Things of Interest

Apr 02 2021 62 ep. 54 mins 88

Things of Interest Podcast artwork

Things of Interest is hosted by Serena Chen and Sophia Frentz, and is a podcast that encompasses, in its purest form, things that we find interesting. Our discussions often center around technological advancements and how they affect social issues. As two socially-conscious millennial nerds, who is better placed to talk about artificial intelligence, leadership, bitcoin, quantum computers, gene editing, and fandom? Probably no-one.fandom? Probably no-one.

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Vaccines

Apr 02 2021 59 mins

You all saw this coming, right? We couldn't have one of our hosts be a genetics PhD and not geek out about the new mRNA vaccines.

Pandemic Brain

Apr 02 2021 49 mins

We're easing back into it with a chat about how this pandemic has affected our brains and general functioning.

Allyship

Jan 21 2020 64 mins

What does it mean to be a good ally? How can better support each other without drawing unwanted attention to ourseleves? What does allyship mean in a world obsessed with individual personality, and how do we normalise and advocate for different styles of allyship?

Scams

Nov 08 2019 48 mins

Today: scams. Sophia talks about the wild ride that is Elizabeth Holmes's Theranos. How are we scammed? What do they target? How can we protect ourselves, without losing trust and goodwill?

Feelings to Action

Oct 06 2019 79 mins

I can only describe this episode as catharsis. We start with a mini-therapy session as we discuss our feelings and the different ways we manage them. Then, as we feel stronger and more capable, we move on to discussing the real change that we can influence to make the world a better place for everyone. This episode uplifted me and placated my worst anxieties. I hope you enjoy it to

Burnout

Aug 15 2019 62 mins

AI in Healthcare and Societal Anxiety

Jul 15 2019 51 mins

Two topics today: First, we revisit artificial intelligence, and its uses (and dangers) in healthcare. Second, we talk about climate and societal anxiety — how to do better in an increasingly scary world, while taking care of ourselves and our mental health.

Perfectionism and Procrastination

Jun 24 2019 46 mins

Why do we procrastinate? How do we overcome our perfectionist tendancies, without sacrificing quality and pride? Today we have a nice, lowkey, casual chat about our personal approaches to perfectionism and procrastination, and riff of what works and doesn't work for us.

Privacy and Trust

May 20 2019 54 mins

How do we ensure our privacy in an increasingly digitised world? How does trust work in this space and how is it different from what we understand? What is informed consent when we cannot be informed, when it is impossible to be informed? And if we cannot consent, who should manage that consent? Governments? Corporations? Neither or both? And what does this mean for our genetic inf

White Supremacist Terrorism

Mar 28 2019 76 mins

This is not a happy episode. This is not a light episode. We spend some time processing the tactics, groups and propaganda that lures people into white supremacist online groups. We are a country still in mourning, so please skip this episode if needed. Take care of yourselves. Arohanui.