Think: Digital Futures

UTS Professor Michael Blumenstein is someone we've had on the show a bit, helping us explain big data, new data, weird data and much else. On this week's show we dedicate the entire half hour to a chat with Prof Blumenstein, to get a more in depth look at the current state of data science and what will happen as chips get imbedded in more and more things.

Analytics and "Big Data" are becoming ever more prevalent, as new technology brings down costs and statistics is brought to bear in new and interesting ways. But technology isn't just making it easier to crunch the numbers, it's also allowing us to capture data on things we never could before.

Technology has always been a part of fashion -- scissors and sewing machines are a good example. But recent technological revolutions haven't been mirrored with revolutions in fashion -- computers and the internet have largely made fashion more efficient, rather than changing what it looks like or does. But new tools, ideas and norms are changing this. We might be on the cusp of something rather different.

When you think about big data, you're probably imagining something high tech. But when it comes to science, big data sets doesn't always look like this. Some researchers have cobbled together old data from the most disparate sources -- journals, ledgers, old computers etc., allowing them to do more with the data from their modern sensors and techniques.

Our devices are everywhere and we use them for everything. This opens up new opportunities for abusers to control and spy on their partners.

But it's also an opportunity for victims, shelters and other services; who are building their own apps and tools.

Analogue is exploding. More vinyl records were sold this year than we've seen since 1980s. It's so big, manufacturers can't keep up. But in a world of smartphones, downloading and streaming, why is this happening?

For a long time our ability to design complex structures was stunted. Bridges, buildings; they all looked the same. We didn't know why what we were doing was working, so we were doomed to repeat it. But advances in mathematics changed all that, allowing us to build marvels like the Golden Gate and Sydney Harbour bridges. Nowadays, computers are doing this all over again.

When it comes to online games; graphics or gameplay mechanics or story are important, but the people more so. In this episode we take a look at the human side of online games. Why are they so rife for relationships and communities?

Australia has spent an extraordinary amount on technology. Just think of all the smart boards and laptops and desktops and tablets and whatever else.

Australia now has one of the highest levels of technology use in education in the world.

But is this the right approach? How are we faring, training a generation that will be defined by technology?

When you talk to people making blockchains, it's all about trust. Blockchains are a way of creating trust between strangers, through code. We take a look at how this manifests in the real world.