The Future Of

The Australian bush is unlike anywhere else on Earth. Meet the people bringing urban bushland areas back to life.  In this bonus episode, our host David speaks with Lesley van Schoubroeck, a volunteer with the Friends of Jirdarup Bushland. They talk about how the Friends are leading the restoration of the adjacent sandpit into a pristine banksia woodland – one of the few times a restoration of thi...

Just a stone's throw from Curtin is a bushland more biodiverse than Kings Park. Find out how a team of volunteers are not only conserving that bushland, but leading a daring restoration project.  In this episode, our hosts David and Celeste are joined by plant biologist and Curtin Research Fellow, Dr Michael Just. They talk about how the Friends of Jirdarup Bushland are leading the transformation...

Is plastic pollution a design flaw we can actually fix?  In this episode, David Karsten and Celeste Fourie are joined by Dr Atiq Zaman, Associate Professor at Curtin University and UN advisor, to discuss why recycling alone won't solve the plastic crisis – and what a genuinely circular system could look like. Why only 14% of Australia's plastic gets recycled [02:35] The REDcycle collapse and the m...

With oil costing more than US$100 a barrel, there’s never been a better time to go green. Meet some of the movers and shakers who are funding and fast-tracking clean energy solutions. In this episode, hosts David and Celeste are joined by Jason McFarlane and Desire Runganga from the GreenTech Hub – a Western Australian Innovation Hub that’s helping to solve global sustainability challenges through...

How can we turn climate anxiety into meaningful action and hope for the future? In this episode, David Karsten is joined by Associate Professor Jayne Bryant, Director of the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, to discuss climate anxiety, sustainability leadership and how people can move from fear to meaningful action. A journey from music to sustainability [00:58] Discovering climat...

The four-day work week sounds ideal, but is it realistic for all of us?  Seven decades ago, Australia moved from working six days a week to five. Many of us now think it’s time for an update, with the idea of a four-day work week gaining traction around the word.  A shorter work week has been shown to boost productivity and mental health, but critics argue it’s a 'white-collar fantasy' that’s unre...

You make your own decisions – right? AI is already shaping everyday choices and purchases – most often in ways we barely notice. In this episode, David and Celeste are joined by Professor Billy Sung to explore how AI influences everyday consumer decisions, what drives trust, and how humans can stay in the loop as AI becomes more embedded. What “AI” actually means (beyond ChatGPT) [01:07] How AI is...

From helping elderly people to cross the road to finding a free parking space, technology is helping to make our cities become safer and more enjoyable. But at what cost to our privacy? In this episode, David and Celeste are joined by Dr Courtney Babb, a senior lecturer in urban and regional planning at Curtin University. They explore the benefits of integrating technology in urban areas, such as...

Nearly 80% of Australian students are already using generative AI – but should they be? In this episode, Celeste Fourie and David Karsten are joined by Alex Jenkins, Director of the WA Data Science Innovation Hub to discuss the future of artificial intelligence in education.  From AI-powered tutoring to the risks of cognitive offloading, this episode examines how students and educators can collabo...

What causes some people to stutter? It's often believed that trauma or anxiety is the cause, but world-first research has found a genetic link to stuttering, allowing for life-changing early intervention. Our host David Karsten is joined by Professor Janet Beilby, an internationally renowned stuttering expert and Director of the Curtin Stuttering Treatment Clinic (CSTC). They discuss how Beilby an...

Australia is banning social media for children 16 and under – but will it actually keep them safe or only spark new problems? In this episode, hosts David Karsten and Celeste Fourie are joined by Professor Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University, to discuss Australia’s proposed ban on social media for children under 16. We explore what the Ban aims to achieve, who it will a...

Inserting microchips into human brains was once the stuff of science fiction but is now reality thanks to companies like Elon Musk’s Neuralink. But what are the pros and cons of having Musk tech inside our heads?  In this episode, our host David gets cerebral with Dr Sarah Hellewell, a Neurotrauma Research Fellow at Curtin University and the Perron Institute. Together, they unpack how human augmen...

Gender is always in motion, but is masculinity in crisis? In this episode, host David Karsten speaks with Dr Ben Rich and Todd Morley about modern masculinity, the challenges men face today, the rise of extremism and the solutions that could benefit us all. What does it mean to be a man in 2025 – and is masculinity in crisis? [00:09] Why men are falling behind: education, mental health and identit...

What do an urban designer, an electrician and Curtin University have in common? They all want to help humanity prosper. To achieve that, sustainability is key.  In this episode, our host David is joined by Professor Josh Byrne and Saf Flatters. Josh is Dean of Sustainable Futures at Curtin (he’s also well-known as a presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia ), and Saf is an electrical and energy s...

Have you ever had to take a day off work due to severe period pain? Or to manage menopause symptoms? Or to attend an IVF appointment? New research reveals it would save the Australian economy billions of dollars a year if employers offered leave specifically for reproductive health. In this episode our host David Karsten talks with the authors of the research, Dr Silvia Salazar and Dr Abebe Hailem...

Picture this: there’s an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. What exactly would we do – and who’s working behind the scenes to keep us safe? In this episode, David Karsten is joined by Associate Professor Nicholas Timms and Professor William Rickard to explore the fascinating science of planetary defence. o How a Moon rock changed a career [00:58] o Planetary defence 101 [02:32] o Space roc...

Data is the currency of the digital age, and most of us give our personal data away without realising. In this episode, host David Karsten is joined by Dr. Adam Andreotta to discuss his book, Rethinking Informed Consent in the Big Data Age .  Listen to discover how big data is reshaping our privacy and how we can protect our information in the new age of integrated technology. Dr Adam Andreotta’s...

Screens and digital technology are ubiquitous in the lives of children and parents – but what does this mean for child development? In this episode, David Karsten is joined by Dr Amber Beynon to discuss her research into the relationship between infant development, screen time and other family factors.  What we know (and don’t) about screen time and children’s development [00:58] Understanding the...

Insects pollinate 75% of all agricultural crops, yet many face extinction. Discover how a ‘Star Trek’ level tech called eDNA can monitor vital insect pollinators and support global food security.  The pollinator crisis [01:15] eDNA a gamechanger for biodiversity monitoring [03:09] Hoverfly vs honeybee in avocado pollination [05:46] Native bushland sustains agriculture [08:21] Diverse applications...

We’re at a pivotal moment in time for humanity. Are we doomed to repeat past mistakes or can Global Futures help to better shape our collective tomorrow? In this insightful episode, special host Matthew Sykes is joined by Professor Joe Siracusa, veteran historian and Inaugural Professor of Global Futures in the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University. They explore how Global Futures can help us...

The cane toads are coming. Can a simple, but clever plan stop them from fully invading Western Australia and causing catastrophic damage? Join our host David as he talks with Professor Ben Phillips about the project he's leading, the Toad Containment Zone (TCZ). A collaborative effort between community, rangers and scientists, the TCZ is the last line of defence against the cane toad invasion of W...

A new discovery brings us closer to understanding one of the world's greatest mysteries ... or does it?  In this episode, David Karsten is joined by Curtin University Research Associate Anthony Clarke and Professor Chris Kirkland, to discuss their discovery about the origins of Stonehenge’s Altar Stone and its wide-reaching implications.  What is Stonehenge and why is it so fascinating? [01:11] Th...

To unlock a more sustainable future, graphite is key. The issue: there’s a $14 billion shortage of the crucial resource on the horizon. In this episode, David Karsten is joined by Dr Jason Fogg from the Curtin Carbon Group to explore how his innovation, RapidGraphite, can turn carbon into battery-grade graphite within seconds. What is graphite and why is it important? [00:09] Pioneering a game-cha...

The world's tallest timber building, digital twinning and biophilic design. Discover how sustainable architecture is revolutionising the places we live and work in.  In this episode, David Karsten is joined by Zaid Osama, who shares insights into how buildings are being designed to reduce their environmental impact, including Perth’s ground-breaking plan that will have us rethinking the materials...

In this episode, host Sarah Taillier is joined by Dr. Hani Al-Salami and Dr. Armin Mooranian, both registered pharmacists from Curtin Medical School and CHIRI. Together, Dr Al-Salami and Dr Mooranian are leading a project to develop a prototype for faecal capsules. Such capsules offer new hope to patients battling resistant infections that don’t respond to standard therapies. • [00:25 – 01:04] How...