What if artificial intelligence isn't just about machines? What if it's part of a much longer story about how we understand ourselves? In every age, humans have questioned what separates us from animals, machines, and each other. In this episode, Angus Hervey and Ada Palmer explore our changing ideas of consciousness and intelligence. From Descartes and religion to Astro Boy and the futures we once imagined, this conversation connects our history of consciousness with today's AI debate. In this conversation:• What Descartes would make of artificial intelligence? • Why Japan gave Astro Boy a birth certificate? • What Ada's science fiction epic, Terra Ignota, got right about AI • And is consciousness really a yes-or-no question? Timestamps:00:54 What Descartes would say if you gave him Claude?04:51 How our theories of consciousness have changed history09:22 How Astro Boy influenced Silicon Valley11:16 The history of Manga19:12 Do you need to be alive to be conscious?21:50 What Aristotle got right in defining the differences between things24:37 Appetites. Passions. Reason.29:32 The religious debate - Body v The Soul32:10 Dante’s Inferno unlocked34:24 Our history of monsters36:49 The Empathy Sphere41:08 The Power of Science Fiction42:37 What Ada’s novel 'Terra Ignota' reveals about consciousness, rights and intelligence45:18 Our desire for First Contact47:08 How the future failed us in the year 200053:09 What Montaigne learned from concussion01:00:32 Final Thoughts Subscribe & follow:If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and leave a review - it helps more people find these stories.Production credits:Hosted by Angus Hervey and Ada PalmerProduced by Amy Davoren-Rose, Fix The NewsAudio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That!

This week's headlines include – 50 million Africans gaining access to electricity; more progress for LGBTQ rights in Nepal, the Netherlands and Costa Rica; Pakistan abolishing its tax on sanitary products; scientists building the world's most efficient solar panel; solar helping Kenyan farmers reduce food waste; and the wildlife crossings quietly reconnecting the natural world. You can check out the full newsletter edition here. This podcast is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That!⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com

What happens when you redesign education around the people who have been left behind?Meet Alice Achan - social worker, educator and founder of the Te-Kworo Foundation, a boarding school in Northern Uganda that is helping young mothers and vulnerable girls rebuild their lives. What started as a small support group during the aftermath of war has grown into one of the most remarkable educational models in Africa. Today, Te-Kworo's three campuses support more than 1,000 young women through education, childcare, healthcare, counselling and community support. Alice shares how her own experiences as a child of war shaped what she calls a "School of Restoration" - a place where education, healthcare and healing work together to empower young women to create better futures for themselves, their families and change entire communities. In this episode:• Why Te-Kworo calls itself a "School of Restoration"• The link between education, healthcare and opportunity• The ongoing challenges of child marriage and cultural expectations• How boarding schools help keep vulnerable girls safe• The power of defeating shame and rebuilding confidence• Why educating girls can transform entire communities Timestamps:00:46 Why giving partners are a core part of Fix The News04:48 Interview with Alice Achen07:38 Education as a pathway out of poverty10:15 The tension between creating different futures while protecting cultural boundaries12:12 From education to healthcare - Te-Kworo's holistic model14:57 What happens when women have access to healthcare and education15:31 Gus & Amy - Midpoint reflections17:35 From trauma to triumph - Alice's personal story20:57 How Alice started a school under a tree26:52 The power of defeating shame28:38 Intergenerational ripples30:08 Alice's biggest lesson30:38 Bunk beds from Fix The News31:19 The big vision for Te-Kworo33:33 Alice's remedy for the world34:46 Gus & Amy - Final thoughtsBecome part of the Te-Kworo community:If Alice's story resonated with you, you can learn more about Te-Kworo and support their work below.👉 Website👉 Feed the School campaignAbout Fix The News:Fix The News is a solutions-focused media platform sharing stories from the frontlines of progress - exploring what’s working in the world and the people making it happen.Subscribe & follow:If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and leave a review - it helps more people find these stories.Production credits:Hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-RoseProduced by Fix The NewsAudio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That! This episode was produced in Australia on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung peoples.

This week's headlines include – one of the biggest conservation victories of the decade; the flood that never happened; why electrification is accelerating around the world; some surprisingly good news from the United States; and a 26-storey apartment building assembled in just five days. You can check out the full roundup of progress here. This podcast is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That!⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com

What can Colombia teach us about what's still possible?Meet Juan Manuel Santos - former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Chair of The Elders - who helped negotiate an end to one of the longest-running armed conflicts in modern history. Under his leadership, Colombia signed a peace agreement with FARC, bringing an end to a conflict that had shaped the country for over 60 years. But this conversation isn't just about ending a war. We also explore Colombia's environmental leadership - from Indigenous wisdom in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the idea that there can be no lasting peace among people without peace with nature. Along the way, President Santos explains how Colombia helped inspire the Sustainable Development Goals, why cooperation remains humanity's greatest challenge, and what lessons the world can learn from a country that many once considered beyond repair. In this episode:How post-apartheid South Africa helped shape his vision for peace   Why peace is often unpopular - and why he pursued it anywayThe difference between making peace and building itHow victims became central to Colombia's peace processThe role of Colombia in creating the Sustainable Development GoalsWhy making peace with nature is essential to creating a better futureTimestamps:00:44 Amy & Gus: Why Doesn't South America Make the Headlines? 02:22 A Leadership Lesson from the Colombian Navy 04:45 Inside The Elders 05:14 The Four Existential Threats Facing Humanity 07:59 Making Peace with the Western Hemisphere's Longest-Running Guerrilla Movement 09:59 How Nelson Mandela Made Peace Seem Possible 12:25 Why Peace Is Often Unpopular 15:12 The Difference Between Making Peace and Building It 19:07 Why Victims Were Central to Colombia's Peace Process 22:11 Pastora Mira and the Extraordinary Power of Forgiveness 24:51 Is Peace Good for Nature? 26:41 The Colombian Idea That Became the SDGs 29:49 The Santa Marta Mandate: Bringing Humanity Back to Nature 32:25 Legacy, Elections and the Durability of Progress 35:52 Why We Need to Learn from Young People 37:48 What Is Still Possible? 40:16 The Dream President Santos Still Wants to Fulfil 41:00 Amy & Gus: Final ReflectionsGo Deeper:👉 The Elders👉 Juan Manuel Santos👉 The Open Library of the Colombian Peace ProcessAbout Fix The News:Fix The News is a solutions-focused media platform sharing stories from the frontlines of progress - exploring what’s working in the world and the people making it happen.Subscribe & follow:If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and leave a review - it helps more people find these stories.Production credits:Hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-RoseProduced by Fix The NewsAudio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That! This episode was produced in Australia on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung peoples.