26 episodes

Spark on CBC Radio One Nora Young helps you navigate your digital life by connecting you to fresh ideas in surprising ways.

Spark CBC Discover & Learn

    • Technology
    • 4.7 • 661 Ratings

Spark on CBC Radio One Nora Young helps you navigate your digital life by connecting you to fresh ideas in surprising ways.

    Should robots work for us or with us?

    Should robots work for us or with us?

    Strides in AI software are finding their way into physical robots. It's promising a new era of human-robot interaction, where robots can assist us, respond to our needs and to cues in the environment. Question is: are we ready for robots among us?

    • 54 min
    Building more responsive, AI-driven infrastructure

    Building more responsive, AI-driven infrastructure

    Like most of us, you probably only think about infrastructure when it doesn't work: the power goes off, the roads flood. But in the face of climate change and the increasing energy demands of our digital tech, how can we rethink what infrastructure looks like to meet our future needs?

    • 54 min
    How yeast and bacteria could be key to future fashion design

    How yeast and bacteria could be key to future fashion design

    One of civilization's oldest technologies, textiles have long been linked to money, power, and politics. Now, researchers are looking to produce novel, more sustainable textiles using organisms like yeast, fungus, and bacteria.

    • 54 min
    Being Human Now - Play

    Being Human Now - Play

    What does play mean in a digital age, when so much happens on our all-consuming phones, and tech erases the boundaries between work and play?

    • 54 min
    Can we put a watermark on reality?

    Can we put a watermark on reality?

    In an age of misinformation and generative AI, how do we know if anything we read or hear is even real anymore? From the latest trends in internet search to watermarking images to (re)establishing trust in journalism, we examine the role of proof in a post-truth world.

    • 54 min
    Predicting problems before they happen

    Predicting problems before they happen

    Digital twin technology is growing rapidly across multiple industries. From race cars to the human heart to the entire country of Canada, a look at how these virtual replicas use real-time data to model and predict the future.

    • 54 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
661 Ratings

661 Ratings

markii_swiss ,

One of the best shows about new tech and innovation

I’m always learning new things - and leave with a book recommendation or two. Nora Young is one of the best interviewers. Just a great show.

Michael MacGillivray ,

🚙 CenturyAuto.ca 🚙 ❤️ Spark! ⚡️

Great listen always😄

Geoelh ,

The way it’s done

Spark is CBC at it’s best, and it used to be more like this. Cracking and insightful, entertaining and well paced. Nora is one of our broadcasting treasures.

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