Ever wondered what makes us tick as individuals, or why societies thrive or fall apart? Michael Muthukrishna, the mind behind the groundbreaking A Theory of Everyone has the answers. By blending psychology, anthropology, and economics into a revolutionary framework Muthukrishna dives into how cultural evolution and social learning shape everything from our daily decisions to the fate of entire civilisations. 

Whether you’re curious about the roots of human behaviour or looking for fresh insights into global challenges like inequality and cooperation, this talk with UNSW Scientia Professor Rob Brooks provides a blueprint for a better future.   

Ever wondered what makes us tick as individuals, or why societies thrive or fall apart? Michael Muthukrishna, the mind behind the groundbreaking A Theory of Everyone has the answers. By blending psychology, anthropology, and economics into a revolutionary framework Muthukrishna dives into how cultural evolution and social learning shape everything from our daily decisions to the fate of entire civilisations. 
Whether you’re curious about the roots of human behaviour or looking for fresh insights into global challenges like inequality and cooperation, this talk with UNSW Scientia Professor Rob Brooks provides a blueprint for a better future.

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Idea…

UNSW Centre for Ideas | All Episodes

UNSW Centre for Ideas

Michael Muthukrishna : A Theory of Everyone

What can we expect from a world of deepfakes where anything you see or hear might be synthetic and the output of AI? Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at UNSW, Toby Walsh unpacks untruths and warns of a future inundated with machine-generated content, predicting that soon, 99% of what we read, see, and hear will be created by AI. Listen as Toby discusses the urgent need for digital watermarks to authenticate online content, proposing that this technology can help restore trust. However, he cautions that building this infrastructure will take time, leaving us in a precarious situation where truth is increasingly contested.

Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas, supported by UNSW Sydney.

What can we expect from a world of deepfakes where anything you see or hear might be synthetic and the output of AI? Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at UNSW, Toby Walsh unpacks untruths and warns of a future inundated with machine-generated content, predicting that soon, 99% of what we read, see, and hear will be created by AI. Listen as Toby discusses the urgent need for digital watermarks to authenticate online content, proposing that this technology can help restore trust. However, he cautions that building this infrastructure will take time, leaving us in a precarious situation where truth is increasingly contested.
Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's <a href="https://festivalofdangerousideas.com/">Festival of Dangerous Ideas</a>, supported by UNSW Sydney.

Toby Walsh | Ministry of AI

Carbon markets have been hailed as key pillars in our climate response but in actuality, have turned out to be largely greenwash. Megan Evans, Senior Lecturer at UNSW’s School of Business highlights the flaws in carbon offsetting and questions the effectiveness of emission offsets, revealing that many projects fail to sequester the promised carbon. She emphasises the importance of transparency and accountability in carbon markets, arguing that without criticism and scrutiny, these systems merely perpetuate greenwashing. Listen to the full discussion as Megan urges us to question the status quo and advocate for genuine environmental progress, rather than settling for ineffective measures.

Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas, supported by UNSW Sydney.

Carbon markets have been hailed as key pillars in our climate response but in actuality, have turned out to be largely greenwash. Megan Evans, Senior Lecturer at UNSW’s School of Business highlights the flaws in carbon offsetting and questions the effectiveness of emission offsets, revealing that many projects fail to sequester the promised carbon. She emphasises the importance of transparency and accountability in carbon markets, arguing that without criticism and scrutiny, these systems merely perpetuate greenwashing. Listen to the full discussion as Megan urges us to question the status quo and advocate for genuine environmental progress, rather than settling for ineffective measures.
Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas, supported by UNSW Sydney.

Megan Evans | (Don’t) Question the Fake Carbon Forests

Associate Professor of Media at UNSW, Michael Richardson examines how technology, culture, and power shape knowledge in war, security and surveillance. He warns that AI’s rapid deployment can lead to catastrophic outcomes in warfare, where algorithms determine lethal targets based on biased data and predictive analytics. Listen as Michael calls for a global resistance against militarised AI, and the need for an ethical standard in technology, as the consequences of these advancements could redefine the very nature of warfare and humanity itself.

Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas, supported by UNSW Sydney.

Associate Professor of Media at UNSW, Michael Richardson examines how technology, culture, and power shape knowledge in war, security and surveillance. He warns that AI’s rapid deployment can lead to catastrophic outcomes in warfare, where algorithms determine lethal targets based on biased data and predictive analytics. Listen as Michael calls for a global resistance against militarised AI, and the need for an ethical standard in technology, as the consequences of these advancements could redefine the very nature of warfare and humanity itself.
Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas, supported by UNSW Sydney.

Michael Muthukrishna : A Theory of Everyone

UNSW Centre for Ideas | All Episodes

In 1 playlist(s)

UNSW Centre for Ideas

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips