After last week’s AI takeover, Somewhere on Earth returns to real voices and real data. This week, we dive into a groundbreaking new study analysing more than 10 million social media posts, confirming what many suspected — fake news really does spread faster than the truth.

Joining Ania is Professor Mohsen Mosleh from the Oxford Internet Institute, who unpacks how political bias, algorithmic design, and social sharing habits shape what we believe online — and what, if anything, we
can do about it.



🌐 VPNs, Verification & the New Internet Divide

New age-verification laws across Europe are reshaping access to adult content and sparking a boom in VPN usage. Are these online safety acts truly protecting minors, or just driving users underground?

Sam Woodhams, VPN Managing Editor at TechRadar, joins us to reveal surprising data behind the sudden 77% drop in site traffic - and why governments might be eyeing your encrypted browsing next.



💬 Listener reactions are in — and the verdict on last week’s AI hosts might surprise you.
📩 Send your thoughts to [email protected] or find us on social media @SOEPTECH.

🎧 Subscribe to Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen — and unlock Podcast Extra for exclusive interviews and deeper dives each week.

Supported by Roost, Sazience, and part of the Evergreen Podcast Network.

 





































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Why is social media designed to reward misinformation? The answer might not be what you think.

New research analyzing over 10 million posts reveals a startling paradox that holds true across every major platform, from X and BlueSky to LinkedIn: lower-quality news consistently attracts more engagement than higher-quality content. And the most surprising part? It’s not just the algorithms—it’s us.

This week, we dive into the digital realities fracturing our online world. We explore why user preferences, not just code, are driving us into echo chambers and enabling the spread of misinformation. The implications for our political discourse and society are enormous.

Don't just scroll - understand the forces shaping your feed. Listen to get the insights you need.

Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast. New episodes every Tuesday.


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This week on Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast, we’re letting AI take the lead. Using Google Notebook LM, we’ve built a full episode from some of our favourite past shows - letting algorithms choose what to play and how to tell the story. The result is a bold experiment in AI-generated podcasting, exploring how technology is reshaping work, food, and education around the world.

We dive into the fight for gig workers’ rights with Gigu, a Brazilian startup that took on Uber to promote fair pay and transparency, and Vos Futura, a platform redefining journalism with positive, solution-driven stories. We also head to Uzbekistan, where AgriTech innovator Grows is using AI tools to empower millions of smallholder farmers and build a more sustainable future.

Finally, we explore how artificial intelligence is transforming education, from remote learning and language inclusion to mental health and online safety. Can machines tell meaningful human stories - and should they?



The programme is presented by AI generated hosts.

 

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/



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group

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If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

 

Contact us by email: [email protected]

Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484

 

Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World

 
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This week on Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast - we’re handing the mic to AI. For the first time ever, we’ve created a full episode using Google Notebook LM - built from some of our favourite past
shows.

The algorithms are choosing what to play… and even what to say.

Will it work? Or will the machines miss the mark?

Find out in this special AI-generated edition - dropping Tuesday, October 28th, wherever you get your podcasts.



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From major global businesses to personal accounts, cyberattacks are no longer rare - they’re a part of everyday life. On this week’s episode of Somewhere on Earth, we explore how individuals and nations are fighting back. Learn practical tips for securing your passwords, discover what “digital housekeeping” really means, and get an inside look at how Ukraine is defending itself whilst training the next generation of cybersecurity experts. Tune in for expert insights that could save you from your next online threat.

The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.

 

More on this week's stories:

Professor Oli Buckley

Iryna Volnytska

 

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz



For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/

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Join our Facebook group

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BlueSky

 

If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

 

Contact us by email: [email protected]

 Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484

 

Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World


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From high-profile cyberattacks on UK businesses to how you can protect yourself online — this week, Somewhere on Earth takes a closer look at cybersecurity.

🎙️ Host Ania Lichtarowicz talks to:

Packed with practical advice and real-world insight - essential listening for anyone living life online.

🎧 Available Tuesday on all major podcast platforms and via the Evergreen Podcast Network.

#CyberSecurity #Podcast #SomewhereOnEarth #DigitalSafety
#EvergreenPodcasts #Tech #Ukraine



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In this special edition of Somewhere on Earth, host Gareth Mitchell teams up with Andrew Grill, the “Actionable Futurist” behind the Digitally Curious podcast, for a thought-provoking deep dive into how artificial intelligence is reshaping our lives, work, and creativity. Joined by digital culture pioneer and SOEP Studio Expert Ghislaine Boddington, the trio explore what it really means to live — and stay human — in an AI-driven world. From the boardroom to the everyday, they unpack the shift from AI hype to real-world application, the rise of digital empathy, and how curiosity remains our greatest tool for navigating the future. Tune in for sharp insights, global perspectives, and authentic conversation — because being digitally curious has never mattered more.

 

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Ghislaine Boddington.

 

More on this week's stories:

Digitally Curious



Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/



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Join our Facebook group

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BlueSky

 

If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

 

Contact us by email: [email protected]

 

Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484

 

Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World
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Exciting news from Somewhere on Earth and Digitally Curious!

We’re teaming up with Andrew Grill, the Actionable Futurist behind the Digitally Curious podcast, for a special edition all about AI, society, and the real-world impact of digital change.

Andrew brings practical, no-nonsense insight into how to use the future — not just imagine it. Plus, Ghislaine Boddington joins us to share her unique take from the cutting edge.



🎧 Somewhere on Earth x Digitally Curious — coming Tuesday, 14th October.
👉
Subscribe now so you don’t miss this fascinating collaboration!

https://open.spotify.com/show/65YZwVfA03MSdZ3198yLdb



#AI #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #Podcast #Futurebusiness #SomewhereOnEarth #DigitallyCurious
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Artificial intelligence isn’t just coding our future - it’s saving lives right now on Ukraine’s frontlines. New research that’s being presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2025 in 2025 shows how AI-driven evacuation systems, real-time medical data streaming, and autonomous rescue vehicles are reshaping combat medicine amid more than 390,000 reported injuries since Russia’s invasion began. From triage algorithms that choose who gets evacuated first, to AI-designed prosthetics built for precision and recovery, this is tech meeting humanity in the most urgent way possible. Dr. Evgeni Kolesnikov’s research shows how AI is redefining what’s possible when machine learning meets medicine.



🌍💻 Nowhere to Hide: Dr. Julia Shaw on the Rise of ‘Green Crime’ and the Tech Tracking the Planet’s Worst Offenders

Criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw is on the show to talk about the tech behind her new book “Green Crime: Inside the Minds of the People Destroying the Planet - and How to Stop Them”. She explains how AI, satellite surveillance, and forensic finance are tracing the data signatures of environmental offenders who thought they could hide.



The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Ania Lichtarowicz.



More on this week's stories:

AI optimizes evacuation, diagnosis and treatment of wounded soldiers in Ukraine

“Green Crime” by Dr. Julia Shaw



Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Producer: Liz Tuohy

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz



For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/



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Join our Facebook group

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BlueSky



If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Contact us by email: [email protected]

Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484



Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World


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Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast explores how innovation shapes real lives worldwide. In this episode, we uncover how AI is helping Ukrainian medics evacuate and treat wounded soldiers from the frontline - technology in action where every second matters. Plus, Dr. Julia Shaw joins us to discuss her new book Green Crime, and how tech is being used to expose crimes against our planet.







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