How fanfiction took over the world (and stayed free)
Fanfiction has gone from photocopied zines traded at conventions to millions of stories shared online. From smut-filled Harry Potter ships to the fic that birthed Fifty Shades of Grey, we explore fanfiction's growth, its influence on writing and culture, and how Archive of Our Own has stayed free and fan-run in an internet that charges for almost everything.GUESTS:Danielle Binks, fanfiction (and regular fiction) writer, literary agent, and lecturer in Creative Writing at RMIT UniversityRachel Linton, board member at the Office of Transformative Works, the group that runs one of the biggest fanfiction sites out there, Archive of Our Own (AO3)This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm.Technical production by Adrian Jones.
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How did an Australian team make the biggest video game in the world today?
This week, an Australian video game called Hollow Knight: Silksong is the biggest video game in the world. It’s made by a small team out of Adelaide and has already sold millions of copies worldwide. What could this mean for our quietly successful games industry here in Australia? And why do we still have so much trouble seeing video games as a form of art? Also, new research is out that says up to a third of all women playing video games feel guilt-ridden about their hobby. While nobody bats an eye about consuming television or film, video games are still stigmatised as something to be ashamed of. What is it about video games that make us feel so unproductive? Plus, what if playing a video game could actively improve your mental health? A team out of Oxford University has developed a game with the express purpose of doing just that. Does it work? And what other games are out there that could be achieving the same thing? GUESTS:Ruby Innes, co-host of Back Pocket Edmond Tran, managing editor of This Week in Video Games This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal Land.
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Download This Show
Explore the latest in technology, social media, consumer electronics, digital culture and more.
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Why is Australia spending a billion dollars on a quantum computer that doesn't exist yet?
2025 is the 'International Year of Quantum Science and Technology', but what actually is quantum science? IBM and AMD are teaming up to champion 'quantum-centric supercomputing' – but what's the difference between a supercomputer and a regular computer? Will we ever see a supercomputer show up in our own homes? And why is Australia making a billion-dollar bet on a quantum computing facility in Brisbane? Plus, how and why did scientists develop a ‘biological qubit’, and could quantum computing be the missing piece in dealing with the impacts of climate change? GUESTS: Justin Hendry, innovation and business reporter for InnovationAus Ben McAllister, Research Fellow - ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics at Swinburne University of Technology This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm.
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Wimbledon broke 148 years of tradition to replace 300 line judges with AI -- will it be worth it?
How much is human adjudication in sport worth, and how much more accurate is Wimbledon's new system? Plus, the CSIRO and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) have joined forces to research how AI can be used ethically and efficiently in sports.
Download This Show is your weekly guide to the world of media, culture, and technology. From social media to gadgets, streaming services to privacy issues. Each week Rae Johnston and guests take a fun, deep dive into how technology is reshaping our lives.
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