A Point of View

Facing more force than astronauts blasting off to space, Formula One drivers must be agile, focused, and determined. In this episode, Charles and Akash break down the recent rise to prominence of F1 racing, addressing common critiques of the sport and the technological innovations that win championships.

Recounting the highlights and lost legends of 2021, Akash and Charles are back for the triumphant return of A Point of View. Topics range from COVID to NFTs to inflation to Olympic competition, with an additional discussion on the legacies of Desmond Tutu and Milkha Singh.

Although Bitcoin and Dogecoin have dominated recent headlines, central banks around the world have been working to create their own digital currencies. How do cryptocurrencies relate to these proposed central bank digital currencies (CBDC)? Should we embrace or fear the transition to a cashless world? Erin Song joins us to discuss the answers.

How much data is being collected about you and how is it being used? Who is using it and for what purposes? How can we create international ethics frameworks for data usage when countries can't even coordinate COVID-19 policies? With implications ranging from the development of lethal autonomous weapon systems to targeted advertising, Yazan Al-Asad provides some of the answers.

What is life if not a series of transitions? What countervailing forces must be balanced when moving from the comfortable to the uncomfortable? How can we go from evading change to embracing change? McGill University student Montana Chong offers her take.

Will the novel COVID-19 vaccines protect you against new strains of the virus? Should you be concerned about potential long-term side effects of which we are not yet aware? If you have already had the virus, is there any benefit to receiving the vaccine? Resident physician Jasmene Uppal answers these questions and more.

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Njamba Koffi was forced to flee ethnic persecution and grew up in the refugee camps of Malawi and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). In his book, "Refuge-E: The Journey Much Desired," he details the experience of living in these refugee settlements and his life as one of the 3% of refugees who receive tertiary education. After reflecting on his journey, he shares insights on overcoming adversity and making a difference in the lives of those around you.

What explains the persistence of extreme poverty? How can we better understand what policies are successful in aiding the poor? Development enthusiast Pulkit Aggarwal explores these important questions.

What are the societal implications of autonomous vehicles? How transformative will this technology be? How are the ethics of autonomous vehicles impacted by the decisions of computer engineers? Kash Pirani joins us again to continue the conversation.

What technology is enabling the development of autonomous vehicles? How close are we to achieving level five autonomy? What even is level five autonomy? This week's guest, Kash Pirani, has some of the answers.