now capable of producing human-like written content, it won’t be long before AI are used by essay mills to create cheap essays for students that bypass the normal plagiarism checks. Higher education is certainly in for a shock…

Useful links

* Mike’s work as a ghostwriter* OpenAI

Voting and electoral systems have been in the news a lot recently. In this episode, Mike and Josh are joined by Ben Goldsworthy to discuss whether online voting (eVoting or iVoting) is the answer to enhance democracy and improve voter turnout.

Useful links

* Ben’s Masters dissertation