FutureProofing

Series examining the implications - social and cultural, economic and political - of the big ideas that are set to transform the way society functions

Radio 4,36 episodes

Episodes

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Can Civility Survive?
Mathematician Hannah Fry and guests look at whether civility can survive in the modern age
10 Sep 2014,43 mins
The Immortality of the Crab
To be human is to seek immortality. Tom Shakespeare daydreams about everlasting life.
17 Sep 2014,43 mins
The Singularity
What happens if we reach the singularity, the day when machines match human intelligence?
24 Sep 2014,43 mins
The Descent of Man
Writer Michael Smith explores the uncertain future of masculinity.
01 Oct 2014,43 mins
No End of Pleasure
How will humans experience pleasure in the future? With AL Kennedy and Will Self.
08 Oct 2014,43 mins
Life
Will biotechnology transform how we understand and control life itself?
12 Aug 2015,43 mins
Identity
How will people answer the question 'Who am I?' in the future?
19 Aug 2015,43 mins
The Blockchain
How could new technology change the nature of money and the role of government?
26 Aug 2015,43 mins
Food
How technology - and two billion extra mouths to feed - will change our food in future.
02 Sep 2015,43 mins
Ownership
Does the growth of the sharing economy mean ownership is over?
09 Sep 2015,43 mins
Mobility
How will we move from place to place in future? Will speed and freedom always be the goal?
16 Sep 2015,43 mins
Ageing
How will our ideas about ageing change as life expectancy rises to 100 and beyond?
27 Apr 2016,43 mins
Crime
Who will be on top in the world of future crime - the cops or the criminals?
04 May 2016,43 mins
Energy
If new energy sources offer cheap, plentiful power to everyone, how will the planet cope?
11 May 2016,43 mins
Memory
What happens to us when we can create and manipulate our memories artificially?
18 May 2016,43 mins
Language
Will technology make language barriers obsolete?
25 May 2016,43 mins
The Future of War
Will robots be the future of war? And how would warfare change if they were?
01 Jun 2016,43 mins
Intimacy
Will intimacy survive the challenges it faces in the 21st century?
28 Dec 2016,43 mins
Work
What really changes in our society when machines do most of the work?
04 Jan 2017,43 mins
Cities
How city living could be transformed by the digital revolution.
11 Jan 2017,43 mins
Art
Will art survive the technological and social change of the 21st century?
18 Jan 2017,43 mins
Sport
Is there a future for sport in the digital age?
25 Jan 2017,43 mins
The Future of the Future
How does the accelerating pace of technology change the way we think about the future?
03 May 2017,43 mins
Living in Space
What will it be like to colonise space? What are the implications for humanity if we do?
10 May 2017,43 mins
Healthcare
How will technology transform healthcare in the 21st century?
17 May 2017,43 mins
Wealth
FutureProofing discovers what will be the secrets to achieving wealth in future.
24 May 2017,43 mins
Small
Discover how small things look set to shape the future in increasingly significant ways.
31 May 2017,43 mins
Sin
Will sin disappear in future, as technology enables us to stop sinning before we act?
07 Jun 2017,43 mins
Faith
Does science now challenge religion to destruction, and what happens to faith in future?
02 May 2018,43 mins
Animals
When we properly understand animals, how much will our relationship with them change?
09 May 2018,43 mins