Future Tense

Privatising public services like trains, hospitals or prisons — is a proven vote loser. But governments of both the left and right continue to privatise — when it suits them. And it suits them, it seems, when large sums of money are needed to pay down debt, or when a government seeks to off load risk and liability to the private sector. So, what conditions should be applied to ensure that privatisations truly serve the public interest and don't simply decrease competition?GuestsOwen Hayford — Strategic legal and commercial adviser, InfralegalNino Bucci — Justice and Courts Reporter, The GuardianRichard Denniss — economist and public policy commentatorProfessor Graeme Samuel — Monash University Business SchoolBenjamin Goodair – Senior post-doctoral researcher, Oxford Universty 

Authoritarians rule through fear. We can clearly see that from China to the Middle East to eastern Europe. But why do we constantly overlook the way in which fear also shapes democratic societies? It's fueling populism and distorting our future focus. Then there's anger. It's inspired generations to man the barricades and right society's wrongs. But anger is increasingly becoming a driver of commerce. There's billions to be made in getting you riled up and keeping you that way. Fear fuels anger, and anger blinds you to recognise that your fear might be misguided. A truly vicious cycle.GuestsErika Ferszt – Owner, founder and lead-consultant, Scintillate Brand ConsultingProfessor Jennifer Lerner – Public Policy, Management and Decision Science, Harvard UniversityProfessor Robert Peckham – historian and Fellow at the Royal Historical Society, LondonMargot Faraci – Global leadership expertFurther informationRobert Peckham – Fear: An Alternative History of the World Margot Faraci - Love Leadership Survey

Algorithmic feeds are meant to personalise our online experiences, but increasingly they're flattening our culture and fostering a dull conformity, according to best-selling author Kyle Chayka. And the influence they exert on our lives is increasingly physical not just digital. Also, data scientist Gloria Mark who has crunched the numbers on how our attention spans have fared over the past decade or so. If you can keep focused, you might find it fascinating.GuestsProfessor Gloria Mark – data scientist and psychologist, Department of Informatics, University of California, IrvineKyle Chayka – author and contributing writer for The New YorkerFurther informationGloria Mark - Attention Span: A Ground Breaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity Kyle Chayka – Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture 

In our uber-connected world, the development and management of really anything is becoming increasingly complex. Planning for the future has to involve more than just grand ambitions, it also needs to be alert to unintended consequences. Otherwise things you didn't even dream about will go wrong and that can prove enormously costly. Part of the solution is to think past the immediate and adopt a systematic approach to thinking.GuestsDr Edward Crawley – Ford Professor of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Dr Isabel Sebastian – Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology SydneyGavin Maguire – Global Energy Transition Columnist, Reuters NewsNicola Twilley – Writer and podcaster, author of the forthcoming book "The Birth of Cool"