Indigenous literature and the academy in Australia
As an academic discipline, Australian literature has been a largely white affair, with the canon of "great Australian authors" dominated by Anglo-European men. Indigenous writers are working to change this, and Australian indigenous literature is flourishing. But how comfortably does it sit within the traditional university structure?
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Albert Camus, fascism and America
Living and writing through the years before, during and after the Second World War, French author and philosopher Albert Camus witnessed the rise of fascism and its terrible endgame in German National Socialism. Today, amid fears of a neo-fascist resurgence in the USA, his work well is worth revisiting.
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What beauty apps are doing to us
Beauty apps are becoming more and more miraculously high-tech, but also more and more invasive. You might feel OK about an app that gives your face a "beauty rating", but what if the app started to recommend cosmetic surgery procedures? Or how about a selfie enhancement app that doesn't just get rid of minor skin blemishes, but actually alters the shape of your face to suit and algorithmically determined ideal?
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Are babies conscious?
Babies cry, smile, laugh and react to their environment - so it seems odd to look at a baby and wonder whether or not it's conscious. But consciousness is a tricky thing to pin down, and according to some theories of consciousness, babies don't attain it until two or even three years of age, while others suggest that babies could be conscious even in the womb. It's an important scientific question but also a moral one, as it affects how we treat not only babies but other such "consciousness candidates" as non-human animals, AI and synthetic biological systems.
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How AI could transform reading
If there's one thing AI has in common with all new technology, it's that a lot of people are scared of it. When it comes to AI and education, horror stories abound of students using ChatGPT to write their essays, and a possible future where teachers are replaced by bots. But according to this week's guest, there's much to be excited about.
The simplest questions often have the most complex answers. The Philosopher's Zone is your guide through the strange thickets of logic, metaphysics and ethics.
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