Future Labs

The Future Looks Bright: A holistic approach to healthy ageing: eyes, ears, nutrition and lifestyle

In our final episode we discuss the importance of preventive actions from nutrition to exercise to regular eye and audiology checks to consider how a lifestyle approach to holistic health can enhance someone’s overall quality of life for longer.
Show notes
Find your local Specsavers store for optometry services https://www.specsavers.com.au
Find your local Specsavers store for audiology services https://www.specsavers.com.au/hearing
Find out more about Macular Disease Foundation Australia https://www.mdfoundation.com.au/
Diabetes Australia, support for people living with diabetes https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/

The Future Looks Bright: Bridging the gap in eye care

Australians have access to some of the best healthcare in the world, but what is less acknowledged are the inequities within the system. In this episode we explore how health professionals are working to close the eye care divide.
Show notes
Find your local Specsavers store for optometry & audiology services https://www.specsavers.com.au
Help support The Fred Hollows Foundation https://www.hollows.org/
Find out more about The Fred Hollows Foundation and Specsavers partnership https://www.hollows.org/corporate-partnerships/specsavers/  https://www.specsavers.com.au/specsavers-community-program/fred-hollows-foundation
Find out more about Deadly Enterprises, Australia’s first Aboriginal-owned optical provider https://www.deadly.health/

The Future Looks Bright: Battling the elements – how eye care innovations are keeping Aussie eyes healthy

Technological eye innovations offered as part of a standard eye check have the potential to reveal underlying health concerns that previously may have gone undetected. In this episode, we discover how the evolution of technology tailored for Australia’s expansive and harsh environment is improving our collective vision.
Show notes
Find your local Specsavers store for optometry and audiology services https://www.specsavers.com.au
Bush to Bowl is a First Nations-owned social enterprise https://bushtobowl.com/
Find out more about the University of Western Australia’s School of Allied Health (Optometry) https://www.uwa.edu.au/schools/allied-health
Read more about The ultraviolet (UV) index https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241590076

The Future Looks Bright: Addressing the myopia epidemic in kids

Nothing hits home quite like the health of our children and with each new generation of digital natives comes the spectre of myopia, also known as short sightedness. In this episode we discuss the big picture issues and data explaining the rise of myopia in Australia.
Show notes
Find your local Specsavers store for optometry & audiology services. https://www.specsavers.com.au/
Australian government guidelines for screen time for kids and young people are included in the Physical activity and exercise guidelines for all Australians. https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians

The Future Looks Bright: Teaser

Did you know 90% of vision loss in Australia can be prevented or treated if detected early? In this series you’ll meet eye health experts and real Aussies navigating their eye health, and discover the innovative tech and advancements leading to equitable eye care for all Australians - the future looks bright indeed.

Moonshot 2030: How we use and reuse resources

In this episode you’ll meet a seaweed farmer, a former fashion designer and a CEO with a passion for battery recycling, as we ask: how important is it to track the supply chain to be sure the materials we’re using are climate neutral? How possible is it for the materials in our products to be designed for a closed-loop system so they don’t end up in landfill?
With continued innovation, investment and consumer support, the products we use every day will increasingly be designed and made with use and reuse front of mind. Let’s hope there will come a time when no one will talk about the circular economy any more because it will just be the way we do things.

Moonshot 2030: How we move

Decarbonising the automotive industry will require a full-scale shift to electrification, with backing from consumers, government, and, of course, the industry itself. In this episode you’ll discover the electric performance car company that has a moonshot goal to create a climate neutral car, and is setting a standard for the whole automotive industry.
You’ll also meet the maritime innovators behind a super-efficient, light, electric ferry, and discover advances in the pursuit of the electrification of the aviation industry, which focus on retrofitting existing aircraft.

Moonshot 2030: Where we live

If we focus our efforts on making new builds and renovations more energy efficient, it will cost us less in the long run and make it easier for us to bring down emissions. It will also feel less like we’re living in drafty tents.
In this episode you’ll hear from a leading sustainability architect, a man with a dream for pull-apart houses, and a retrofitting renovator with high hopes, as we explore how to reduce the energy leaking from Australia’s poorly insulated buildings to make them thermally efficient – designed to be warm in winter and cool in summer.

Moonshot 2030: How we use energy

In this episode you’ll discover some of the game changing, practical solutions designed to bring down our emissions, and find out how they’ll have a positive impact on 2030 targets.
We unpack the innovation and ideas that will make a renewable energy future more achievable for everyone: from electrifying everything to using space tech for more efficient rare earth mining, and from rethinking the life cycles of critical minerals to an attempt to create an all-electric suburb.