Ruby Wax on laptop addiction, mindfulness and community

Comedian, author and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax OBE is addicted to her laptop - and here she explains to Dr Anna about the positive and negative impacts it has on her mental health. They are joined by Rio Tinto’s Chief Scientist, Nigel Steward, who explains the material science behind creating computers and introducing sustainable innovations in how they are being made. Listen to hear why turning off notifications helps both industrial processes as well as our brains, and the importance of community in today's digital age.

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How do the objects we rely on come to be made? What goes into creating them? How did they become so vital to us? And what is the environmental impact of living with them, now and into the future? 

 

Join material scientist Dr Anna Ploszajski as she welcomes different guests including scientists to discuss the truths about our reliance on the earth’s resources – and to look at what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on.

 

Things You Can’t Live Without is brought to you by Rio Tinto. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

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• No. of episodes: 21
• Latest episode: 2025-05-21
• Society & Culture Science Earth Sciences

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