The Unlearn Project

The Unlearn Project is about changing common sense. The way the world works has changed. Things you thought you knew like automation will make our work easier, music is something to listen to, large companies can’t innovate, or data is the new oil are no longer true. Hosts Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer set out to unlearn old wisdoms and discover new ones. From Sydney Business Insights at the University of Sydney Business School.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We set out to unlearn old wisdoms and discover new ones, starting with computers. When the world changes, we also need to change our common sense. And as it turns out we live in a time when lots of things change, and many of them have to do with technology. Computing is now everywhere. But it didn’t use to be. So maybe the first thing to unlearn is computers: what they are and what they are for. From human computers to algorithms, we are no longer just using them, they increasingly govern our lives. A human computer still working at NASA, a trust expert and a Nobel Prize winner and a historian weigh in. You can find transcripts, links for the curious and more episodes on our website: https://sbi.sydney.edu.au/why-the-unlearn-project-and-computers/ Is there something you think we need to unlearn? Send your ideas to sbi@sydney.edu.au. We read your emails. If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to check out our other podcasts to keep updated on the latest insights into the future of business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss why it’s no longer true that automation and AI will make all our jobs easier. While automation might reduce the amount of work available to humans and leads to job losses, at least the remaining work will be of higher quality. This common wisdom has always underpinned the idea of automation. Yet surprisingly, in many industries AI can leave workers worse off, as the quality of work declines, making life harder and more stressful for workers across industries. We hear from pilots, lawyers, academics, ride share drivers and kickstarters. You can find transcripts, links for the curious and more episodes on our website: https://sbi.sydney.edu.au/why-automation-makes-your-job-harder-unlearn-automation/ Is there something you think we need to unlearn? Send your ideas to sbi@sydney.edu.au. We read your emails. If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to check out our other podcasts to keep updated on the latest insights into the future of business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss how the way we engage with music is fundamentally changing - from something we just listen to, to something we create with. On platforms like TikTok, music is becoming a material for creation, for self-expression, for storytelling. And this very real shift in what people do with music, has implications not only for the music industry and what music is, but ultimately for all of us. We hear from the head of music at TikTok, record breaking artists, influencers, musicologists and narratologists. You can find transcripts, links for the curious and more episodes on our website: https://sbi.sydney.edu.au/why-music-is-no-longer-just-for-listening-unlearn-music/ Is there something you think we need to unlearn? Send your ideas to sbi@sydney.edu.au. We read your emails. If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to check out our other podcasts to keep updated on the latest insights into the future of business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this extra episode, we take a deep dive into the history of the music industry. We go down rabbit holes that take us from Victorian England to Sydney harbour in the 70s and then on to the hip hop culture of New York in the 80s. We trace the music industry as it resisted and adapted to the rise of new technologies and came to understand music as a product. We hear from a leading researcher on popular music, the creator of the first music sampler, a renowned hip hop artist, and even Thomas Edison… You can find transcripts, links for the curious and more episodes on our website: https://sbi.sydney.edu.au/extra-a-music-deep-dive-on-the-unlearn-project/ Is there something you think we need to unlearn? Send your ideas to sbi@sydney.edu.au. We read your emails. If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to check out our other podcasts to keep updated on the latest insights into the future of business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming soon… we look at retiring retirement. We talk with a leading mental health researcher, an economist, a former Prime Minister, Nobel Prize winners, a linguist, and an octogenarian human computer. Stay tuned in 2022 for more episodes of The Unlearn Project, our podcast about changing common sense. Hosts Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer will continue to unlearn old wisdoms and discover new ones. From Sydney Business Insights at the University of Sydney Business School. You can find links for the curious and more episodes on our website: https://sbi.sydney.edu.au/the-unlearn-project/ Is there something you think we need to unlearn? Send your ideas to sbi@sydney.edu.au. We read your emails. If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to check out our other podcasts to keep updated on the latest insights into the future of business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.