Share

Our Lives + Tech

In a world that is advancing faster than ever before, how can we ensure that tech is used as a force for good? How can we guarantee that developments in tech such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and blockchain, are inspired by social need...


Latest episode

  • The Future of Social Tech

    27:09
    In the final episode of this series Adah Parris is joined by Vicki Hearn, the Director of Nominet Trust, to discuss the future of socially motivated tech. Together they explore key themes of collaboration, innovation and infrastructure in propelling the success of social tech ventures across the world. Vicki also shares details of a brand new grant funding programme opening in July – ‘Tech to Unite Us’.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Low-tech, high innovation

    39:38
    This week Adah Parris is joined by two entrepreneurs using seemingly low-tech solutions to solve big global challenges. Wefarm founder and CEO Kenny Ewan explains how he’s built a groundbreaking peer-to-peer network for small scale farmers across the world, helping them share knowledge using the humble SMS text message. Plus, we meet Joanne Peter (Global Community Impact, Johnson & Johnson), who introduces Momconnect – a project in partnership with the South African Department of Health providing vital healthcare information to mothers. 
  • Transport Reinvented

    31:55
    In this episode Adah Parris meets Lucy Yu from Five.ai to explore the future of autonomous travel. She explains how the business – that has raised over $35 million investment in a bid become Europe’s leading provider of safe, shared, self-driving cars – aims to change the way we travel. Plus we meet Keenan Wyrobek to find out how his company, Zipline, is reinventing the courier network to deliver lifesaving healthcare to some of the world’s hardest-to-reach areas using drones. 
  • The Bionic Person

    34:28
    In this episode Adah Parris is joined by Oliver Armitage from Cambridge Bio-Augmentation Systems (CBAS) to discuss the cutting edge tech being developed for amputees – from skeletal implants to advanced robotics. Oliver explains why he’s on a mission to create an 'open standard' connection to the body, and what's needed to help the industry advance faster. Plus, we meet James Young aka ‘Metal Gear Man’ – a committed techie using his own body as a canvas for bionic research.
  • A party with purpose #NT100is5

    28:05
    In this bonus edition, Adah Parris introduces a series of inspiring talks from Nominet Trust’s recent #NT100is5 celebration, marking 5 years of the NT100 campaign. We hear from people and projects using tech to effect meaningful social change, including Kate Wolfenden from Project X, Bunmi Durowoju from Microsoft and ElsaMarie D’Silva of Safecity – who discuss routes of acceleration, learning from mistakes, and reaching new ground. 
  • Transforming Trust with Blockchain

    36:12
    Cryptocurrency and the blockchain has somewhat of a murky reputation, clouded in hype and fear of dodgy dealings – but looking past the negatives, could Bitcoin's underlying technology actually be a new secret weapon for the charity and social impact sector? In this episode Adah Parris is joined by Raphaël Mazet to explore the potential of the blockchain for social good. He explains how his company, Alice.si, is harnessing the tech to build trust, transparency and impact into projects with partners such as St Mungos. Plus we meet Niall Dennehy, whose company AID:Tech is on a mission to bring digital identity to the underserved and underrepresented communities across the world.
  • Is virtual reality a fair reality?

    39:11
    In this episode, Adah Parris explores virtual and augmented reality alongside producer Catherine Allen, of Liminia Immersive. Together they discuss the pros and cons of this emerging new medium – plus strategies for building a diverse industry from the ground up. We also hear from Dom Raban whose project, Patient's Virtual Guide, showcases the positive potential of augmented reality as a powerful tool in healthcare.