Flow Batteries, windships, and a new approach to off-grid solar
They're cheaper and safer than their lithium counterparts, they're easier to scale-up, and they can hold power for much longer than conventional batteries, so why aren't flow batteries better known? The technology has been under development for decades, but enthusiasts now say they're finding their place in the sun. Also, why more and more cargo companies are turning to wind-power; and do developing countries need to rethink their approach to off-grid power.GuestsEmeritus Professor Maria Skyllas-Kazacos — School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, University of New South WalesEmily Mahoney — Researcher, Malapit Lab, Northwestern University (US)Adjunct Associate Professor Jens Noack — Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of QueenslandAssociate Prof Paul Munro — Associate Professor in Human Geography, The Environment and Society Group, University of New South WalesGavin Allwright — Secretary General, International Windship Association
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Modern museums, accountability, and openness
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is opening-up its storeroom, turning the back end of the operation into a public resource. It's about attracting new patrons, but it's also about accountability, the Museum's managers have declared. Across the Western world museums are having to reexamine their mission and redefine the relationship they have with the public they're meant to serve. We explore why and how. We also look at the balance that's being struck between the physical artefact and its digital equivalent.GuestsTim Reeve — Deputy Director, Victorian and Albert Museum, LondonDan Hicks — Professor of Contemporary Archaeology, Oxford UniversityKarin de Wild — Assistant Professor in Contemporary Museum and Collection Studies, Leiden University (The Netherlands)Kylie Message-Jones — Professor of Public Humanities, ANU Humanities Research Centre
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Nuclear tombs and the distant discourse of danger
A series of massive underground tombs for nuclear waste are currently under construction. They've taken decades to plan and build and they're designed to house the world's nuclear waste for millennia to come. So where are they being built? How safe will they be? And how to devise a toxic waste warning sign that will make sense to people living tens of thousands of years from now?Also, the latest research on how climate change is beginning to impact on internal migration within countries.GuestsMark Piesing — a UK-based freelance journalistDr Shastra Deo — Nuclear semiotics expert and author, School of Communication and Arts, University of QueenslandProfessor Raya Muttarak — Professor of Demography, University of Bologna (Italy)Lisa — a climate-concerned resident of South-east QueenslandFurther informationMark Piesing's article: How to build a nuclear tomb to last millennia
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The danger of generational labelling
Terms like "Gen Z", "Boomer" and "Millennial" are popular, but they have no basis in science. Demographers and social scientists are now pushing back. Generational labelling, they argue, is akin to Astrology and while politicians, journalists and media influencers find them irresistible, they actually promote pseudo-science, sew social division and can reinforce prejudicial stereotypes. So why are generational labels so popular?GuestsProfessor Bobby Duffy — Director of the Policy Institute, King's College London. Author of The Generation Myth.Professor Philip Coen — Professor of Sociology, University of MarylandProfessor Crystal Abidin — digital anthropologist and ethnographer of vernacular internet cultures, Curtin UniversityProfessor David Costanza — Professor of Commerce, University of VirginiaFurther informationPhilip Coen’s open letter to Pew Research Center on generation labels Pew Research Center's response
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Could Utopian thinking save democracy?
Why does Utopian thinking get such a bad rap? It’s often derided as delusional and dangerous. But what if that stereotype is designed to limit our imagination and choices? We hear often that people are tired of democracy and turned off by short-term political thinking. So, is it time to be much more adventurous and ambitious – dare we say utopian – in our imagining of the future? GuestsProfessor William Paris – Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto Professor Barbara Prainsack – Professor for Comparative Policy Analysis, University of Vienna Professor Anna Abraham – Director of the Torrance Centre for Creativity and Talent Development
Australia