Future Tense

ABC
  • 4.4 (61)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

A critical look at new technologies, new approaches and new ways of thinking, from politics to media to environmental sustainability.

  1. 4D AGO

    Building a new social contract 

    There’s a growing public sense that the current model of the social contract is broken, due in large part to rising inequality and the pursuit of profit over social progress. The “social contract” defines the relationship between citizens, their government and business. Its modern form emerged after WWII and, in western democracies, was largely structured around the principles of the welfare state. It’s about equity, order and trust. So, does the essence of the social contract still have value? And if so, how can it make fit for purpose in the 21st century?  Original broadcast on January 28. 2024. Guests Professor Sandra Sucher – Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School  Dave Cook – Department of Anthropology, University College London  Aron Cramer – President and CEO, BSR – Business for Social Responsibility  Professor Marc Fleurbaey – Paris School of Economics  Further information IPSP - International Panel on Social Progress report

    29 min

  2. DEC 18

    Whatever happened to...?

    Sometimes, despite the hype, despite extensive funding, and despite clever and ingenious thinking, good ideas fail. Or at least don’t live up to their initial promise. There are lessons to be learnt and interesting anecdotes to be told. In this episode we look at four future-focused projects that have never really taken off: Google Glass, solar roads, space tourism and hyperloop technology.  Original broadcast on November 24, 2024. Guests Dr Paul Sutter – Astrophysicist, SUNY Stony Brook and the Flatiron Institute, New York  Sarah Marquart – freelance journalist, editor of From Quarks to Quasars Andrew Hawkins – Transportation editor, The Verge  Quinn Myers – Chicago-based journalist and author 'Google Glass'

    29 min

  3. DEC 11

    A Future Tense retrospective 

    This is the program’s final episode and, as such, we look back over the past 17 years. What did the future look like back in 2009 when the show first aired? What have been the major trends during that time? Which predictions came to fruition and which didn’t? And what cautions do our guests have as we look ahead?  Guests Mica Sifry – US-based writer and editor  Neema Singh Guliani – lawyer and policy expert  Cory Doctorow – Canadian-British blogger, journalist and sci-fi author   Professor Michael Mann – climatologist and geophysicist  Associate Professor James Dyke - Earth Systems Science, University of Exeter   Assistant Professor Sven Brodmerkel – Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University  Professor Quassim Cassam – Department of Philosophy, University of Warwick  Associate Professor Laura D’Olimpio – School of Education, University of Birmingham  Effy – chatbot user  Professor Frank Pasquale – Cornell Tech and Cornell Law School

    29 min

  4. DEC 4

    Is AI really taking over the internet?

    How many of the articles you see on the internet are actually written by AI, not by humans? We'll give you a figure based on the latest research. Also, why is Google moving away from its well-established search-engine algorithm in favour of AI-generated summaries; The importance of remembering that urban planning isn't just about buildings, it's about people and spaces; And how digital technology is opening up a new relationship between humans and animals. Guests Megan Morrone – Tech editor, Axios  Dr Collin Jennings – academic and author  David George Holm – architect and author  Dr David Roberts - Associate Professor of Computer Science, North Carolina State University  Sari – the most adorable, black cat

    29 min

  5. NOV 27

    A tale of two futuristic cities

    Designing a futuristic city is a fraught task — a mixture of ambition, state of the art technology, inevitable budget blowouts and the need to not just inspire, but awe. We get an update on the progress of two mega metropolises — Xiongan in China and Neom in Saudi Arabia. Also, how a better understanding of the brain can help deter future conflicts. Guests Dr Andrew Stokols — Assistant Professor of Urban Studies, Singapore Management University Eliot Brown — London-based reporter, Wall Street Journal Dr Nicholas Wright — Neuroscientist, University College London and Georgetown University

    29 min

  6. NOV 20

    Ancient viruses, new threats

    The global Covid 19 lockdown may seem like an eternity ago, but the threat of another full-scale pandemic has never resided.  Scientists warn that as the Arctic permafrost continues to melt ancient viruses and bacteria are gradually being freed from the ice. The risks are significant, but researchers are working to identify potential threats and better prepare the world for future pandemics. Uppermost in many minds is the need to ensure future global cooperation in the event of another zoonotic outbreak.  Original broadcast on March 26, 2023. Guests Dr Christine Prat – Director of Operations, European Virus Archive  Dr Jean-Michel Claverie – Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Aix-Marseille University  Dr Aaron Bernstein – Director, The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

    29 min

  7. NOV 13

    Microplastic removal and decarbonising cement

    Negotiations over a global treaty on microplastics have broken down. So, where to from here for one of the world's biggest environmental threats? We also get an update on new efforts to clean-up the cement production industry; and we look at AI chatbots and the increasing role they're playing as sources of advice and emotional support. Guests Dr Pratik Sachdeva — Senior Data Scientist, D-Lab, University of California, Berkeley Dr Shababa Selim — Senior Technology Analyst, IDTechEX Professor Paul Fennell — Professor of Clean Energy, Imperial College London Professor Jill Newby — Clinical psychologist, The Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales

    29 min

  8. NOV 6

    Learning how to learn in the age of generative AI

    It's exactly three years since ChatGPT burst onto the scene. In that short period of time the process of academic assessment has been in upheaval. Across the world educators are trying to address how students should be assessed and whether AI can be used for more than just helping a student to cheat. But a growing number of education researchers say the real emphasis should be on promoting critical thinking and ensuring future students learn how to learn. Guests Professor Dragan Gasevic — Head of the Centre for Learning Analytics, Monash University Professor Neil Selwyn — School of Education, Culture and Society, Monash University Professor Rupert Wegerif — Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge Professor Phillip Dawson — Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Deakin University

    29 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.4
out of 5
61 Ratings

About

A critical look at new technologies, new approaches and new ways of thinking, from politics to media to environmental sustainability.

Information

  • Creator
    ABC
  • Years Active
    2009 - 2025
  • Episodes
    546
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
  • Show Website
    Future Tense

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