Mark Zuckerberg shares his vision of the metaverse
Mike and Josh discuss the as-yet unrealised ‘dream’ of the metaverse, its implications, and whether it will prove popular with everyday consumers.
23 May 2022
The murky world of NFTs
NFTs from the Bored Ape Yacht Club.
What are NFTs, why are they important, and what use could they be put to in the future? Tune in to find out!
11 Dec 2020
Workplace surveillance
In this podcast, Mike and Josh debate the increasing use of workplace surveillance, with productivity tools and even web cams now used to monitor the activity of staff. Is it just an inevitable consequence of rationalism? Tune in to find out!
1 Sept 2020
Hawk Eye and the problem of functional autonomy
Is it ever ok to blame a machine for a human failing? In this episode, Mike and Josh talk about the Hawk Eye controversy in the football Premiere League, and the different ways that technology can be put to use.
Related podcasts
* Autonomous vehicles (https://inthezonepodcast.com/autonomous-vehicles/)* The ethics of autonomous vehicles (https://inthezonepodcast.com/the-ethics-of-autonomous-vehicles/)* The Moral Machine (https://inthezonepodcast.com/moral-machine/)* Football and identity (https://inthezonepodcast.com/football-and-identity/)
Useful links
* Hawk-Eye apologises after goalline technology error denies Sheffield United (BBC News) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53086360)
18 Aug 2020
Snow Crash and the virtual world
In this episode, Mike and Josh talk about Snow Crash (1992) by Neal Stephenson. In the novel, the author presents the concept of the ‘Metaverse’ – a utopian vision of a collective virtual world. But is such a world even possible? Download the latest episode of the In The Zone podcast to find out!
Useful links
* Snow Crash (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash)* Neal Stephenson, author website (http://www.nealstephenson.com/)
4 Aug 2020
Coronavirus, ecofascism and social change
In this podcast, Mike and Josh talk about the dangers of ecofascism, and those unscrupulous individuals using coronavirus as a means to justify fascist ideologies. The global lockdown will surely bring about social change, but what sort of world do we want to create?
21 Jul 2020
AI content creators and the future of news
It’s official: AI products such as GPT2 can now produce content of a quality such that it appears to have been produced by a human being. In this podcast, Mike and Josh reflect on the implications of this development, and where AI content creators may take us next.
Related podcasts
* Ghostwriting, AI and the future of essay mills (https://inthezonepodcast.com/ghostwriting-ai-essay-mills/)
Useful links
* How to Build OpenAI’s GPT-2: “The AI That Was Too Dangerous to Release” (Floydhub blog) (https://blog.floydhub.com/gpt2/)* How Do You Grade a GPT-2 Generated Term Paper? (Towards Data Science blog) (https://towardsdatascience.com/how-do-you-grade-a-gpt-2-generated-term-paper-fcfcd86b384)* Better Language Models (OpenAI) (https://openai.com/blog/better-language-models/)
7 Jul 2020
Working in the home
Mike and Josh are joined by Dr Emily Cox-Palmer-White to discuss a new research project she’s working on around the concept of domestic labour and the distribution of work in the household.
About Emily
Dr Emily Cox-Palmer-White is a researcher in sci-fi, gender and philosophy. Her blog can be found at: https://dremilycoxpalmerwhite.wordpress.com/ (https://dremilycoxpalmerwhite.wordpress.com/)
Working in the Home
Housework, childcare, managing a household and maintaining a pleasant environment are all crucial jobs which are often not talked about or even acknowledged as ‘work’.
The Working in the Home (http://www.workinginthehome.com/) research project is open to anyone to share their stories of work in the household, so no matter what your living arrangements, please take a few minutes to share your story on the Working in the Home website.
Useful links
* Working in the Home (website) (http://www.workinginthehome.com/)* Share your story of domestic labour (https://lancasteruni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_892JuC7VLIetWCh)* Emily’s blog (https://dremilycoxpalmerwhite.wordpress.com/)
23 Jun 2020
What makes a robot ‘female’?
Why do we so often assign genders to robots? And why are ‘male’ robots often depicted as being different to their ‘female’ counterparts? In this episode, Mike and Josh are joined by Dr Emily Cox-Palmer-White to discuss her research on female androids, also known as ‘gynoids’, and the different ways they are depicted in fiction and wider society.
About Emily
Dr Emily Cox-Palmer-White is a researcher in sci-fi, gender and philosophy.
Useful links
* Emily’s blog (https://dremilycoxpalmerwhite.wordpress.com/)* Gender and AI (podcast) (https://inthezonepodcast.com/gender-ai-digital-assistants/)
9 Jun 2020
Dog breeding and dangerous dogs
Is there really such a thing as a ‘dangerous dog’? In this episode, Mike and Josh are joined by Kate Milroy to discuss this contentious issue, and the way owners treat their pets. Should a dog ever be put down because it’s considered ‘dangerous’? Tune in to find out!
Useful links
* Kate Milroy’s website (http://www.katemilroy.vet/)* Breed Specific Legislation (RSPCA) (https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/bsl)* What happens to banned dogs? (RSPCA) (https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/bsl/whathappens)* How does the Dangerous Dogs Act affect my dog? (RSPCA) (https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/bsl/dda)
26 May 2020
The marketisation of Higher Education, and the impact of Covid-19
In this podcast, Mike and Josh discuss the marketisation of Higher Education, and the potential impact and ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic. Should universities be given special status? Should they warrant bailout funding from the government? Tune in to find out what Mike and Josh have to say…
12 May 2020
The secret lives of vets
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a vet? In this episode, Mike and Josh are joined by Kate Milroy to discuss the secret lives of vets, and what it’s really like working with animals.
Useful links
* Kate Milroy’s website (http://www.katemilroy.vet/)
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