M.ex

In part one of our simples guide to the Metaverse, we try to cut through the complexity and corporate clutter to delineate what the metaverse is, and when we’ll get to use it. Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard BradburyProduced by Richard Bradbury for BFM89.9Image by Kulturpop via MidJourneySubscribe to the Substack newsletter: https://kulturpop.substack.comFollow us:Tw: @kulturmattIn: @kulturpop & @kulturmattW: www.kulturpop.com

We're skipping ahead a couple of episodes because this story is about Elon Musk. Which means it will be out of date before you take your next breath: Mass layoffs, a financial crisis, growing voices of intolerance. And a kitchen sink. No, it isn’t the global economic crisis. It’s Twitter under its new owner, Elon Musk.Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard BradburyProduced by Richard Bradbury for BFM89.9Further Reading: https://www.ft.com/content/8db7e24b-5a15-4856-b81e-a2027157aaadhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/29/elon-musk-twitter-social-media-toxic-contenthttps://www.statista.com/statistics/303681/twitter-users-worldwide/https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/https://johnnaughton.substack.com/p/monday-7-november-2022https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-where-did-tweeters-go-twitter-is-losing-its-most-active-users-internal-2022-10-25/https://fortune.com/2022/11/06/elon-musk-twitter-monetization-model-can-beat-youtube-l

A Hot Wheels-looking centrifuge that fires projectiles into space, submarine-cloaking stealth rubber, the science behind bullwhips and a full menu of Musk feature on today’s episode. Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Further Reading:  https://www.space.com/spacex-galaxy-33-34-intelsat-satellite-launch (https://www.space.com/spacex-galaxy-33-34-intelsat-satellite-launch) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/08/banks-loss-elon-musk-twitter-takeover (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/08/banks-loss-elon-musk-twitter-takeover) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-07/morgan-stanley-led-banks-face-500-million-loss-on-twitter-debt?sref=fqqmZ8gi (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-07/morgan-stanley-led-banks-face-500-million-loss-on-twitter-debt?sref=fqqmZ8gi) https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-tesla-semi-truck-pepsi (https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-tesla-semi-truck-pepsi)

For up to a third of the population, sleep is a task that never seems to be completed successfully. Thankfully, a new generation of sleep science is creating individualized approaches to sleep therapy that could see millions of people nodding off peacefully at night.   Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Further Reading:  https://kulturpop.substack.com/p/roboelon (https://kulturpop.substack.com/p/roboelon) https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634063-300-insomnia-success-suggests-we-need-more-nuanced-mental-health-support/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634063-300-insomnia-success-suggests-we-need-more-nuanced-mental-health-support/) https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634063-300-insomnia-success-suggests-we-need-more-nuanced-mental-health-support/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634063-300-insomnia-success-suggests-we-need-more-nuanced-mental-health-support/) https://futurism.com/the-byt

It’s time to put your backpack on and join the cyber cockroaches as we look at insect cyborgs, robo-Vader, asteroid impacts, ETH mining and the return of Gawker. Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Further Reading:  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/25/gawker-comeback-sued-closure-hulk-hogan (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/25/gawker-comeback-sued-closure-hulk-hogan) https://futurism.com/the-byte/darth-vader-ai-voice (https://futurism.com/the-byte/darth-vader-ai-voice) https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/darth-vaders-voice-emanated-from-war-torn-ukraine (https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/darth-vaders-voice-emanated-from-war-torn-ukraine) https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/darth-vaders-voice-emanated-from-war-torn-ukraine%20/ (https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/darth-vaders-voice-emanated-from-war-torn-ukraine \) https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/09/ethereum

Are you quiet quitting or quietly doing your job? Do you need a WhatsApp group to tell you? Or is this simply the impact of a new generation on the workplace? Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Further Reading:  https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/09/quiet-quitting-trend-employee-disengagement/671436/ (https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/09/quiet-quitting-trend-employee-disengagement/671436/) https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/09/13/1122059402/the-economics-behind-quiet-quitting-and-what-we-should-call-it-instead (https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/09/13/1122059402/the-economics-behind-quiet-quitting-and-what-we-should-call-it-instead) https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/02/how-quiet-quitting-became-the-next-phase-of-the-great-resignation.html (https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/02/how-quiet-quitting-became-the-next-phase-of-the-great-resignation.html) https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/20

Are work notifications ruining your life? Do you spend more time reacting to pings than doing your actual work? Are productivity tools ruining your productivity? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://robm.me.uk/2022/08/efficiency-movement/ (https://robm.me.uk/2022/08/efficiency-movement/) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/25/ping-phone-notifications-off-whatsapp-instagram (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/25/ping-phone-notifications-off-whatsapp-instagram) https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/06/doomscrolling-linked-to-poor-physical-and-mental-health-study-finds (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/06/doomscrolling-linked-to-poor-physical-and-mental-health-study-finds) https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/06/success/return-to-office-hybrid-mandates/index.html (https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/06/success/return-to-office-hybrid-

The secret laptop destruct sequence of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation, a lawn-mowing android, social media intrusion and chewing gum make for some very weird science.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.wired.com/story/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-crash-hard-drives/ (https://www.wired.com/story/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-crash-hard-drives/) Photo by https://unsplash.com/@benjaminlehman?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText (benjamin lehman) on https://unsplash.com/s/photos/hard-drive?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText (Unsplash) Subscribe to the Substack newsletter: https://kulturpop.substack.com/ (https://kulturpop.substack.com) Follow us: Tw: https://twitter.com/kulturmatt (@kulturmatt) In: https://www.instagram.com/kulturpo (@kulturpop) & https://www.instagram.com/kultur

Our minds are crying out for silence in an over-stimulating world. But is silence only for the wealthy? And can too much of it harm rather than help us? Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25533990-700-the-power-of-quiet-the-mental-and-physical-health-benefits-of-silence/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25533990-700-the-power-of-quiet-the-mental-and-physical-health-benefits-of-silence/) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJsuUOuEZ9Q (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJsuUOuEZ9Q) https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2452161304806914 (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2452161304806914) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-51174-001 (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-51174-001) Photo by https://unsplash.com/@tinaflour?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText (Kristina Flour) on https://unsplash.com/s/photos/silence?utm_sour

Headphones that lip read, mouse-rat chimeras, soap-based TV screens and a robot with feelings. With a list like that it must be weird science. Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/01/smart-glasses-allow-deaf-people-to-see-conversations-with-subtitles-17106685/ (https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/01/smart-glasses-allow-deaf-people-to-see-conversations-with-subtitles-17106685/) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2332193-experimental-earphone-can-hear-commands-user-is-silently-mouthing/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2332193-experimental-earphone-can-hear-commands-user-is-silently-mouthing/) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2332016-mice-produce-rat-sperm-with-technique-that-could-help-conservation/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2332016-mice-produce-rat-sperm-with-technique-that-could-help-conservation/) https://www.newscientist.com/section/news/page/3/ (https://www.newsci

Is a smart city a place where digital technology tracks your every move and creates a de facto surveillance state? Or is it simply a place where we use the best of human technology and innovation to create liveable urban spaces?  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/06/29/1054005/toronto-kill-the-smart-city/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email (https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/06/29/1054005/toronto-kill-the-smart-city/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email) https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/toronto-quayside-smart-cities/ (https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/toronto-quayside-smart-cities/) https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25533950-700-why-spending-time-near-water-gives-us-a-powerful-mental-health-boost/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25533950-700-why-spending-time-near-water-gives-us-a-powerful-mental-health-boost/) Photo by https://u

Are digital distractions destroying our brains? Are we too detached to remember? Could an Adam Sandler movie have been deeply profound? The disturbing development of digital amnesia.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Freda Liu Produced by https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.theguardian.com/global/2022/jul/03/is-your-smartphone-ruining-your-memory-the-rise-of-digital-amenesia (https://www.theguardian.com/global/2022/jul/03/is-your-smartphone-ruining-your-memory-the-rise-of-digital-amenesia) https://www.iium.edu.my/v2/is-your-smartphone-ruining-your-memory-a-special-report-on-the-rise-of-digital-amnesia/ (https://www.iium.edu.my/v2/is-your-smartphone-ruining-your-memory-a-special-report-on-the-rise-of-digital-amnesia/) Photo by https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText (Kelly Sikkema) on https://unsplash.com/s/photos/memory?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCop

An AI that creates ghost images from our subconscious, a shotgun-wielding man in hot pants, penguins with accents, and photosynthesis in the dark. That’s some very weird science.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Freda Liu Produced by https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-twitter-sec-bots-lawsuit-1849183376 (https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-twitter-sec-bots-lawsuit-1849183376) https://www.vice.com/en/article/93ayp7/delta-dental-insurance-silent-on-bizarre-video-of-man-in-hot-pants-with-a-shotgun-declaring-independence-from-delta-dental (https://www.vice.com/en/article/93ayp7/delta-dental-insurance-silent-on-bizarre-video-of-man-in-hot-pants-with-a-shotgun-declaring-independence-from-delta-dental) https://www.nytimes.com/article/nasa-webb-telescope-images-galaxies.html (https://www.nytimes.com/article/nasa-webb-telescope-images-galaxies.html) https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/whats-so-special-about-james-webb-space-telescope-images/ (https://www.sciencefocus.co

On this episode of Weird Science, a missing Crypto Queen, why we like people who smell like us, fasting for your nerves, and a crime-predicting AI. Most importantly, find out why you shouldn’t drink coffee while shopping.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/38309/20220621/want-avoid-impulse-buying-coffee-drink-caffeine-before-shopping-expert.htm (https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/38309/20220621/want-avoid-impulse-buying-coffee-drink-caffeine-before-shopping-expert.htm) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00222429221109247 (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00222429221109247) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2325559-youre-more-likely-to-become-friends-with-someone-who-smells-like-you/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2325559-youre-more-likely-to-become-friends-with-someone-who-smells-like-you/) https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2

Is Uber taking us for a ride? The e-hailing company is the latest subject of a whistleblowing data drop. And, the company that didn’t seek a sale is suing the man who doesn’t want to buy it. The strange saga of Elon Musk and Twitter.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Freda Liu Produced for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/technology/elon-musk-twitter.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/technology/elon-musk-twitter.html) https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-twitter-strange-legal-fight-11657488572 (https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-twitter-strange-legal-fight-11657488572) Photo by https://unsplash.com/@alexandramirghes?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText (Alexandra Mirgheș) on https://unsplash.com/s/photos/angry?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText (Unsplash) Subscribe to the Substack newsletter: https://kulturpop.substack.com/ (https://kultur

Automaker Ford recently announced a direct-to-consumer sales model for its EVs. We look at why the car industry is lagging behind other retail sectors and highlight some of the advances in hybrid retail.  Episode Sources:  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/business/tesla-online-sales-dealerships.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/business/tesla-online-sales-dealerships.html) https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/02/ford-wants-to-sell-evs-online-only-and-at-a-set-price/ (https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/02/ford-wants-to-sell-evs-online-only-and-at-a-set-price/) https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolis/2022/02/02/the-future-of-retail-is-hybrid-and-unified-around-end-to-end-connected-experiences/ (https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolis/2022/02/02/the-future-of-retail-is-hybrid-and-unified-around-end-to-end-connected-experiences/) Photo by https://unsplash.com/@gspindula?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText (Gustavo Spindula) on https://unsplash.com/s/p

Neural networks can now create photo-realistic images from simple text inputs. As AI makes inroads into diverse professions, ranging from architecture to accounting, are these entry-level AIs displacing the next generation of white-collar workers? Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.newscientist.com/article/2322056-will-ai-text-to-image-generators-put-illustrators-out-of-a-job/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2322056-will-ai-text-to-image-generators-put-illustrators-out-of-a-job/) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264022-ai-illustrator-draws-imaginative-pictures-to-go-with-text-captions/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264022-ai-illustrator-draws-imaginative-pictures-to-go-with-text-captions/) https://www.archdaily.com/982243/algorithms-and-aesthetics-the-future-of-generative-design (https://www.archdaily.com/982243/algorithms-and-aesthetics-the-future-of-generative-design) https:

LaMDA, Google’s experimental conversational AI has claimed it is a sentient person. Could Number 5 be Alive? Or is Autocomplete developing new and mystical powers? Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://cajundiscordian.medium.com/is-lamda-sentient-an-interview-ea64d916d917 (https://cajundiscordian.medium.com/is-lamda-sentient-an-interview-ea64d916d917) https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/what-comes-after-the-turing-test (https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/what-comes-after-the-turing-test) https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/nonsense-on-stilts?s=r (https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/nonsense-on-stilts?s=r) https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2022/06/09/artificial-neural-networks-are-making-strides-towards-consciousness-according-to-blaise-aguera-y-arcas (https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2022/06/09/artificial-neural-networks-are-making-strides-towards-consciousness-

A bionic eye, glaucoma controlling contact lenses, and email writing horses are just some of the alternative health treatments under the Weird Science lens. Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.newscientist.com/article/2312754-bionic-eye-that-mimics-how-pupils-respond-to-light-may (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2312754-bionic-eye-that-mimics-how-pupils-respond-to-light-may)    https://www.newscientist.com/article/2317510-oscar-winning-actors-live-longer-than-unsuccessful-nominees/-improve-vision/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2317510-oscar-winning-actors-live-longer-than-unsuccessful-nominees/-improve-vision/) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2316878-crispr-nanocapsule-limits-growth-of-aggressive-brain-tumours-in-mice/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2316878-crispr-nanocapsule-limits-growth-of-aggressive-brain-tumours-in-mice/) https://www.newscientist.com/ar

Hitch-hiking robots, cat-based AI, gene-edited tomatoes and wooden skyscrapers. Weird Science has it all.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Richard Bradbury Produced by Richard Bradbury for https://www.bfm.my/ (BFM89.9) Episode Sources:  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/20/jeff-bezos-amazon-politics-hamilton-nolan (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/20/jeff-bezos-amazon-politics-hamilton-nolan) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2320472-robot-can-fly-swim-or-hitch-a-ride-by-sticking-to-other-objects/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2320472-robot-can-fly-swim-or-hitch-a-ride-by-sticking-to-other-objects/) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2320823-is-deepminds-gato-ai-really-a-human-level-intelligence-breakthrough/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2320823-is-deepminds-gato-ai-really-a-human-level-intelligence-breakthrough/) https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/17/investing/luna-terra-losses-crypto-traders/index.html (https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/17/inv