Is Arabic another language that goes unchecked online?

A few weeks ago we reported on the almost impossible task of monitoring Kiswahili content online. This situation exposes millions of people to harmful and abusive content while the major social media companies continue to profit. In another report by the Centre for Democracy and Technology, similar conclusions have been drawn about Maghrebi Arabic – a language spoken by about 100 million people across western and central North Africa. Just like Kiswahili, monitoring Maghrebi Arabic is very difficult and current methods are completely inadequate. Dr. Mona Elswah is the lead author of the report on the Maghreb region and joins us on the show.

An AI that identifies prostate cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has one of the lowest survival rates among major cancers.  The absence of early symptoms and the lack of effective screening methods result in over 80% of cases being identified only after the cancer has metastasized and spread around the body. At this advanced stage, survival rates drop to below 10%. Treatment is available when detected early and this is where AI comes into the screening process.  Jez Donaldson meets Dr. Logan Nye, a physician & computational scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, who is behind Galen Health, the company that’s designed the cancer detecting algorithm.

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

More on this week's stories:

Moderating Maghrebi Arabic Content on Social Media

Galen Health – revolutionizing cancer screening with AI

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

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Is AI going to replace your job?

Is artificial intelligence a threat to your employment? If your profession involves machine learning or chatbot development, the outlook appears promising but for translators and some writing roles it’s not.  Those are the findings of a study recently published in the Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organisation.  Researchers analysed over three million job postings from a global freelancing platform since 2019. They identified which skills are being replaced, complemented, or remain unaffected by AI. Two of the authors, Dr. Fabian Braesemann from the Oxford Internet Institute, and Dr. Ole Tuetloff from the Copenhagen Centre for Social Data Science join Gareth and Ania on the show.

The World’s First Inclusive Digital Map

Jez Donaldson continues his search for the very best tech for good stories from the Consumer Electronics Show.  This week he meets Brandon Biggs, CEO and Co-founder of XR Navigation (Audiom) inclusive map viewer.  Using enhanced visual tech, audio and text it makes maps accessible to blind people, as well as those with other disabilities.

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

More on this week's stories:

Winners and Losers of Generative AI

XR Navigation

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Just a gentle reminder that we produce two versions of each show of Somewhere on Earth. There's the main show, which is available to everyone for free and there's an extended PODEXTRA edition where we delve a little deeper and chat longer to our guests - there are also no ads in this one. That's just $10US a month and you can cancel anytime - there's no tie in period. We welcome your support of any size, any time as without it we simply wouldn't be able to make the show.

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Robobees – could they help solve world hunger?

A drone approximately the size of a thumb and weighing less than one gram is currently under development by a team at MIT. This team is focused on creating robotic insects that could serve various purposes, including functioning as pollinators in vertical farms—environments where crops are cultivated within tall structures designed for optimal growth conditions. The engineering challenge of designing such a tiny flying robot is huge. One major obstacle is replacing rotors with small, flapping wings. However, this approach presents its own difficulties, particularly that the wings tend to break at the hinge. The team at MIT have made some significant progress with this. Gareth spoke to co-lead author Suhan Kim. The research is published in the journal Science Robotics.

The latest tech for good gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show

Somewhere on Earth reporter Jez Donaldson has been to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This event is the largest of its kind globally, featuring the most recent advancements in technology and gadgets. Jez was on a mission to find tech for good. Over the coming weeks we will hear what he found. He starts with a company named OnMed, which is developing standalone hybrid telemedicine clinics that can be easily connected to a power source and the internet, allowing patients to consult with a real doctor via a screen.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Wairimu Gitahi.

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

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Can Kiswahili online content be moderated?

It appears that 2025 will see a significant shift in content moderation practices, as Meta plans to eliminate independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram.  This change may suggest a decline in standards, particularly in regions that have historically experienced limited online moderation. In many parts of Africa, small content teams have been tasked with overseeing entire countries or regions. Interestingly, while there are numerous content moderators in Africa, they are primarily employed as outsourced workers to assist with content moderation for major platforms based in the United States. These jobs are often mis-advertised too – with no warning

about the harmful content moderators will be forced to watch.  A report by the Center for Democracy and Technology “Moderating Kiswahili content on Social Media” has looked at why it’s so difficult to moderate posts in Kiswahili.

The Strettons Podcast

The Strettons podcast proudly claims the title of the United Kingdom's inaugural dedicated village podcast. This initiative targets a collection of small villages located in the picturesque rural county of Shropshire, just next to Wales. While it may seem like yet another addition to the podcasting landscape—perhaps one you have already encountered and subscribed to—there is an intriguing technological narrative behind it, as shared by the presenters and producers, Sian Lovegrove and Pete Johnson who are on the show.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Wairimu Gitahi.

More on this week's stories:

Moderating Kiswahili content on Social Meda

More than 140 Kenya Facebook moderators diagnosed with severe PTSD

The Strettons Podcast

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Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

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Capturing shooting stars with your doorbell cam

We’ve had the first meteor shower of 2025 – you may have missed it but your doorbell cam may have recorded it. The Quadrantids shower has captivated both amateur and professional astronomers, some of whom are now working together to find the meteors once they land on the Earth’s surface. When this occurs, there is a strong likelihood that the aptly named UK Fireball Alliance will identify them. This alliance consolidates images and videos from various sources, including doorbell cameras, dash-cams, security systems, and professional telescopes. The primary objective is to issue a comprehensive alert to scientists, indicating where they can locate the fallen meteors. Gareth met with Luke Daly, a lecturer in planetary geoscience at the University of Glasgow. He is also the treasurer of the UK Fireball Alliance and is on the show to tell us more.

EdTech Apps – are they any good?

The EdTech App market is worth billions of dollars a year but many of these apps are, in fact, counterproductive and may be causing more harm than good. That’s according to an Educational Technology researcher who has recently expressed her concerns in the journal Nature. Natalia Kucirkova, the Director of the International Centre for EdTech Impact and a professor at the University of Stavanger in Norway, is concerned that educational institutions, along with families, are squandering resources on apps that do not yield effective results. As she tells Gareth, better testing of these apps is needed, as is a certification process to identify those that are truly beneficial to children.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Angelica Mari.

More on this week's stories:

UK Fireball Alliance

Educational apps are worth billions. We need to make sure they work

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How to keep your data safe when protesting

The government of Georgia is set to deport 25 foreign nationals who were involved in protests that occurred late last year. This information has been reported by several news outlets referencing the Interior Ministry of Georgia. The demonstrations arose in response to the parliamentary elections held in the country. Considering the protests and the subsequent actions taken by the authorities, the digital rights organisation Access Now has issued a series of cybersecurity recommendations for individuals participating in peaceful demonstrations. During a protest, particularly if the situation escalates, it can be challenging to focus on cybersecurity when personal safety is at stake. Therefore, Access Now's guidance emphasizes the importance of securing one's devices prior to attending a protest. Much of the advice provided consists of fundamental digital hygiene practices that everyone should adopt, which is why we invited Access Now onto our podcast at the start of the year, a time when many are looking to establish positive habits. Mohammed Al-Maskati serves as the Director of the Digital Security Helpline at Access Now and is on the show.

New Year, New Tech Resolutions

The team discuss their New Year’s Tech Resolutions – and ask for yours in return.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Angelica Mari.

More on this week's stories:

Access Now – Digital Safety Tips for Peaceful Gatherings

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Your favourite SOEP shows from 2024

Thank you for all your suggestions and comments; we have selected the most popular choices and put them together in our final show of 2024. From our special programme with Jimmy Wales, to the reliability of French language chatbots, we look at what you thought were our best bits of the year.  

The PodExtra - The Creator Economy

This week we have a completely new episode for our paid for subscribers. Angelica Mari hosted a Podcast Live at Web Summit in Lisbon where she discussed the evolving landscape of the creator economy, focusing on the challenges and opportunities faced by content creators. She highlighted the importance of monetisation, the role of data, and the potential of immersive experiences in driving sales. But there's more to the creator economy - even though the push for more and more contact is great, ethical considerations (especially the need for authenticity and responsible use of technology), are vital to keep up trust with subscribers and clients.

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

More on this week's stories: 

Somewhere on Earth

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Audio: Ion Minas Belesis at All is Joy Studios in London

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Biometrics – do we have a choice in who has this data and how they use it?

This week we dive deep into the world of biometrics, with a particular focus on facial recognition technology. What is the current state of facial recognition, and why are legal experts and privacy advocates so concerned? Additionally, we’ll explore the realm of health data; is there a necessary compromise between collecting our biometric information for improved health outcomes and safeguarding our privacy? Or can we find a way to achieve both? Joining us is Dr. Stephanie Hare, the author of Technology is Not Neutral: A Short Guide to Technology Ethics.

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

More on this week's stories:

Dr. Stephanie Hare

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Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Audio: All is Joy Studios

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How technology led to the rise of HTS and the fall of Assad in Syria

HTS presented the removal of a brutal dictatorship that had lasted for five decades as a straightforward task accomplished in a matter of days. Currently, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has assumed control in Syria, while former president Bashar al-Assad reportedly resides in Russia. Although the narrative often emphasizes the use of armoured vehicles and firearms, many analyses overlook the significant impact of technology on HTS's achievements, including innovations such as 3D printing and drones. To explore this topic in greater depth, we will engage in a discussion with Broderick McDonald, a researcher specializing in conflict at King’s College London.

Our demand for nickel is destroying a way of life in Indonesia

Peter Guest, one of Somewhere on Earth’s regular studio experts, has been on the nickel trail in Indonesia He provides a firsthand account of the environmental repercussions associated with the nickel sector, which supplies components for electric vehicles on our roads. Peter has undertaken a 2,000-kilometer journey across Sulawesi, examining the detrimental impacts of the nickel industry on both the environment and human rights. This investigation was for the Gecko Project.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Peter Guest.

More on this week's stories:

Broderick McDonald

Dust Money

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Audio: Ion Minas Belesis at All is Joy Studios in London

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