Episodes

  • Speaking in code online is reshaping the way we speak
    May 3 2024

    The technologies we use have long changed how we communicate. But on today's social media platforms, where content moderation is automated, people have taken to speaking in code to elude algorithmic censors. And it's changing the way we speak.

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    54 mins
  • Hitting the AI wall
    Apr 26 2024

    We've long talked about the data-driven turn in AI and how a Deep Learning approach has given us everything from image recognition, to ChatGPT. But what about the ongoing ethical questions about the kinds of data machines are learning on? And beyond that, what if we're starting to…run out of data?

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    54 mins
  • Spark presents What On Earth: "Can Earth Day be badass again?"
    Apr 22 2024

    The climate is changing. So are we. On What On Earth, you’ll explore a world of solutions with host Laura Lynch and our team of journalists. In 1970, 20 million people showed up to fight for the environment on the first Earth Day. More than five decades later, is it time for this much tamer global event to return to its radical roots?


    OG organizer Denis Hayes recounts how – amidst other counterculture movements at the time – his team persuaded roughly one in ten Americans to take to the streets. As he approaches 80, Denis offers his singular piece of advice to the next generation of climate leaders. Then, environmental warriors Maria Blancas and Axcelle Campana share ideas on what a reinspired Earth Day could look like – including making it a public holiday.


    More episodes of What On Earth are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/fHfXfjAJ


    We love to hear from our listeners and regularly feature them on the show. Have a question or idea? Email Earth@cbc.ca

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    29 mins
  • Being Human Now - Music
    Apr 19 2024

    From the earliest musical instruments to the metronome, to vocoders, auto-tune and beyond, music creation has always been a collaboration between humans and machines. But now that generative AI is shaking up songwriting, have we crossed a new threshold where the distinctively human talent for music is no longer ours alone?

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    54 mins
  • Should robots work for us or with us?
    Apr 12 2024

    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?

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    54 mins
  • Building more responsive, AI-driven infrastructure
    Apr 5 2024

    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?

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    54 mins
  • How yeast and bacteria could be key to future fashion design
    Mar 29 2024

    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.

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    54 mins
  • Being Human Now - Play
    Mar 22 2024

    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?

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    54 mins