FiST Chat: Film, Science and Technology News

After 178 episodes spanning more than three and a half years, FiST Chat is now officially wrapped in this final episode. Or is it? Steve and Ben discuss the entire FiST Chat experience, from its humble and technically difficult beginnings, to the show that has now run its course and the move to their new platform, SciTech Culture where the guys plan to expand on the content they have been producing to include serialised fiction, more varied blogs and articles, photography, social media interactions and of course, a new format for their discussions in science and technology. Stay tuned for more on SciTech Culture.

Most of us over the age of 10 would have grown up laughing to Robin Williams in one form or another. The news of his tragic passing has sent shockwaves not only through Hollywood but throughout the world. The comedian who could make everyone laugh except himself was treasured by many for his rapid fire, quick-witted comedy and will be missed. Steve and Ben discuss Williams’ imprint on the world. The guys also discuss the science of meat production, and the explosion in Health Tracking apps and technologies that are only set to become more pervasive in the coming decade. Is it a good thing, or is Skynet stealthily approaching?

Sitting or standing? Standing or sitting? This argument has become contentious when addressing ergonomic considerations in an office environment. Can a standing desk provide better comfort for workers, or is there more to consider, including exercises and movement during the day? Steve and Ben discuss the science of standing desks, along with the following topics: Martin Scorsese knows why film is worth saving in a digital world, Impossible Space Engine May Actually Work according to NASA, and Australians Are Claiming A World-First Technology Breakthrough In Using Graphene For Micro Devices.

Advances in technology over the last decade have endangered a whole range of jobs in various sectors. Whether it be the decline in paper mail deliveries, manual labour in factory work, meter readers, printing workers or farmers, a number of old-style 20th century jobs are now on the decline, with the potential for them to either morph in to the new jobs or disappear entirely. Steve and Ben discuss the most endangered jobs of 2014 and the knock on effects on society.

Apple and IBM have seemingly out of the blue announced a surprising partnership which will see Apple’s device utilise IBM’s resources to gain further mileage in the corporate and enterprise markets. They may be oil and water but Apple and IBM may just make this work. And in the film world, Time Warner rejects Fox’s take-over offer. Is this Rupert Murdoch’s only chance to nab more of the global media market, or will he have another go? Steve and Ben discuss these stories as well as the potential take-over in the science field of Pfizer over AstraZaneca in the UK.

It’s that time of the year again as Steve and Ben go through some of the notable sci-fi films of the year. Making the list this year are Godzilla, Edge of Tomorrow, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men: Days Of Future Past and Interstellar, all very well made (or potentially well made) films from Hollywood in 2014. Steve and Ben also discuss the news stories: Kevin Smith talks "Star Wars Ep 7" set visit, the secret to keeping flowers young, and Can your face reveal how long you'll live? New technology may provide the answer.

Today’s films are not given the chance to make an imprint on the minds of their intended audiences, largely thanks to a release cycle engineered by Hollywood to ensure maximum returns on the opening weekend. By the second weekend, films are by and large forgotten unless there is no competition for the number one spot. This is a far cry from the Hollywood of even 15 years ago which allowed films to stay in the cinema for at least six months, and by doing so, making an impact on the culture. Steve and Ben discuss this turn of events in the film industry, and how film’s cultural impact may have now passed us by forever. Steve and Ben also discuss in their news bites: James Franco and Seth Rogen's new Kim Jong-un assassination film 'The Interview' slammed by North Korean spokesman, Time travel has been simulated by Australian physicists, Will the Supreme Court ever figure out technology?

Amazon and Google recently made some announcements around what they’re working on and releasing this year. Amazon released the perplexing Fire Phone, it’s first offering in the smartphone market. With the smartphone market dominated by Apple and Google products, does Amazon have a realistic chance with the Fire Phone? And does it make sense given their primary business is digital content, which suits their Kindle Fire tablet range more? And with Google I/O 2014, the company made some interesting announcements around Android, wearables, TV and car technologies. Steve and Ben discuss these announcements as well as a fascinating new technology story about a new brain chip that has successfully allowed a quadriplegic man to move his hand.

The mysterious and tragic disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 has led to calls for improvements in radar tracking and detection of aircraft during flights. Italian researchers are currently working on a new radar system employing lasers, or put another way, photonic radar. The lasers would bounce off airplanes, allowing for a greater accuracy in tracking where traditional radar comes up short, particularly in black zones over vast stretches of ocean. Steve and Ben discuss the potential of photonic radars and how they could help prevent flight disappearances in the future. Steve and Ben also discuss digital realities that confront Chinese film dreams, continental movement may be speeding up, and France get first World Cup technology goal.

An Australian science researcher has recently claimed that anti-ageing treatments, possibly involving a pill, may be available for public use within the next 20 years. Encouraging tests with mice have shown experimental treatments either stopping or reverting the ageing process. This could potentially lead people to live very healthy and productive lives for much longer than anticipated now. Imagine playing tennis well in to your 90s! Steve and Ben discuss the anti-ageing research and what it could potentially mean for society. Steve and Ben discuss the film critic who responds to outrage over linking Seth Rogen with Elliot Rodger, Aussie science program The Curiosity Show makes a comeback after 24 years, and unbelievable display technology uses levitating particles as pixels.

Apple announced that latest versions of OS X and iOS at WWDC 2014. OS X 10.10 Yosemite evolves the Mac operating system, giving it a new design look that resembles its iOS counterparts while introducing intriguing new cross platform features like Continuity. iOS 8 builds on the previous iOS release with HealthKit, Family Sharing and more. While these updates are iterative in nature, this didn’t stop Apple from securing all the press coverage from the event and is a testament to the strength of their brand. But has this gone too far? Is it too much to expect Apple to make an iPhone-level announcement at every keynote. Steve and Ben discuss the WWDC keynote as well as where Apple currently stands in the tech market. Steve and Ben also discuss fictional products from movies or TV shows that later became a reality, accelerated science learning starts early, and photos often don't reflect the real you.

Microsoft launched its latest generation Surface device, the Surface Pro 3, featuring a vastly improved form factor, impressive specs and a sense that the device has finally arrived for the tech behemoth. Will the Surface Pro 3 be enough to kick start Microsoft’s campaign that the tablet/PC hybrid is the future of mobile computing? Steve and Ben discuss the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft’s strategy, as well as the position of the modern tablet four years on from Apple’s breakthrough announcement with the iPad. Steve and Ben also discuss the dumping of Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut by Warner Brothers, alien life being discovered in the next two decades and Google beats Apple as the world’s most valuable brand.

Movie and Television content has been steeped in a rich history of platform specific guidelines, governing their length, form and how they are consumed by the public. With the rapidly evolving on-demand services, the internet and changing practices in the industry, content is about to become platform agnostic, where the viewer will choose what, where, when and what platform they consume their content and entertainment. Steve and Ben discuss this brave new world, and how despite the technology already exists for this to happen, the regimented nature of the business models currently in place will prevent this occurring for at least another decade or two. Steve and Ben also discuss the recent Commission of Audit how it affects funding to Screen Australia, the lack of focus in science funding and recommendations for further investments in Big Data.

The cost of cinema tickets has risen dramatically over the years, particularly in the big multiplex chains that deliver the latest Hollywood blockbusters. With fewer people attending the cinema than in decades past, and the rise of convenient, high quality and cheap online streaming services such as Netflix, the thought of going to the cinema is now not such an economically viable option. Steve and Ben discuss how the traditional cinematic business model may now be hurting the film industry, particularly in the long term with online streaming offering far cheaper alternatives for watching films.

As we move further along in the 21st century, jobs and industries are being transformed. Older industries, such as traditional manufacturing, are moving away from the Western world or ceasing altogether. In their place however are new jobs and industries that will tap in to the changing needs of our society as we progress further with advances in science and technology. Steve and Ben go through a list of the top science and tech jobs of the future, and how many of them are not beyond the realm of possibility within the short term.

We live in a world of devices. With the advent of the iPhone, tech companies the world over have flooded the market with a vast array of very capable smartphones, tablets, and computers. Choosing the right one within this environment to suit your needs is akin to finding a needle in a haystack, but if you do your research and know exactly what you need to accomplish with your device, the process becomes a little easier. Steve and Ben discuss how choosing the right device is important for your workflow and needs. Also on the show: Orson Welles' camera and Citizen Kane scripts to be auctioned, why do leaves change colour in autumn and what do malware and mosquitoes have in common?

1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted in a year. If that amount of food being wasted doesn’t boggle your mind, think of all the energy that was wasted in processing, packaging and transporting that food. It’s an astonishing amount of waste in a world which needs to seriously look at wasting less and recycling more. Steve and Ben take a look at some options being developed to turn rotten food in to energy so that we can minimise that waste. Also on the show, Office for iPad is finally released, Aussie disaster film shelved over plot similarities to MH370, losing sleep can cause you to lose brain cells and US technology to join hunt for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.

Don’t give up your day job is a common expression and none heard more than those pursuing artistic and creative careers. For filmmakers, having a day job is a necessity given the infrequent income generated from such a career, unless you are one of the fortunate ones to be paid a lot for your efforts. Steve and Ben discuss the issues surrounding how filmmakers can support themselves while making their films, as well as the theory around struggling for your art. Also on the show, problems with the Veronica Mars film release sees investors get refunds, scientists prove the five second rule is no myth, and smartphones and new credit card technology set to revolutionise how we pay.

The writing process is simultaneously an enjoyably creative one as well as long, difficult and intensive. Staying dedicated to the task and getting something down on paper (or on your computer) is key to success in writing. A blank page will remain a blank page until you put something on to it; and once you have something written down, you can start working on it. Steve and Ben discuss their experiences in writing for various mediums, and how current technologies are allowing the writing process to become more malleable than ever before.

In the good old days when moving images were captured on film, storage, archiving and recovery were quite robust given the techniques that could be relied upon to maintain those images in those formats. In the 21st century, where electronic mediums such as hard drives and cloud storage systems are becoming the norm, and where moving images are captured digitally, the challenge is now to find new mediums to store and archive film and video. Steve and Ben discuss the issues involved in this process, and how celluloid may actually be a storage medium for the future despite it being phased out from use in the film industry.

Wikipedia has spruiked itself as the online encyclopedia for all, but has it actually taken the place of the traditional encyclopaedia that we have come to know and rely on as a reliable source of information? Steve and Ben discuss the role of Wikipedia as an information source, as well as the issues involved with individual users contributing to Wikipedia’s content and the reliability of the information sent. Steve and Ben also cover a Los Angeles film crew being hit by a train, Volcanoes partly explain warming hiatus, and Bitcoin ATMs coming to the US.

Facebook advertising promises to send more users to your page so they can like and interact with your content. But is it all that it appears to be? Derek Muller recently demonstrated in a video that Facebook advertising is not that much different to click farms in the sense that the likes generates from the advertising do not translate in to valuable interactions with your page. Steve and Ben discuss the issue of Facebook’s advertising platform, and whether or not the social media giant may need to tweak its algorithm further to provide better results for the end user.

The story of Marius the Giraffe and the insensitive way in which he was put down has made for some bad press for Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark. After euthanizing the giraffe due to issues surrounding his genes and inter-breeding with other animals, the zoo promptly fed his body to the lions on full view of the public. Steve and Ben discuss this remarkable story, as well as how zoos have to deal with issues such as these. Steve and Ben also cover the new Lego Movie, celebrations for Darwin’s Day, and the rise and fall of Flappy Bird – the latest mobile app sensation.