Our cities are buckling under the strain of their own weight, so how will they accommodate 2 billion additional people by the year 2050? Should shell out the cash to build exotic, futuristic smart cities, or can Artificial Intelligence help us with the myriad of problems we haven't solved in our present cities? Featuring: Associate Professor Hank Hausler, Australian School of Architecture + Design (Built Environment) at the University of NSW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're living in a surprisingly modest reality of 'Smart Cities,' where the bold promise of the future hasn't quite delivered what Hollywood promised and instead has yielded practical, incremental advancements, making urban living less about science fiction and more about smarter garbage trucks. Featuring: Trevor Long - Technology Commentator Professor Prem Jayaraman - Director of Swinburne University's Factor of the Future and Digital Innovation Lab Thanks to Optus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By 2030, more than 80% of Australia's electricity will be generated by renewable sources. The challenge is clear: how do we transition to renewables while maintaining a reliable and affordable energy supply? In other words, what happens when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow? Batteries. Big Batteries. Grid-Scale Storage. Next-Generation Storage Technologies could solve the storage problem, but effecting change is easier said than done... Featuring: Grant Wilson - Executive Chairman, Tivan Limited. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tucked within Australia's rich soil lies a veritable treasure trove, including a wealth of critical minerals that function as key ingredients in today's advanced batteries. As global dynamics pivot from oil-dominant petrostates to electricity-focused electrostates, Australia is uniquely positioned to rise as a leading powerhouse in the battery industry, given its vast reserves of critical minerals. What must happen for Australia to grab a bigger piece of the battery value chain? If we get it right, the opportunity is "bigger than solar, bigger than wind, bigger than hydrogen..." Featuring: Shannon O'Rourke - CEO, The Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre Powered by BHP. The future is clear. Visit BHP.com/BetterWorld to learn more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The transition to battery-powered electric vehicles will greatly lower Australia's carbon emissions. But a lack of public charging infrastructure is one of the main reasons why more Australians aren't switching to EVs sooner. However, a flurry of public and private investment means new fast-charging locations are popping up across the country... so is it enough to cure our range anxiety? Brooke Corte and Sam Stove plug into this critical infrastructure play, along with Evie Networks CEO Chris Mills. Thanks to BHP. The future is clear. Visit BHP.com/BetterWorld to learn more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This new season of Megatrends examines the critical role that batteries play in what might be the most mega Megatrend of them all: decarbonisation. Batteries power the future of transport - Electric Vehicles. They're clean, they're quiet, but due to the higher cost of batteries, they're also expensive. Australia's EV adoption rate lags behind the rest of the world, but as it turns out, it's probably not because of the price of batteries... Thanks to BHP - The future is clear and it's happening now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia faces an epidemic of scams, a daily barrage of dodgy texts, phone calls and emails from anonymous cyber criminals and con artists, domestic and abroad. Financial losses are doubling year on year but the true cost of scams amounts to more than lost dollars, with emotional damage inflicted on individuals, families and businesses. Law enforcement authorities concede we cannot arrest our way out of this problem; education is key. Understanding how scammers target us is the first step towards recognising a scam in the wild and taking the necessary steps to stop it in its tracks. Hosted by Deborah Knight, Anatomy of a Scam is made in collaboration with CommBank. Stay CommBank safe with services that help protect you from scams and fraud 24/7.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic has changed how, when and why we move throughout the city and it created both a challenge and a unique opportunity to redesign our urban landscapes. On any given day, as many as two million workers no longer commute into the city for work, swapping the inner city for the suburbs. As employers and employees battle over return-to-office policies, city spaces are being rejuvenated for more flexible work practices. Featuring demographer Simon Keustenmacher and Committee for Sydney CEO Gabriel Metcalf.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For thousands of years, humans have flocked to cities, choosing the hustle and bustle over life on the land. But the pandemic forced workers to abandon the CBD and work remotely, causing profound changes in how, when, and why we move through these complex urban environments.  In Megatrends: Future Cities, we examine the forces at play as we redesign cities to make them more efficient, more resilient, more sustainable, and more liveable. Will workers return to the CBD? How will we travel from A to B? Are Smart Cities the answer? And what good is any of this if people can't afford to live there? Megatrends: Future Cities is powered by Optus - Search Optus Business Mobile Plus. Great business starts with “Yes”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you build a well-paid, secure workforce in the era of intelligent machines? The rapid rise of digital technology created roughly as many jobs as it destroyed but the arrival of AI is a game changer. Improving digital skills and boosting jobs in the tech sector is one way to address this seismic shift in the labour force. Sam explores how this can be achieved with Tech Council of Australia CEO Kate Pounder, and carsales.com MD Cameron McIntyre. Thanks to Salesforce - visit salesforce.com/360See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.