When telecoms engineer Martin Cooper first chatted in public on a mobile phone 50 years ago few would have predicted that this brief telephone call would be the start of a revolution that would change the lives of billions. Over the last half a century, the mobile has transformed not just how we communicate with each other but also how we view and interact with the world around us. However, recent research suggests that this may not all be for the best. Drawing on listeners comments and questions, Rajan Datar explores what sets the mobile phone apart from previous communication devices. Why did SMS messaging take off so quickly after a slow start in the 1990s? And how did the morphing of a portable phone into a pocket computer a decade later lead to a situation where many people now interact with their phone more than with any human? Rajan is joined by Scott Campbell, Professor of Telecommunications at the University of Michigan whose work focuses on meanings, uses and consequences of mobile communication in everyday life; behavioural psychologist Dr. Daria Kuss from Nottingham Trent University who specialises in cyberpsychology, technology use and addictive behaviours; and comedienne and PhD. candidate at Exeter University Helen Keen who is researching social connections at the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health. We also hear from educator Wong Fung Sing from Singapore and other listeners from around the world. (Photo: mobile phones in a stack on a table. Credit: iStock/Getty images)
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The distinct musical genre of amapiano can be heard in clubs and parties all around the world.
It's a sound born out of the unique cultural identity of South Africa.
I am Legendary Chris, and I'm going to take you on a journey of exploration as we dive into the history of the music.
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Well, it's nearly an extension of my arm now because I use it for everything.
It's a bit like a sibling.
It's okay most of the time, but sometimes it does something that makes you scratch your head and say, seriously, you know, it's complicated.
When I got to Australia, it felt as if everybody had one.
It is a tool rather than a toy.
It's my best friend ever.
I hate it, but I can't leave it.
That was my first one, but certainly not my last.
And I guess that kind of dates me, doesn't it?
Helen, do you remember your first?
Oh, I do, yes.
It definitely took me a while to get used to it.
It was very demanding and insistent and it's still, I think when I still hear it now, it makes me jump a little bit.
Oh, yes, that is Helen Kean, a popular science writer, broadcaster and comedian.