#18 Tech vs. The Coronavirus

This week, Kweku, Amy and Rob are celebrating - albeit belatedly - 50 episodes and more than two whole years of the What Comes Next? podcast. The gang discuss the show's highs and lows, share the episodes they're most proud of, reveal the guests they'd most like to invite to a fictional dinner party and disclose their own sprawling visions for humanity's future. FIND US ONLINE All previous episodes: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/ Twitter: @wcnpod Instagram: @wcnpod GET IN TOUCH Questions? Comments? Fiery opinions? We’d love to hear them! Drop us an email at wcn@granttree.co.uk.

What Comes Next? is 50 episodes old! Yes, 50! And we're celebrating with a real doozy of an interview. We're speaking to Richard Hoptroff, whose self-titled startup is providing 'digital time for the virtual world' through a truly unique offering: Traceable Time as a Service. During a broad and frankly eye-opening conversion, physicist-by-training Richard discusses his long career working in chronology - in which he's done everything from predicting the future with neural networks to dating the ancient past - and explains the growing importance of trackable, synchronised time to our ever-accelerating civilisation. SHOW NOTES bit.ly/3EwSS6e FIND US ONLINE All previous episodes: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/ Twitter: @wcnpod Instagram: @wcnpod GET IN TOUCH Questions? Comments? Fiery opinions? We’d love to hear them! Drop us an email at wcn@granttree.co.uk.

Amy, Kweku and Rob speak to Dave Hughes, founder and CEO of Novosound, a Scottish startup revolutionising ultrasound technology. Novosound's flexible, heat-resistant sensors act as wearables for industrial machinery, providing operators with a constant stream of internal telemetry. This continuous monitoring allows factory owners and airlines alike to anticipate mechanical issues early, saving them millions in downtime. Dave talks about the many applications for Novosound's flexible probes, the company's impressive journey to date, and his sky-high hopes for the wider Scottish Startup scene. SHOW NOTES bit.ly/3Ab4Uz6 FIND US ONLINE All previous episodes: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/ Twitter: @wcnpod Instagram: @wcnpod GET IN TOUCH Questions? Comments? Fiery opinions? We’d love to hear them! Drop us an email at wcn@granttree.co.uk.

Check your calendars. Yes, that's right! It's time for a brand new instalment of IOTW: Innovation. Of. The. Week! Kweku looks at how inducing emergency hypothermia could save the lives of trauma victims. Amy discusses Buffalo University's efforts to convert sign language into spoken word by measuring minute disturbances in the air. And Rob explores the benefits of Current Health's remote monitoring platform to both patients and doctors. SHOW NOTES bit.ly/3lDwpMK FIND US ONLINE All previous episodes: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/ Twitter: @wcnpod Instagram: @wcnpod GET IN TOUCH Questions? Comments? Fiery opinions? We’d love to hear them! Drop us an email at wcn@granttree.co.uk

Amy and Rob speak to Dr Murray Ellender, CEO and Co-Founder of eConsult, developers of the most widely used online consultation and triage solution in the UK. Dr Ellender explains how their digital platform is improving the lives of NHS patients and the many hard-working professionals that staff our national health service. SHOW NOTES bit.ly/3hb0X7b FIND US ONLINE All previous episodes: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/ Twitter: @wcnpod Instagram: @wcnpod GET IN TOUCH Questions? Comments? Fiery opinions? We’d love to hear them! Drop us an email at wcn@granttree.co.uk

It's Innovation of the Week time! Rob shares Kitemill's plans to harness wind energy with high-flying drones. Kweku buzzes over Georgia Tech's vibration-powered 'bristle bots'. SHOW NOTES bit.ly/3zIcbY9 FIND US ONLINE All previous episodes: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/ Twitter: @wcnpod Instagram: @wcnpod GET IN TOUCH Questions? Comments? Fiery opinions? We’d love to hear them! Drop us an email at wcn@granttree.co.uk

Everyone knows that if we want to solve the climate emergency, we need to transition to 100% renewable energy. What we’re less sure about is how we can store renewable energy so that it’s available to us when we need it, not just when the wind is blowing. A number of storage systems are already in development, like large lithium batteries to canisters of compressed air. But none are as elegant as Gravitricity’s “solid weight storage solution” that converts excess electricity into gravitation potential energy. Gravitricity's managing director Charlie Blair joins us to talk more about the company's solution and its plans for the future. FIND OUT MORE: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/45-gravity-powered-batteries/ FIND US ONLINE All previous episodes: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/ Twitter: @wcnpod Instagram: @wcnpod GET IN TOUCH Questions? Comments? Fiery opinions? We’d love to hear them! Drop us an email at wcn@granttree.co.uk

It's time for another edition of Innovation of the Week! On this episode, Rob shares Oxbotica's plan for Universal Autonomy, Kweku hails Aqualonis' water-harvesting CloudFisher and Amy delves into sweat-powered scrolling. FIND US ONLINE All previous episodes: granttree.co.uk/what-comes-next/ Twitter: @wcnpod Instagram: @wcnpod GET IN TOUCH Questions? Comments? Fiery opinions? We’d love to hear them! Drop us an email at wcn@granttree.co.uk