Spark CBC Radio

Looking for more Spark stories beyond Twitter? Hear us on: cbc.ca/listen/live-ra… Find us here: cbc.ca/radio/spark We're also on Facebook: facebook.com/sparkcbc

CBC/Radio-Canada has paused activities on its corporate and news Twitter accounts, after the social media platform put a "government-funded media" label on its @CBC account, in its latest move to stamp public broadcasters with designations. cbc.ca/news/world/cbc…

In HBO's hit show The Last of Us, we saw a mutant strain of zombifying fungus called cordyceps infect humans. But what can mycelium — a network of fungal threads — actually do? cbc.ca/radio/spark/wi…

From constructing whole buildings out of fungal threads, to growing furniture in orchards, to storing our data in living cells, we take a special look at 'living' design. cbc.ca/listen/live-ra…

From the sophisticated, social squeaks of bats, to the ability of plants to 'hear' where water is, digital technology allows researchers to listen in on the extraordinary sounds of animal and plant life and may hold the key to protecting biodiversity. 🔊cbc.ca/listen/live-ra…

If older adults are increasingly using technology, why aren't their needs factored into its design? That's a question researchers at the intersection of digital innovation and aging have been looking into. cbc.ca/radio/spark/ho…

A look at the pervasive age-related stereotypes that have seeped into the technologies we use and the implications of that on aging populations. 🔊cbc.ca/listen/live-ra… W/ @GilbreaCentre's @nicoledalmer + @UofTNursing's @CharchuRn

When someone mentions "the pill," we know exactly what they're referring to. That's a testament to the impact the oral contraceptive has had since its invention — but its origins are nested in the politics of inequity. cbc.ca/radio/spark/bi…

This time in our series, The Butterfly Effect, we look at the complicated, and controversial, history and long reach of the birth control pill: its impacts on sex, reproduction, and culture. 🔊cbc.ca/listen/live-ra… W/ @jonathaneig, @drklittlej + @NICHD_NIH's Diana Blithe

"On the one hand, we do treat it like a tool that we can offload labour [onto]. But on the other hand, because of this ontological ambiguity, we also kind of treat it like an autonomous agent," said @JJFPhD, a philosophy instructor at @douglascollege. cbc.ca/radio/spark/bo…

ChatGPT has been dominating headlines since it was released publicly late last year, but is it really the future of AI? 🔊cbc.ca/listen/live-ra… W/ @GaryMarcus + @JJFPhD

Tech is changing the way we collect health data. What does the explosion of virtual healthcare services mean for patient data privacy? And what role will data-driven AI play in the future of medicine? cbc.ca/radio/spark/fr…

"The biases that we see in machine learning systems are the biases that exist out in the real world," says data scientist @merbroussard. Broussard's new book, More Than a Glitch, explores the biases of data-driven tech and the real harms they can inflict. cbc.ca/radio/spark/th…

The data we generate, as individuals and as a society, offer powerful tools to better understand our own behaviour, but this may come at the cost of data privacy. 🔊cbc.ca/listen/live-ra… W/ @merbroussard, @sheryl_spithoff + @therealcaitjan

DWeb, which started as a project from the Internet Archive, aims to decentralize the ownership and control over networks, combining the community aspect of the '90s online experience with today's equity and accessibility principles, says organizer. cbc.ca/radio/spark/de…

Navigation technology has come a long way since the invention of the compass. And while outdoor wayfinding has been the focus of much research and innovation in this space, indoor positioning and navigation technology has also come a long way. cbc.ca/radio/spark/sm…

In the 6th episode of our special series, The Butterfly Effect, we look at the lasting influence of the compass, and the evolution and future of navigation technology. 🔊cbc.ca/listen/live-ra… W/ @EverywhereTrip, @UNBEngineering's Richard Langley + @SchulichENGG's Kyle O'Keefe

@makesjennthink Thanks for joining us! -NY

Delighted to have been featured on @sparkcbc this week! Check out the web story here! cbc.ca/radio/spark/ca…

While networked, smart homes offer newfound convenience in some respects, privacy is still a chief issue. "I would like to see governments focus on privacy to the extent that they have focused on cybersecurity," said tech journalist Stacey Higginbotham. cbc.ca/radio/spark/ca…

New developments in Internet of Things technology promise sustainable networked homes and buildings that are easy and practical, but can we have them without sacrificing privacy? 🔊cbc.ca/listen/live-ra… W/ @gigastacey, @makesjennthink + @pat_lecomte