Human Error

Dec 07 2021 21 ep. 462
Human Error Podcast artwork

Comedian Olga Koch and journalist Hussein Kesvani present a weekly comedy/technology podcast. Warning: contains robots. A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Sounds.

  Technology
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Meditations on the Metaverse

Dec 07 2021 24 mins  
On the 28th of October, 2021, Facebook announced The Future…aka, a corporate rebrand. By changing the name of their parent company to Meta, they set out a vision for a new internet. Here, you can meet your colleagues in a virtual meeting room, and/or fence with Mark Zuckerberg. It's all in a day's browsing....In this final episode of Series 1, comedian Olga Koch and journalist Hu

Sex

Nov 30 2021 23 mins  
For as long as the internet has existed, there has been internet porn. From ‘tube’ sites to cam girls, to OnlyFans, X-rated material is as synonymous with life online as taking selfies and “getting cancelled”.In this episode, comedian Olga Koch and journalist Hussein Kesvani reflect on why exactly teenage Hussein was so keen to help his parents sort out the magazines in the

Spending Money Online

Nov 23 2021 20 mins  
From the first person to ever teletext herself some eggs in 1984, it’s never been easier to click and collect anything your heart desires from that great big convenience store in the cloud. But is the ability to buy a complete DVD disk set of Sex And The City at 4am from anywhere in the world necessarily a good thing? Let’s find out!From online marketplaces to a new breed of pa

Driverless Cars

Nov 16 2021 21 mins  
The Flintstones sold us a vision for the ultimate human powered eco-vehicle, while The Jetsons promised us personal flying saucers, but when it comes to cars and technology: where have we actually parked?In this episode, comedian Olga Koch and journalist Hussein Kesvani review the marketing copy on Tesla’s website, consider the ethics of testing the Google Waymo, ask what it mean

The Sound of Music

Nov 10 2021 19 mins  
The history of music sharing has more twists and turns than a Richard Linklater film, following our protagonist (music) from sunrise (CDs) to sunset (Spotify). Torrenting might have heralded the end of physical media, but is the music industry’s shift from illegal file swapping to legal streaming really the answer musicians have been waiting for?In this episode, comedian Olga Koc

Tech & The Environment

Nov 02 2021 20 mins  
Once upon a time, we were sold the dream that cloud computing, e-readers and space travel might save us from our imminent climate crisis. Turns out, no. Far from being the earth’s heroes, tech might be driving us closer to environmental apocalypse faster than ever before. It’s bleak stuff, sure, but there are jokes as well.In this episode, comedian Olga Koch and journalist Huss

Space Billionaires

Oct 26 2021 21 mins  
Space: the final frontier, or just a billionaire’s playground? As Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk compete to see who can be the first to save humanity (starting with the rich), we’re asking - what exactly is the correlation between divorce rates and wanting to launch a rocket into the sky?In this episode, comedian Olga Koch and journalist Hussein Kesvani ask how the space race can be

Femtech

Oct 19 2021 22 mins  
Is your pain causing you to purchase? In a world where medical establishments are woefully underprepared to deal with anyone who isn’t a very average man, more people than ever are turning to femtech, a multi-billion sector providing an ever-expanding selection of (expensive) wifi-enabled breast pumps and (intrusive) glittery gold period trackers.Join comedian and computer scient

Internet Monopoly

Oct 12 2021 23 mins  
Ahhh the heady days of the personal website, where 12-year-old Hussein wiled away the hours listing his favourite Pokemon for an audience of none. Now, it’s all just tweeting, ‘gramming and, if you’re an aunt over the age of 40, spreading terrifying conspiracy theories on Facebook.Join comedian Olga Koch and journalist Hussein Kesvani as they consider how and how the internet

Fact-checking

Oct 05 2021 21 mins  
Gone are the days when anyone can say anyone about anything…actually, scratch that: misinformation is rife, and social media has arguably facilitated a golden age of ‘fake news’ to rival Octavian defeated Mark Anthony in 30BC (at last, we’re taking down the Roman Empire).Join comedian Olga Koch and journalist Hussein Kesvani as they fact check Olga’s tweets, start a flame