Join surgeon Grant Stewart, computer scientist Mateja Jamnik, and radiologist Evis Sala as they unravel the fascinating intersection of cancer treatment and artificial intelligence. They discuss how AI enhances early diagnosis and treatment, highlighting innovative virtual biopsies. Discover intriguing cancer facts and the groundbreaking WIRE clinical trial that evaluates drug effectiveness in the crucial month following diagnosis. Tune in for insights blending medicine, technology, and even a touch of art!

In this insightful discussion, molecular biologist Stephen Baker, virologist Ian Goodfellow, and infectious disease epidemiologist Caroline Trotter tackle the urgent crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). They explore how the misuse of antimicrobials has accelerated the evolution of resistant pathogens. The guests highlight lessons learned from past pandemics, the complexities of vaccine development, and the critical need for global collaboration to combat future health threats. The conversation also delves into the impact of climate change on infectious disease spread.

In this engaging discussion, clinical neuropsychologist Barbara Sahakian, sociologist Richard Milne, and neurologist James Rowe dive into the complexities of dementia. They explore surprising risk factors, the role of lifestyle changes in prevention, and the ethical challenges in diagnosing dementia. Discover how early detection methods can aid in treatment and learn about innovative approaches, such as computer games, that could improve cognitive health. The conversation highlights the personal and societal impacts of dementia, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in brain health.

Experts discuss the rise in mental health disorders among young people, pandemic impact on mental wellness, portrayal of mental illness in video games, importance of physical activity for mental well-being, and innovative collaborations using VR technology for mental health interventions.

Sadaf Farooqi, a leading obesity researcher, Theresa Marteau, a behavioral psychology expert, and geographer Thomas Burgoine dive into the complex interplay of genes and environment in shaping our eating behaviors. They discuss how cultural cues and socioeconomic factors influence obesity rates, highlighting the challenges of accessing healthier foods. The guests explain the paradox of food pricing and the effectiveness of local community initiatives, revealing that our environment often trumps awareness in driving food choices.

Season 3 is here, and we’re back discussing all things Health! Welcome (or welcome back) to Mind Over Chatter, the Cambridge University Podcast. One series at a time, we break down complex issues into simple questions. In this third series, we’re talking all about Health. We’ll be exploring both physical and mental health, and we’ll discuss causes, treatments and preventions for issues like dementia, cancer, infectious diseases and obesity. We’re going to be talking to interesting people from all over the University of Cambridge, including geographers, surgeons, computer scientists, molecular microbiologists, sociologists… and many more!  We’ll cover everything from infectious diseases and how we can use vaccines to prevent them, to Tinder for bacteria; from artificial intelligence helping us tackle cancer, to Grandpa JPEG and all the Little Pixels, from adolescent mental health and eating disorders to Senua, the Pict warrior hero of the blockbuster video game Hellblade; from obesity and the gene-environment debate, to how a room full of Twixes is like a room full of Borg (resistance is futile); and from dementia and new approaches to its diagnosis and treatment, to “Tau Tangles” - the new brand of Greek noodle.Please take our survey!How did you find us? What do you like about Mind Over Chatter? We want to know. So we put together this survey https://forms.gle/r9CfHpJVUEWrxoyx9. If you could please take a few minutes to fill it out, it would be a big help. 

In April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, close to 1.6 billion children and youth were out of school due to temporary closures, representing more than 90% of students around the world, according to the United Nations. In this episode, we take an international perspective with our guests Arif Naveed, Aya Waller-Bey, and Sara Allen. We discuss the double-edged sword of education systems around the world, for example, the US and Pakistan: how education both preserves inequality and how it can help us to overcome inequality. Arif Naveed explores how the underlying social hierarchy that shapes day-to-day living also impacts the economic outcomes of schooling. Aya Waller-Bey talks about quality as opposed to simple access to education. Access depends on deep structural factors that mean opportunity is not equally distributed. Sara Allan gets us thinking about changing the way that institutions organise instruction and the role of the teacher. Would more of a student-centered approach improve access and inclusion in schools?This episode was produced by Nick Saffell, Lucy Allen, and Rachel Gardner Dalton. Timestamps[00:00]- Introductions[02:50]- What does access to education actually mean? [03:50]- Access depends on deep structural factors that mean opportunity is not equally distributed[04:50]- What are the long-standing, institutional barriers to equitable distribution of resources?[07.35]- What does access to education look like in the Global South?[08:20]- The economic outcomes of schooling[11:05]- Does access mean inclusion?  [13:15]- Access for who? Who has access to what? [14:25]- The importance of social relationships between students and teachers at schools [14:55]- Can we design schools to be student-centered?[17:10]- Where are we now..? Is it possible to improve learning at scale, but also learn from experience at the local level?  [22:05]- Are we at a moment of reckoning. Who is the education system set up to serve? [25:10]- The justification for investment in education has predominantly been through its economic returns[27:05]- The return on investment and student loan debt[30:15]- How do we fund education going forward? [38:45]- The value of social capital at the institutional level?[41:15]- Where does cultural capital fit into the puzzle? [43:50]- How do you define success for yourself? How much do students value their own identities? [45:00]- Can institutions become more student-centered?  [45:35]- Social hierarchies and critical race theory[47:50]- OutroGuest Bios: Aya M. Waller-Bey (@Aya__Marie) is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of Michigan. Her current research examines the identity narration of Black students in college personal statements when applying to predominantly white institutions. In 2015, she was awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to the University of Cambridge. Aya has shared her insights on postsecondary access, diversity, and inclusion in op-eds in the Huffington Post UK, University World News, the Hechinger Report, the 2016 White House Summit for Advancing Postsecondary Diversity and Inclusion, and as a panelist at SXSW Education in Austin, Texas. Dr Muhammed Arif Naveed (@arif_naveed) is a lecturer at the Department of Education, University of Bath. Arif has had a tremendous impact on education in Pakistan as one of the lead designers of education reforms in Punjab. These ground-breaking policies specifically target the poorest, marginalised communities and girls and are revolutionising access to education in the region. His research focuses on the expansion of mass schooling in the Global South and its implications for social stratification and economic inequality. In 2014, Arif was awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to the University of Cambridge.Sara Allan, (@Sara_Allan) director of Early Learning and Pathways, Gates Foundation. Sara oversees efforts to increase the quality of pre-K systems and programs and to ensure that students effectively transition between Pre-K and K-12 systems, the K-12 system and the Postsecondary levels, and between education after high school and the workforce. Most recently, she led the development and implementation of program strategies targeted at improving the college and career readiness of U.S. students. Previously, Sara spent six years as a district-level leader at Portland Public Schools, where she led reform initiatives including restructuring the portfolio of schools, redesign of core human capital processes and systems, the development of school results frameworks, and directed resource allocation strategy, research, evaluation, data policy & analysis. 

Our reproductive capabilities are changing in exciting ways, altering our fundamental understanding of fertility, reproduction, and even parenthood. In this episode, we asked our guests what the consequences of novel reproductive technologies are likely to be, and how they will impact the future of human reproduction. Alice Reid told us about how reproduction has changed over the last 200 years and the likely demographic impact of assisted reproduction, while Lucy Van de Wiel introduced the important ways in which reproductive technologies must be considered in the context of wide social and political issues. Thorsten Boroviak shared his exciting and cutting-edge research on developing new reproductive technologies. We cover topics ranging from egg-freezing, so-called ‘three-parent-babies, and the importance of studying the embryonic development of primates.This episode was produced by Nick Saffell, James Dolan and Naomi Clements-Brod. Annie Thwaite and Charlotte Zemmel provide crucial research and production support for Series 2.Please take our survey. How did you find us? Do you want more Mind Over Chatter in your life? Less? We want to know. So we put together this survey https://forms.gle/r9CfHpJVUEWrxoyx9. If you could please take a few minutes to fill it out, it would be a big help. Timestamps[0:00]- introductions[2:10]- change of human reproduction over the last 200 years[3:05]- the Demographic Transition[4:00]- importance of changing ideas in family planning[5:01]- introduction to egg freezing[5:45]- egg freezing and changing meaning of what it means to be ‘fertile’[6:24]- who is freezing their eggs?[9:10]- ability to get pregnant versus quality of eggs[9:59]- societal and demographic impacts of egg freezing[10:19]- egg freezing and inequality: who gets to use this technology?[11:24]- impact of gender equity in the workplace and the home[12:05]- higher levels of gender equity can produce higher levels of fertility[12:57]-beginning of first breakout[20:17]- the importance of research in embryonic development of primates [21:09]- introduction to single-cell transcriptomics[22:10]- impact of embryonic research on fertility treatments[22:24]- Induced pluripotent cells and taking cells ‘back in time’[23:19]- generating eggs and sperms from any human cell[24:02]- can a man produce an egg?[25:00]- “three-parent-babies”[27:09]- the specialization of gametes [28:00]- impact of when novel technologies become clinically safe?[29:19]- small demographic impact of assisted-reproduction at the present[30:55]- how can we do this scientific work while being informed about the societies in which these technologies will play a role?[31:30]- regulation of egg freezing and when society thinks the ebay age for having children is[32:30]- importance of thinking about where the eggs for assisted reproduction technologies[33:53]- the problem of false hope? [35:48]- the different ways people get information about their reproductive options[38:31]- egg freezing at career fairs[40:37]- when should one freeze their eggs?[41:00]- second breakout[48:31]- young womens’ complex decisions when it comes to choosing to have kids[49:10]- changes in fertility are about decisions surrounding when to have children[51:15]- the science behind choosing when to have children[52:52]- the baby boom[55:07]- big fluctuations of fertility over time[57:00]- the impact of social precarity on decisions to have children[59:00]- changing family structures and the role of reproductive technology e.g. same-sex couples[61:53]- reprosoc and ‘queer reproduction’. [64:54]- reproductive justice and reproductive equity. Ensuring reproductive autonomy while ensuring non-exploitation[65:59]- Final question: what is the most exciting thing that will happen to humankind in the future?[70:37]-concluding summary[74:50]-endGuest Bios:Thorsten Boroviak is a Bioengineer at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience. He is the Principle Investigator at the Laboratory for Primate Embryogenesis, at the Centre for Trophoblast Research. His research focuses on how embryonic cells organise themselves in the very early stages of pregnancy. His research is vital for innovative treatments for implantation failure, infertility and cancer as well as the clinical applications of stem cell biology. Alice Reid (@amrcampopis) a historical demographer at the Department of Geography, working with the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure. Her research focuses on fertility, mortality and health in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She looks at the social, economic, and environmental influences of infant, early child and maternal mortality. More information about Alice’s work can be found on The Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure’s website,  Populations Past. Lucy Van de Wiel @LucyvandeWiel is a sociologist and a Research Associate at the Reproductive Sociology Research Group (ReproSoc). Her research focuses on the social and cultural analysis of assisted reproductive technologies like egg freezing, time-lapse embryo selection and cross-border reproductive care. Her current research project is entitled Fertility: Oocyte Cryopreservation and the Gender Politics of Ageing. This study critically examines the controversial introduction of oocyte cryopreservation in the early 21st century and argues that the widespread concern with whether and why women should freeze their eggs is indicative of a contemporary rethinking and politicisation of what it means to age. She leads the Life in Glass project at ReproSoc, a major programme of outreach activities funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Experts discuss the future implications of AI, including algorithmic bias and impacts on democracy. They delve into cultural attitudes towards AI, ethical considerations, and the challenges of public education. The conversation also explores the regulatory landscape of AI, science fiction predictions, and the need for transparent AI development.

Our society is more unequal than ever, as the top 1% control over 44% of the world’s wealth while 689 million people are living on less than $1.90 per day. In this episode, we asked our guests what the future of fairness, justice, and equality should look like, and how their research can help to bring about a fairer society. Alexa Hagerty and Natalie Jones shared how injustice can be thought of as an existential risk to humanity, while Esra Ozyurek introduced us to the importance of understanding that different people have different needs, making equality insufficient to bring about justice. We cover topics ranging from distributive justice, the virtues and vices of empathy, and the role AI will play in shaping equality in the years to come. This episode was produced by Nick Saffell, James Dolan and Naomi Clements-Brod. Annie Thwaite and Charlotte Zemmel provide crucial research and production support for Series 2.Please take our survey. How did you find us? Do you want more Mind Over Chatter in your life? Less? We want to know. So we put together this survey https://forms.gle/r9CfHpJVUEWrxoyx9. If you could please take a few minutes to fill it out, it would be a big help. Timestamps[00.00]- Introductions[02.07]- what do we mean by fair when it comes to societies?[03.28]- fairness as contributions[05:00]- Justice requiring a plurality of understandings of peoples’ wants and needs[05:58]- deficit model of justice[06:45]- the difference between fairness, justice, and equality[07:53]- justice is the most powerful out of the three concepts[08:45]- The downside of empathy[10:18]- being empathetic can encode a problematic power dynamic[12:50]- who gets to feel compassionate is unequal in political dialogues[13:13]- cognitive empathy and emotional empathy distinction[13:50]- Time for recap 1: summary so far[15:00]- the deficit model in more detail[15:54]- example of medical needs explaining the difference between justice, fairness, and equality[17:35]- cognitive empathy recap and explanation[18: 15]- inequality and existential risk[19:34]- existential risks can be localised to particular civilizations e.g. the threat of climate change and colonization[20:21]- how to link global injustice and different voices to existential risk[20:44]- participatory futures intro[21:21]-global justice causing existential risk[23:22]- we are all in the same boat but on different decks.[24:24]- COVID-19 vaccine distributions and justice [25:13]- Time for recap 2: summary so far[26:49]- participatory futures explanation[28:05]- AI can impact inequality and injustice[28:59]- algorithmic red lining[30:11]- AI displacing workers of certain skill sets[31:13]- AI and the platform economy[32:37]- AI perpetuates inequalities, multiplies inequalities, and creates new inequalities[33:29]- facial recognition, skin colour, and questions of whether it would be just to implement facial recognition tech across societies[35:20]- AI having liberatory potential[36:43]- the importance of the underlying structure within which AI is used[37:57]- the materiality of technologies. What resources we would need to have ‘liberatory AI’[40:19]- AI serves as a mirror for society. Reproduces structure of inequalities[42:02]- liberatory AI requires a libertory future in general[45:24]- looking forward to the future[46:55]-concluding summary[48:54]-end of the episodeGuest Bios:Alexa Hagerty @anthroptimist is an anthropologist and Science, Technology, and Society scholar with a research background in human rights, violence, and mass atrocity. She is a Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, and an Associate Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. Her research investigates the societal impacts of AI with a focus on responsible innovation, impacted communities, and human rights.Natalie Jones @nataliejon_es is a Legal Scholar and Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. She works on how global injustice and inequality can potentially contribute to existential risk, with a particular interest in climate change. Specifically, she investigates who is involved in global decision-making on the world’s most pressing issues. Her current research program focuses on indigenous peoples’ participation in global governance.Esra Ozyurek @esragozyurek is an Anthropologist and the Sultan Qaboos Professor of Abrahamic Faiths and Shared Values. She is also the director of Cambridge Interfaith Project. Her research seeks to understand the tension between politics and religion in Turkey and in Europe. She is currently working on a project that looks at how Muslim-background Germans adopt the memory of the holocaust as proof of their commitment to liberal democracy and empathic humanity.  Esra’s overall research agenda explores the tension between the universalism and particularism of globally appealing religious and post-religious belief and value systems, by studying them ethnographically as they travel in and out of their assumed natural habitats.