Look It Up

Can eating seafood ever be sustainable? The hugely popular Netflix documentary 'Seaspiracy' critiques the idea of sustainable fishing and raises issues of corruption, slavery, and the fishing industry's impact on climate change. Hosts Nat and Julie analyse the documentary to understand why it caused so much controversy and investigate the legitimacy behind some of its claims. Listen to find out why we disliked this documentary whilst still agreeing with its message.

Hosts Nat and Julie discuss the rise of Kidfluencers, who are child influencers and entertainers on social media accounts run by their parents. We question the ethics of the 'job', just how much information is too much to share on the internet, and whether its influence on child viewers' lives is a positive or negative one. With the kidfluencer industry reaching into the billions of dollars, but very few laws to protect the earnings and working rights of the kids, we explore just how complex it is to create rules around what seems to be a fun hobby between parent and child.

The gaming industry is worth more than the film and music industry combined, and it's predicted to only continue growing. As gaming becomes more and more mainstream we discuss what exciting new developments are coming from the gaming industry and where it fits in entertainment more generally. From VR headsets and playing games with your brainwaves, to its potential as a story-telling medium, listen to find out more about the future of gaming. 

Nuclear war, pandemics, AI and erruptions from super volcanoes are all things that threaten the very existence of humanity. According to a recent study the odds that the human race could go extinct by the end of the century are 1 to 6, that is the same odds as russian roulette! This week hosts Nat and Julie discuss the ways in which humanity could end and what is (or isn't) being done to stop it. Listen to find out more!

Does Bella Hadid's facial structure make her the most beautiful person in the world? Is our idea of beauty nature or nurture? And just how influential is "pretty privilege"? This week hosts Nat and Julie look into the science behind what makes a person beautiful, and in the words of the Ancient Greeks, how everything comes down to maths!

Why is it that women write more fan fiction than men? When did fan fiction start? And how could one fan fiction almost ruin one of China's most promising young actors? This week hosts Nat and Julie look at fan fiction: its past, present, and future, along with controversies surrounding copyright and the ethics of Real Person Slash. Listen to find out more!

Did you see the documentary 13th on Netflix? If you did it's likely that you are just as enraged by the US criminal justice system and the War on Drugs as we are. This week hosts Nat and Julie tackle the War on Drugs and its failure to reduce the prevelance of drugs, reduce crime, and improve the welfare of society. The US is facing a opioid epidemic as well as housing the world's largest prison population, many of whom are being held for drug offenses. South of the border, Mexico has seen a drastic increase in violence over past decades due to escalating tensions between the state and the cartels that are responsible for trafficking around 20 billion dollars worth of drugs into the US every year. We discuss how drug policies are in urgent need of change to reduce crime and to ensure better protection of the victims of drug use. 

AI is here and it's here to stay. In our new episode we discuss (from our very non-expert positions) the ethical issues and considerations surrounding the programming and usage of artificial intelligence. From data and privacy to law, and equality, AI is not without its flaws. As a frontier of technological development, there will always be kinks to iron out. Can you instill empathy into AI? How does a driverless car decide who to save and who to kill in accidents? How scared should we really be of a sentient AI coup? Listen to find out more!

How can a piece of art be used to avoid paying taxes? What's the best way to make a profit on a stolen masterpiece? And if I tape a banana to a wall will I be able to make $120,000 dollars like Maurizio Cattelan? This week, hosts Nat and Julie dive deep into the fine art world looking at exactly how modern art gets its value and how it can be so much more than just a pretty painting.

This week, hosts Nat and Julie explore the long-standing link between sports and politics. Often manifesting in controversial events, from state sponsored doping schemes and boycotts, to brave individuals putting their sporting career on the line for standing up for their views, it seems impossible to seperate political interests from sports as a whole.