Spark

(This episode first aired in December 2020, and has been updated to reflect that.) As we interact more - and more often - with our digital technologies, those interactions tell us a lot about who we are. How we can analyze behaviour on social media for mental health insights. And, taking cues from early childhood development and behavioural observation to build and train better robots.

(This episode first aired in November 2020, and has been updated to reflect that.) For all the good they give us, our personal tech has also become a major time suck. Between work from home and doom-scrolling through social media, are we wasting time, or is this the "new normal" for spending it? And if we are going to be spending this much time online, can we improve online public spaces with better design?

Whether it be via carrier pigeon, smoke signal, telegram or text message, humans have corresponded in some way since they first walked upright. On the 50th anniversary of the first internet email, we look at how the act and art of letter writing has evolved — and where it might go.

The death of email has been predicted for a long time. Yet, it's still with us. Will e-mail ever be replaced? Productivity expert David Heinemeier Hansson, the co-founder and CTO of Basecamp, talks about his love/hate relationship to email, and its future.

Can the way the ancient Greeks and Romans corresponded inform how we communicate today? Antonia Sarri is a researcher in the department of ancient history and archeology at the University of Manchester, and an expert on Greco-Roman letter writing.

Technology allows us to predict most disasters, so why are we still so unprepared for them? How machine learning and social media response can help shape future disaster response.

It's no secret our devices are designed to become useless, forcing us to upgrade whether we want to or not. But where did the idea of planned obsolescence come from, and does it have any benefits? This week, we examine obsolescence: its history, how it manifests today, and the ethics of creating disposable devices in a future of scarcity.

(This episode first aired in September 2020, and has been updated to reflect that.) The human brain is always changing, and that constant state of flux helps us adapt to our ever-changing world. What would happen if we built our technologies and economic systems so that they function like our brains?

Is your head spinning from all the new services on social media? We've got your back. From de-platforming the former US President to the rise of new audio-based platforms like Clubhouse, to niche social media that appeal to online extremists, tech commentators Navneet Alang and Takara Small fill us in. Plus human geographer Mark Whitehead shares the somewhat surprising reasons most people quit Facebook.

From walls to WhatsApp, privacy is a collective responsibility, says Carissa Véliz, who researches the relationship between power and privacy. And, we take a historical look at privacy and its connection to technological change, with David Vincent.

Throughout the pandemic much of our shopping has switched to online, which means retailers can gather a lot of data about us newly online shoppers. What are the ethics of getting — and using — that data? And if 'data is the new oil,' do retailers even want us to go back to the store?

When genuine disruption happens, it can create chaos, but it eventually becomes the new normal. What does the pandemic have to teach us about tech and education? And, understanding the long-term trajectory of disruption.