Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
Steamboat Willie, the original Mickey Mouse, steps into the public domain after 95 years of copyright restriction. Copyright law has been with us for over 300 years, but it's due a serious revision in the light of Artificial Intelligence. The New York Times is relying on current legislation to sue Open AI for infringing their copyright to train ChatGPT, but surely the information and analysis that the NYT report on belongs to us all? Background music: 'People Watching' by Sir Cubworth
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Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
Last week we heard of sixty migrants dying in an attempt to reach Cape Verde across the Atlantic Ocean: young people risking all for a better life. But, as we wrote on 15th May, it's the underlying challenges, including conflict and poverty, that must be addressed. Global problems like these require global solutions: we suggest a combination of inter-generational rebalancing funding a programme of incentivised learning for young people across Africa, providing them with the resources and life skills to start achieving their potential. Background music: 'Six by Eight' by Jimmy Fontanez_Media Right Productions. 15th May Commentary link: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2023-05-15/
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Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
Pixar's 2008 computer-animated movie 'Wall•E' paints a depressing picture of the Earth laid waste by a combination of consumerism, corporatocracy, proliferation of waste and human environmental impact. Just fifteen years later we see this spectre emerging in front of our eyes. But is science the answer, as put forward by Lord Rees in his book 'If Science is to Save Us'? We suggest that the problem is deep-rooted in our unbridled self-interest, and that only a genuine re-building of care for others, including our neighbours of tomorrow, can save us from these horrendous consequences. Background music: 'Dance of the Mammoths' by The Whole Other
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Lord Rees, Astronomer Royal and former Master of Trinity College Cambridge, has just published a new book called ‘If Science is to Save Us’, which he discussed at a Topos Institute seminar at the Royal Society in London on Wednesday 27th September. Our 'Thought' for this week reflects on his analysis of the mega-challenges which confront us, picking up links to commentaries on his themes which we have provided over recent years, and which are accessible from the website commentary link below. Background music: 'Ether Oar' by The Whole Other Share Radio webpage for links: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2022-10-03/
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