Spark

What does it mean to be human in this particular, technological moment? For the first episode of this series, Spark examines the ways that humans experience, interact with and confront creativity

The promise of autonomous vehicles is they'll be safer, and reduce congestion. But designing them to anticipate rare events is a tough nut to crack. With robotaxis already on U.S. city streets, are self-driving cars ready to hit the road?

Employers are laying down the 'back to the office' law, but with digital tools that make remote work possible, what does it take to build a hybrid workplace that really takes advantage of being together?

As the EU brings in the Digital Services Act, we reflect on the role of algorithms in determining what we see, and imagine a future of self-curated content.

From the phonograph to field recordings to the cultural impact of mixtapes — a look at how recorded sound gives us access to history, fantasy, joy, and moments of genuine awe from around the world.

The impact of the camera — from its technical evolution, to the changed way we see ourselves and historic events.

How the ability to create cold on demand changed our relationship with food forever.

The enormous impact of the birth control pill on our culture, society, and human rights.

The lasting influence of the compass and the evolution and future of navigation technology.

How the 6,000-year-old invention has come to shape how we keep our valuables safe — physically and digitally.

The surprisingly long history and bright future of the light-emitting diode, or LED.

How the Sony Walkman paved the way for the iPod and streaming a million songs, TV shows and movies from our smartphones.

The evolution of the battery, and how the need for stored energy became one of the biggest demands of our time.

How the integrated chip changed the world, powering nearly every device we use, from toasters to Telecasters.

Tackling technology overuse with a toolkit and a challenge to digitally disengage. Just in time to get out and enjoy the summer.

From the phonograph to field recordings to the cultural impact of mixtapes — a look at how recorded sound gives us access to history, fantasy, joy, and moments of genuine awe from around the world.

A designer, an environmental psychologist and an AI expert to help us get better at workplace collaboration: understanding why it matters, and where it's going.

From inspiring innovation, to framing collective visions of the future — a look at the imaginative power of science fiction.

Data centres are enormous facilities that store and give us access to our digital lives. But as the amount of digital data we produce soars, so does the energy data centres demand. This week, an updated episode from November 2022.

The new movie, BlackBerry, has us thinking about the dizzying heights, and seemingly inevitable decline, of innovation in organizations. The film's director talks about what really happened there, and we look at why it's so hard to keep up the pace of innovation.