Rates of almost all crime in Australia have declined dramatically in recent decades, as they have in much of the rest of the world, with sexual assault a notable exception to this decline.  But as crime has declined, the number of people in prison has increased alarmingly. Meanwhile in the world of popular culture, crime is everywhere.  We are obsessed with crime stories making them major box office in every medium from the page to podcast to the big screen. What is going on? For more information, visit unsw.to/CrimeParadox. This talk was a part of the 2022 Festival of Dangerous Ideas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine if medical side effects were all in your head… turns out more than half of them might be. A lot of people have heard of the placebo effect; where taking a sugar pill can cause healing or health improvements, but far fewer are familiar with the nocebo effect – the dark side of placebo – where an innocent sugar pill can cause serious negative side effects. Research shows most medical side effects are likely to be caused by the nocebo effect, so if the majority of these feelings could be overcome by the simple power of thought, how can medical researchers break this cycle? Health psychologist Kate Faasse’s work explores how to ensure nocebo effects don’t prevent us from getting the right medical treatment. For more information, visit unsw.to/KateFaasseFODI This talk was a part of Unthinkable, an event of short talks in the 2022 Festival of Dangerous Ideas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Curious about the latest developments in the world of Artificial Intelligence? Join four UNSW experts as they explore the implications of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence on our society, and as they discuss how these emerging technologies are shaping the future of the education sector. This panel discussion will feature Professor Toby Walsh from UNSW Engineering, Professor Lyria Bennett Moses from UNSW Law & Justice, Associate Professor Sam Kirshner from UNSW Business, and Professor Cath Ellis from UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a world where the internet saturates everything, where does the internet stop, and our human selves begin? Nudged and pushed by an endless stream of alerts, notifications and recommendations, our attention and money are pulled in directions that serve the interests of the platforms. The New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose asks, are our personalities and thoughts our own, or are we becoming what the algorithms make us? Roose’s keynote talk is followed by a conversation with UNSW Scientia Professor of AI, Toby Walsh. For more information, visit unsw.to/CaughtWeb This talk was a part of the 2022 Festival of Dangerous Ideas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dark forest of cryptocurrency is certainly mysterious, and the appeal is undeniable. The internet is bursting with success stories of those who became overnight millionaires, so it makes sense that investors are willing to gamble on it… a lot. But it’s not all tech bros and Doge coins – cryptocurrency is the next big step in technology. The tricky part, however, is avoiding the fraudsters and thieves who prey on the first-time investors entering the market. As the vast crypto forest grows rapidly and becomes more dangerous and volatile (in 2021 over $7.7 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from victims worldwide), how can we better equip those investors looking to buy in?  Tony SongTony Song is a research fellow for the NSW Law Society’s Future of Law and Innovation (FLIP) research stream in the School of Private and Commercial Law, Faculty of Law and Justice, UNSW Sydney. Song’s research explores the impact of technology on the legal profession and society, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence, online courts, drones, and managing trust in an online world. Tony is most passionate about all things web3, whether it be trading the volatility of the markets, delving into the latent world of smart legal contracts, cheering on the surreal hilarity of the metaverse, or just tending to his humble defi yields – there's never a boring day in crypto.  For more information, visit unsw.to/TonySongSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In theory, synchronous hybrid learning is a fantastic idea: students and teachers have increased flexibility, and universities can benefit from increased enrolments. But in reality, hybrid learning is not everything it is cracked up to be. Over the past two years of the pandemic, a mixed learning and teaching mode has developed – part in person and part online – bringing to the fore a multitude of problems. Technical challenges, enhanced cognitive load for both students and teachers, a lack of social presence, and wrangling a cohort spread across multiple locations and time zones are just a few. But how can we combat some of the larger issues? Is it possible to create positive experiences for both the teachers and the students in this brave new world of hybrid education?  Sasha VassarDr Sasha Vassar has a cross-disciplinary background in Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and a PhD in Education from UNSW Sydney. She has spent a number of years working in the engineering industry improving problem solving and design processes, before her passion for education and teaching brought her back to UNSW to join the School of Computer Science and Engineering, in the Faculty of Engineering. Her interests include the role of human computer interaction, UX and UI in the design of engineering solutions; the role of design thinking in engineering problem solving and the application of cognitive load theory concepts to improve pedagogy.  For more information, visit unsw.to/SashaVassarSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australia, solar power has become cheaper and more reliable than ever. The solar industry has expanded so rapidly that these days it’s not uncommon to see every house on a street clad with rooftop solar panels. Today, there is no cheaper method to produce energy than that offered by solar panels, and they’re fast becoming even more economical to install. Australia is well known as the sunburnt country, so why aren’t we taking more advantage of our limitless solar potential and working out how to use solar in new ways? Cheap, clean and reliable energy is now undeniably here, so what is next?  Ivan Perez WurflIvan Perez Wurfl is a senior lecturer and researcher in the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy, Faculty of Engineering at UNSW Sydney. Ivan’s main areas of expertise are solar cell design, fabrication and characterisation. In particular, he has extensively studied and developed silicon quantum dot solar cells and multijunction SiGe/GaAsP tandem solar cells. Before moving to Australia he worked as a device scientist at Power Sicel Inc (now part of Microsemi Corporation), developing SiC High Power RF devices. He was a Fulbright fellow from at the University of Colorado where he obtained his PhD in Electrical Engineering. Ivan has authored 100+ journal articles and conference papers in the areas of solar cells and high power and high frequency solid state devices.  For more information, visit unsw.to/IvanPerezWurflSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first few months of 2022, Twitch viewers watched a total of 6.13 billion hours of livestreamed content and fans are showing no sign of slowing down. Over the last decade, video game streaming has become big business. This success is due in part to the fact that streaming sites have become about so much more than just playing video games. They provide a sense of community, a social and cultural hub for people to come together and share their stories. But these platforms are also subject to the commercial whims of the corporations that own them. What do the video game services of the future look like? How do they profit from users without compromising relationships with them? And how can we make sure social justice and equity are keystones of this conversation?  Nathan J JacksonNathan J Jackson is a PhD candidate in the School of the Arts and Media, Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture at UNSW Sydney. His ethnographic study of the platform Twitch combines performance, media, and games lenses to examine the construction and performance of persona in video game livestreaming. He is interested in the ways that streamers and spectators perform for and with each other, and the emergent social, cultural, and political value systems that accompany these performances. He has been published in Persona Studies and Convergence journals, with a forthcoming contribution in the first edited collection on livestreaming culture.  For more information, visit unsw.to/NathanJJacksonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kurdish-Iranian refugee and award-winning writer Behrouz Boochani delivered the 2022 Wallace Wurth Lecture at UNSW Sydney on Tuesday 13 December, sharing why a human narrative is integral to fighting Australia’s current refugee policies. Boochani, who is an adjunct associate professor at UNSW, spent over six years in offshore immigration detention in Manus Detention Centre, where he and his fellow asylum seekers endured conditions that violated international refugee law. His new book, Freedom, Only Freedom, is a collection of his prison writings, translated and edited by his long-time translators and collaborators Omid Tofighian and Moones Mansoubi. Mr Boochani's work is combined with essays from experts on migration, refugee rights, politics, and literature. Following an introduction by Sarah Dale (RACS), Omid Tofighian and Moones Mansoubi, Boochani is in conversation with human rights lawyer Madeline Gleeson sharing his stories of resilience and shed light on the shameful refugee policies that the Australian government continues to endorse. Freedom, Only Freedom can be purchased here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 264 million people worldwide have depression. But for many people struggling with severe or treatment-resistant depression, standard therapies may not work. So what if there are new treatments that could be effective? Recently there has been a renaissance of interest in psychedelics as possible treatments for mental disorders – everything from ketamine, to MDMA and psilocybin – the psychoactive ingredient in ‘magic’ mushrooms. These medicines have powerful mind-altering properties with the potential to treat severe mental disorders when combined with psychological therapy. Some early studies have returned positive results, but there remain large gaps in our knowledge regarding effectiveness and safety… But where to from here? Could psychedelics play a role in managing mental health? Adam BayesDr Adam Bayes is a psychiatrist who works as a clinician-scientist with a focus on mood disorders (depression and bipolar conditions). His research interests include diagnosis, classification and novel treatments for severe depression including ketamine and psychedelics. Bayes holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (Hons), Bachelor of Advanced Science, Master of Psychiatry, and a PhD. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, is a senior research fellow and VMO psychiatrist at the Black Dog Institute and the Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, at UNSW Sydney.   For more information, visit unsw.to/AdamBayesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.