With the end of the year approaching, we have put together our Top 10 list of 2018 shows. Sit back and relax, it’s the perfect time to catch up with our episodes. All of them are available to download from Spotify, iTunes or your preferred podcast app. Just search ‘Restart Radio’.
Listen to all manner of topics from repairable devices in medicine and conservation, to cultural approaches to fixing, or the importance of steering the maker culture to social and environmental benefit.
10.) Wildlife conservation and open hardware
Alasdair Davies has been working as a conservation technologist for over 10 years. He introduces us to his work on bringing affordable, customisable and repairable open hardware technology to people working on conservation projects.
9.) Alvin and amateur (ham) radio
Restart volunteer Alvin Hardy (call-sign G1BTF) shares his life-long passion for amateur or so-called “ham” radio. We discuss the importance of radio as a pioneering mode of communication, and the value of the worldwide community that it helps bring together. Tune in for amazing radio sounds, which we rarely hear anymore as we have embraced digital radio.
8.) Elinor Ostrom and the commons
Goldsmiths Political Economy Lecturer Derek Wall tells us about his book “Elinor Ostrom’s Rules for Radicals”, based on the fascinating and lesser-known story of Elinor Ostrom: the only woman to have won a Nobel Prize for Economics. We discuss Ostrom’s view of the “commons” and how people can organise themselves to manage community resources.
7.) Stories of women in STEM
Suw Charman-Anderson walks us through the origin of Ada Lovelace Day (ALD), an annual date she started to support and increase the visibility of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers.
6.) Brazilian repair culture
Felipe Fonseca is a Brazilian technologist and researcher, who has long been on our radar screen. We discuss with him the role of improvisation in problem-solving and repair, and we learn from Brazilian approaches – like mutirão and gambiarra – to repurposing discarded technology.
5.) Links between thrift and innovation
Thrifty science, Simon Werrett suggests, is “an attitude to materials”, a way of making use of things and making them last. Simon is Lecturer in Science and Technology Studies at University College London. We talk about his latest book, which discusses historical practices of repair and reuse.
4.) Afrotech and Afrofuturism
Florence Okoye and Debs Durojaiye are two of the organisers of the Afrotech Fest, an exciting event which took place in London at the end of January. We talk about the representation of black people of Caribbean and African heritage in tech and we discuss the meanings of Afrofuturism.
3.) Volunteer takeover: Hype and worries about smart homes
Our volunteers – Restarters Dave Lukes, Panda Méry and Andrew Gabriel – run the show. They discuss the hype about ‘smart’ homes and security issues related to the use of connected devices. They also reflect on questions of durability and repairability: how long will connected gadgets last.
2.) 3D printing in Gaza
Tarek Loubani is a Palestinian-Canadian doctor who has created low-cost 3D-printed medical devices to help with the lack of supply in Gaza. We also discuss the importance of having repair parts available to keep all medical devices working for longer, and opportunities for 3D printing to boost independence and resilience when using these devices.
1.) Fixing the impossible
Rico Cerva is an independent professional repairer who claims to fix the impossible. We celebrate the crucial contribution that repair businesses make to extend the life of all the gadgets we use. We talk about the personal stories behind people’s devices, the barriers to repair caused by manufacturers and the future of repair as a profession.
[Featured image by Eric Nopanen is licensed under the Unsplash license]
