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A special guest on Somewhere on Earth, your help needed

We have a very special annoucement and we need you help. We have the co-founder of Wikipedia and founder of the Wikimedia Foundation Jimmy Wales coming on the show. But instead of us asking the questions, we want to hand over to you. What would you like to ask Jimmy Wales? Please send us your questions by Friday 16th February via our social media channels, email hello@somewhereonearth,co, leave us a voice or written message on WhatsApp +44 7486 329 484. Thank you.

Jimmy Wales

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Wales

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Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

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Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

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The British Post Office Technology Scandal

The British Post Office scandal saw more than 900 subpostmasters convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting. However, it was faulty account software called Horizon and made by Fujitsu, that was to blame. The personal tragedies of those involved have been documented recently in a TV drama in the UK. But what was actually wrong with the software itself? Susi O’Neill, business technology communications expert, is on the show to explain what went wrong with the software roll out and how mistakes like this can be avoided by other companies.

Why don’t you give SOEP a listen?

Actress, singer-songwriter, performance poet and SOEP subscriber Flloyd Kennedy has immortalised Somewhere on Earth:The Global Tech Podcast into fiction! She’s written, performed and produced a short episode of her own comedy podcast “Am I old yet?” asking the question – am I too old to listen to podcasts? Hear her character dismissing some of the myths about technology and podcasts and convincing someone to give us a try. 

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

More on this week's stories

British Post Office Scandal

Am I old yet? 

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Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

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The Global AI Arms Race

Leading global powers have for some time been positioning themselves at the forefront of AI development. All these governments see AI as such a powerful tool they want to be first to be in control, however they also want to regulate it. But with regulations, development can be slow says Dr Kerry McInerney from the University of Cambridge and the AI Now Institute, which leaves the dilemma of who should control AI progress? Dr McInerney is on the show to discuss the Global AI Arms race.

Having your say in AI development

As governments race to win the Global AI Race, with industry pushing development too, is there any possibility that the public can have a say in how AI should operate? A project involving AI is itself being used as a tool to determine which areas should be discussed with regards to the progress of AI models. It’s called Recursive Public and it’s arguably one of the first serious efforts to frame some global consensus on AI’s workings and governance. It’s a ground up project involving ordinary members of the public as well as various professional bodies and the AI community at large. SOEP reporter Shiroma Silva looks to see if we really can have a say in the development of AI.

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

More on this week's stories:

Dr Kerry McInerney 

Recursive Public  

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Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

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Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

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A Bitcoin transaction ‘uses a swimming pool of water’

Every Bitcoin transaction uses about the same amount of water as a backyard swimming pool according to a study published in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. That’s around six million times more than a credit card swipe. The vast amounts of water are needed as Bitcoin uses so much computing power, and in turn, electricity to complete a single transaction on the blockchain ledger. Digiconomist and author of the study Alex de Vries is on the show to explain how he came to his conclusions and what can be done to reduce this phenomenal amount of water consumption.

Desalination system makes freshwater cheaper than tap water

Engineers at MIT in the US and in China have designed a solar powered device that takes in saltwater, uses its circulation and the sun’s heat to lead to evaporation, which creates a salt free water vapour that can be condensed into drinking water. The system is so effective it can produce between four to six litres an hour and is cheaper and faster to produce than tap water. Lenan Zhang, a research scientist at MIT’s Device Research Lab, explains the process to Gareth Mitchell. The work is published in the journal Joule. 

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

More on the show:

Bitcoin’s growing water footprint 

Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water

Support the show

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

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The true cost of Internet shutdowns across the world 

Internet shutdowns around the world cost more than $9 billion US according to Top10vpn.com. Their annual report “The Global Cost of Internet Shutdowns” shows that 196 major self-imposed internet blackouts happened in 25 countries and 747 million people were impacted. Russia, Ethiopia and Iran were the worst culprits. Unsurprisingly, 50% of the outages were linked to additional human rights abuses. Samuel Woodhams, Digital Rights Lead at Top10VPN.com and one of the authors of the report is on the show. 

2024 is the biggest ever election year – how will tech impact the results? 

65 countries including the US, India, Russia and Mexico are holding elections this year and more than 2 billion people have the right to vote. But will democracy withstand the march of AI and other technology that will bring with them a wave of disinformation and deep fakes with less scrutiny and checks on social media? Gareth and Peter discuss the risks posed to elections by technology this year. 

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

More on the show:

Internet Shutdowns: Economic Impact 2023 – Top10vpn Report 

In a year full of elections, does Big Tech have democracy’s back? 

Support the show

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

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3D printed skin – huge advances could revolutionise wound healing

Two major advances in 3D printing human skin could lead to major advances in wound healing. A team of scientists at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in the US have printed full thickness human skin for the first time. They successfully printed all six major human cell types present in human skin, creating normal skin layers - the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The bioprinted skin formed blood vessels, skin patterns, and showed normal tissue formation. It also produced more collagen which will reduce scarring. If you pay to subscribe to the extended version of the podcast you can hear about another study where the Brazilian cosmetic company Grupo Boticário has 3D printed skin which includes hair follicles.

Stolen mobile phones in Brazil can now be blocked immediately

A new system that blocks stolen mobile phones via an app or the web has been launched in Brazil. Almost a million mobiles were stolen in 2022 in Brazil. Many Brazilians use the instant payment system Pix, so blocking a stolen phone as quickly as possible can significantly reduce the amount money stolen from someone’s account. More than a million people have registered to use the Celular Seguro programme in its first two weeks. Using the country’s citizen registration scheme, it allows people to block or unblock their phones from a trusted and registered source. 

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

More on this week's stories: 

Support the show

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:

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Tech trends to watch out for in 2024 – the good and the bad 

We’re predicting the tech trends we may see in 2024. It's a big year with national elections in the US, South Africa and Bangladesh to name just a few - how will technology impact the outcomes? Misinformation is likely to be a big part of the story, and potentially could be a part of the result. The tech companies have been culling their online safety teams, and there have been court battles in the US over the First Amendment and the legality of removing false information. 

Climate tech start-ups in Africa

Climate technology seems to be on the up too, with a recent report predicting that it will be the big investment area for tech start-ups across Africa. It may even overtake fintech as priorities change across the continent.

The dangers of surveillance tracking tech

And will 2024 be a good year for murderous regimes who don’t like critics, wherever they are? Ever-improving surveillance and tracking tech suggests that it might be. You might be in exile in the UK or the US, but that doesn’t necessarily make you safe. 

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio experts are Wairimu Gitahi, Peter Guest and Issie Lapowsky. 

Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World   

For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your audio. 

If you like Somewhere on Earth rate and review it. 

More on this week's stories: 

Misinformation research is under attack. So what’s the plan for 2024?

https://www.fastcompany.com/90984912/election-integrity-work-is-under-attack-so-whats-the-plan-for-2024 

Investing in climate tech innovation in Africa

https://www.thecatalystfund.com/insights/investing-in-climate-tech-innovation-in-africa

On British soil, foreign autocrats target their critics with impunity

https://www.codastory.com/authoritarian-tech/on-british-soil-foreign-autocrats-target-their-critics-with-impunity/ 

The Team 

Audio is by Callum Swingler and Jon Cronin 

Production Manager is Liz Tuohy 

Support the show

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:

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The most hacked place in the world…and many more tech stories of 2023 

The still gaping gap for women in tech in pay and position - the underdog and the underpaid, to climate tech – the problem or the solution, are just some of the stories discussed in this episode. Intelligence analyst, Agatha Christie fan and Computer Weekly’s 2023 Women in Tech winner Suki Fuller joins regular studio experts Ghislaine Boddington and Angelica Mari to take us through some of the big tech stories of the year.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio experts are Ghislaine Boddington and Angelica Mari. 

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More on this week's stories: 

Suki Fuller

https://sukifuller.com/ 

The Team

Audio is by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon and Jon Cronin.

Production Manager is Liz Tuohy 

Support the show

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:

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The risk of ransomware attacks - are governments taking them seriously?

A report out this week by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy in the UK claims that because of the British government’s failures to tackle ransomware, there is a “high risk” the country faces a “catastrophic ransomware attack at any moment.” We discuss whether governments at all levels - national or local – are doing enough to protect themselves against these types of attack, and what happens when defences are breached? Also, how can we protect our data online - top tips from our studio expert.

Keeping our data for future generations - will our archiving stand the test of time? 

IT technology journalist and new media pioneer Bill Thompson joins us to answer a listener’s question. Sam Quinn asks "having recently returned from an amazing holiday in Egypt and Jordan, and seeing the ‘data’ left from people living thousands of years ago, I’d love to hear how data from the current days, held on magnetic media will survive well into the future (given I can’t even play VHS tapes any more!)." 

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

Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World  

For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your audio. 

If you like Somewhere On Earth please do rate and review it. 

More on this week's stories: 

UK at high risk of catastrophic ransomware attack report say

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/13/uk-at-high-risk-of-catastrophic-ransomware-attack-report-says 

The Team 

Audio is by Stevie Arnoldi and Jon Cronin.

Production Manager is Liz Tuohy 

Support the show

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:

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Tackling youth unemployment in Africa and making data more accessible 

There is a huge unemployment problem among the youth in Africa, and there is a massive data research gap for companies that want to invest or have invested in the continent. A company behind an app called Rwazi is now employing more than 50,000 young people in Africa to collect data on who is buying what, for how much, from where, when, and why. The aim is to help these companies drive revenue and expansion. Our studio expert, Wairimu Gitahi, reports from Nairobi. 

SOEP SUDS

Yes, dear subscriber and follower - you have asked and we have listened. We are introducing SOEP SUDS – that's Somewhere on Earth Podcast Subscriber Unique Distinguisher number. You’ll need to be on our Facebook group, follow us on Twitter/X or email us at [email protected] 

All rules and regulations will be explained and distributed across the platforms – so think of a number and get in touch.

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

Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World

For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your audio.

If you like Somewhere On Earth rate and review it. 

More on this week's stories:

Rwazi

https://rwazi.com/ 

International Labour Organization – Youth Unemployment rates Africa

https://ilostat.ilo.org/african-youth-face-pressing-challenges-in-the-transition-from-school-to-work/ 

The Team SOEP Facebook group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co 

SOEP Twitter

https://twitter.com/SOEPTech 

Audio is by Callum Swingler, supported by Jon Cronin

Production Manager is Liz Tuohy 

Support the show

Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz

Production Manager: Liz Tuohy

Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner

For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:

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Follow us on all the socials:

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

Contact us by email: [email protected]

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

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