1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: It's the Happy Families Podcast. It's the podcast for the 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 1: time poor parent who just answers Now good Day. It's 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: doctor Justin Coulson. 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 2: Every Wednesday, I get to have a conversation with somebody 5 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 2: really interesting about stuff that applies to what we're supposed 6 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: to be doing as parents so that we can help 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 2: our kids to thrive and flourish. Kylie doesn't join me 8 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 2: for these interviews, but today I have somebody who can 9 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 2: amply fill her space with some incredible insights and ideas 10 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: today speaking with doctor Catherine Ball. Katherine is a scientific futurist. 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 2: She's a tech influencer. Katherine and I actually shared the 12 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: ted stage at ted ex Melbourne about five years ago. 13 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: Katherine is a drone expert and an associate professor, among 14 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: a million other things. Oh and a mum to two 15 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 2: kids aged four and two. Doctor Catherine Ball, thanks for 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 2: joining me on the Happy Families podcast today. 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 3: Thanks so much for having me. How are you going? 18 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: Yeah? Super and excited to be able to spend some 19 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: time chatting with you again. Catherine. 20 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 2: The central question of this podcast really is girls and 21 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 2: stem This is your area of expertise and I know 22 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 2: there are going to be some people who listening to 23 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 2: this conversation going, this is not the typical Happy Families podcast, 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 2: This is not where we normally play. These are not 25 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 2: the typical things that we talk about. But I would 26 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 2: imagine that many people will be going, what does it 27 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 2: matter whether it's boys or girls who are doing the 28 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 2: science and the tech and the engineering and the mats. 29 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 2: Who really cares? As long as someone's doing it, as 30 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 2: long as we can get our trains to work, our 31 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: bridges to be built, our astronauts to fly, our planes 32 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 2: to stay up in the sky. Does it really matter 33 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 2: if it's male or female? What's the big deal with 34 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: girls and stem? Why are our schools making such a 35 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 2: big deal about it? Why are their businesses out there 36 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 2: who are profiting from it? 37 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: Does it really matter? Can you respond to those. 38 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 2: People who might be asking those that kind of a question, 39 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 2: and they're asking it sincerely, It's not like there's any 40 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 2: sort of sexist motive behind it. 41 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: Does it actually matter? Why the big deal? 42 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 3: Well, I would suggest this's probably an unconscious or subconscious 43 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 3: sexism that's basically been cold fed to everybody by drip 44 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 3: method called the patriarchy that we've been living in for 45 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 3: the last few thousand years. So I don't know if 46 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 3: you've ever done the Harvard am I sexist test. As 47 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 3: a father of six girls, I think you would find 48 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 3: it in enlightning, because as the raging feminist and egalitarian 49 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 3: person that I am, even I slipped up to the 50 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 3: point where I saw women at home and men at work, 51 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 3: and I was very desperately upset, and I called my 52 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 3: mum and I was like, how is this? This does 53 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 3: not reflect the things that I care about, how I act, 54 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 3: how I work, how I live, how I play. And 55 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 3: she said, Catherine, what do you think you've been brought 56 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 3: up in? You're having to undo all of that stuff 57 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 3: of not seeing women on the television, just seeing women 58 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 3: as sex objects, just seeing token women, not seeing women speak, 59 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 3: not seeing women speak to each other about something other 60 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,679 Speaker 3: than a man, all of those things that we've been imbibing. 61 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 3: So if someone said to me, why is the bother 62 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 3: of why do we care about gender equality? What on 63 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 3: earth should we care? Why on earth should we care 64 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 3: about it? Well, part of me would like to say, 65 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 3: would you like to find a solution to climate change? 66 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 3: Would you like to feed the next billion people that 67 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 3: are going to be on this planet. Would you like 68 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 3: to have a fair and equitable political world which doesn't 69 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 3: need a civil water, then actually put gender diversity into 70 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 3: our politicians representing us. Like would you want to if 71 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 3: I flip the coin, if I said to you right now, 72 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 3: I'm going to force this, so you are ten percent 73 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 3: men working in these jobs and ninety percent women in 74 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 3: these jobs. How would that feel as a world to 75 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 3: you if you were not represented? And gender is only 76 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 3: one of the levers around representation. Gender you'd like to 77 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 3: think is probably one of the most obvious and easiest 78 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 3: levers which we could switch. But even now, looking at 79 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 3: the gaping jaws of defeat graph that I refer to 80 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 3: in my ted talk, it's going to take us two 81 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 3: hundred years to get gender equality in the way that 82 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 3: we deserve to have it. We deserve to have a 83 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 3: society that is based in technology, in medicine, in politics, 84 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 3: in economics, in finance, in you know, international development and 85 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 3: aid work that represents every single drop of intellectual capability 86 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 3: in this country. And unless you have gender equality, you 87 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 3: are fishing from a half pool. And there's no way 88 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 3: that I would suggest it's logical for anyone to not 89 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 3: recoes the value of every single brain being around the 90 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 3: table when it comes to gnarly and difficult decisions. If 91 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 3: I was to put that in a nutshell, I would say, 92 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 3: if you are even thinking that there's a reason why 93 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 3: we don't need girls in stem or we don't want 94 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 3: gender equality, then you need to check yourself because you 95 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 3: are sexist and you do not recognize the state of 96 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 3: the world. You do not recognize the levels of family 97 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 3: and domestic violence that are directly caused by lack of respect, 98 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 3: which starts with a lack of representation and respect which 99 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 3: comes from where you know, it comes from generations and generations, 100 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 3: or it comes from the society around us. If we 101 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 3: had better gender representation across the board in Australia, we 102 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 3: would have a happier, healthier, more economically successful society. And 103 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 3: I can't see a single argument against that that I 104 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 3: would pass the pub test with. 105 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 2: I think that the best way that we can utilize 106 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 2: your incredible brain in this conversation is to just talk 107 00:04:55,279 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 2: about what parents of girls specifically, but kids generally need 108 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 2: to hear when it comes to helping their kids to 109 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 2: find that thing and maybe even to move into those 110 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 2: stem areas where let's face it, Australia could probably do 111 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 2: a little bit better. We're looking for more opportunities here. 112 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 2: There's a future out there that too many Australian brains 113 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 2: are not taking part in when they need to. How 114 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 2: do we move our kids in that direction as long 115 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 2: as they've got the slightest proclivity. 116 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 3: Well, if people want to follow up with me and 117 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 3: my social media, I've got lots of further information on that. 118 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 3: I know we don't have time to talk about all 119 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 3: of it today. My one big ask is this, there 120 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 3: are two facts you need to keep in your mind 121 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 3: when you think about the opportunities that you have for 122 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 3: your kids in the next five, ten, fifteen, twenty years. 123 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 3: When they get going in their careers, most of the 124 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 3: jobs that currently exist in the next twenty years will 125 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,359 Speaker 3: not So what we have to actually look at are 126 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 3: the skills and the aptitude that we breed into our 127 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 3: kids and we build into our kids, and that resilience 128 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 3: and that ability for them to adapt and learn and change. 129 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 3: There's been so much push for coding in the classroom, 130 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 3: but we know now that AI is going to be 131 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 3: the thing that's writing the code, not us. So what 132 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 3: we actually need the people can talk to artificial intelligence. 133 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 3: We need the William Shakespeare's of the world, the silvia 134 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 3: plaths of the world. We need the ability to talk 135 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 3: to technology and have technology do what it is that 136 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 3: we need to do. So how do you breed that 137 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 3: into someone what languages? For me, coding was only ever 138 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 3: a language. So you might have a child who you think, 139 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 3: while they're really into languages, they're really into art, what 140 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 3: on earth are they going to have in a technological future. Well, 141 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 3: quite frankly, they're the people that are going to build 142 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 3: the metaverse. One of the key things that we have 143 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 3: that's going on with technology at the moment is we're 144 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,799 Speaker 3: all becoming consumers. We're not becoming curators, creators or engineers. 145 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 3: And this is the rise of new cybernetics. So the 146 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 3: idea of where humans, technology, and the environment converge, this 147 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 3: is where magic is going to happen. And Steve Jobs 148 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 3: predicted this twenty years ago before Mark Zuckerberger even thought 149 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 3: about using social media to track down single women on campus. 150 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 3: And so, if we look at the skills that you 151 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 3: might want to present to any of your children, regardless 152 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 3: of their genders, is the opportunity for them to flourish 153 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 3: in the things that they care about, because everything human 154 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 3: is going to have value, everything automated is going to 155 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 3: be automated. To be able to approach a problem with 156 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 3: a creative mindset and a systems led way of thinking 157 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 3: are the absolute needs that we have even right now 158 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 3: in industry. So we know. So that's stage one. So 159 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 3: allow them to do what they love. Allow them to 160 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 3: be creative. And don't think that an English degree is 161 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 3: going to stop them working in technology or an Arts 162 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 3: degree is going to stop them working in technology, because 163 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 3: every job is going to be working in technology in 164 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 3: ten year's time. 165 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: I have to stop you before you go on to 166 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 2: point two. I'm so I'm so glad that you said that, 167 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 2: because I've got a daughter who loves English, and just 168 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 2: the other day I was saying to her, go to UNI, 169 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: do Arts, do English? 170 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: And she said, but what's the point. What am I 171 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: going to do with that? And I was saying to it. 172 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 2: The skills that you will learn, the creativity, the analytical thought, 173 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 2: the critical way of analyzing and working through problems, the 174 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 2: knowledge that you're gain as an English major. I mean, 175 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 2: it's such a weird thing to study at UNI. People 176 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 2: going to do business or accounting, or they go and 177 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 2: do it or whatever it is, but or psychology. But 178 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 2: I said, English is your theme. It's what lights you up. 179 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 2: Don't worry about the career. Who cares about the career. 180 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 2: It will sort itself out if you find what you love. 181 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 3: When the pandemic hit, where did we all turn? We 182 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 3: all turned to the arts. I was so desperately upset 183 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 3: that they weren't better supported because we all straight away 184 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 3: went to streaming services. We went to live opera streaming services. 185 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 3: We went to you know, watching people singing alone in pubs. 186 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 3: You know, we try. We went to the arts, We 187 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 3: went to who we are? And I remember Winston Churchill. 188 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 3: I think in World War two someone said something about 189 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 3: him moving all of the British Museum things into some 190 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 3: of the London underground stations, and they were like, well, 191 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:37,319 Speaker 3: what on earth do you care about this kind of old, 192 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 3: dusty artwork for? And he said, what do you think 193 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 3: we're fighting for? We're fighting for who we are, and 194 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 3: who we are in literalary concepts and constructs for me 195 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 3: is incredibly important. And I'd like you to send your 196 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 3: daughter looking for Professor Genevieve Bell's work because at the moment, 197 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 3: Professor Genevieve is looking at the new cybernetics and she's 198 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 3: actually looking backwards in time to find the very first 199 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 3: moments where cybernetics and the metaverse were ever discussed, and 200 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 3: all the way back to eighteen fifty one to the 201 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 3: London Winter's Fair. So if your daughter wants to get 202 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 3: involved in the future, she needs to understand the past, 203 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 3: and she needs to understand the past of language and 204 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 3: of creation and of environment and what it is to 205 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 3: be human, not what it is to be able to 206 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 3: fill out an Excel spreadsheet. 207 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: Everything's connected. I love this. 208 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 3: Everything is connected. 209 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: What's point too? 210 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 3: So point to is you need to be a bit active, right, So, 211 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 3: though you might have a child who's really engaged in 212 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 3: the visual arts, for example, where has your daughter ever tried, 213 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 3: you know, writing a poem using an AI code. Has 214 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 3: she ever participated in an after school camp or got 215 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 3: involved with a school holiday program where she's maybe going 216 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,319 Speaker 3: out onto country in Australia and learning from people that 217 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 3: speak different languages. Has she ever looked at history from 218 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 3: a different set of eyes? Has she traveled? Will she backpack? 219 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 3: Will she take a gap year? Some of your other 220 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 3: daughters might be more technologically minded. Where are they doing 221 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 3: their work experience? Have you bought a VR headset so 222 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 3: your artists children can maybe paint as a virtual virtuality 223 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 3: artist is a thing now, by the way, So what 224 00:09:58,040 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 3: I'm saying here is you need to spend time and 225 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 3: money not only allowing your children to be who they are, 226 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 3: but actually to push them down the rabbit holes of 227 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 3: where these technologies are coming out of. This could be 228 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 3: as simple as you might not like coding, you might 229 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 3: not like tech, and that's fine because you've got a 230 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 3: whole load of other friends that you can shove into this. 231 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 3: Right So you might have a cousin, a brother and 232 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 3: aren't a best mate, somebody who your child trusts and 233 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 3: has as a really solid relationship with, and they can 234 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 3: go and do a Girl Geek Academy coding camp, for example, 235 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 3: where both of them learn to code and both of 236 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 3: them work on a project. So that your daughter then 237 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 3: has a mentor that's back in her regular life away 238 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 3: from school that she can talk to about coding, she 239 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 3: can talk to about algorithms, she can talk to about 240 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 3: machine learning, and they have a relationship built around this 241 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 3: absorption of technology. 242 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:38,959 Speaker 1: Okay, So two points. 243 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 2: Number one, make sure your kids are pursuing their passions 244 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 2: and another to steer them into the tech avenues that 245 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 2: build out from that. And if it's not, you invite 246 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 2: them to investigate themselves, which kind of flies in the 247 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 2: face of so much of the advice out there that 248 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 2: your kids have got to get off screens, right, because 249 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 2: this is where they're going to learn that, this is 250 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 2: where they're going to do it. If there's any other 251 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 2: things that parents could be doing too, I mean, you 252 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 2: know what, I'm interrupting myself here. 253 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:05,199 Speaker 1: I can't help it. 254 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 2: Anyone who says that, and I don't know anyone who 255 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 2: does say this, but there's this stereotype that's still out 256 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 2: there that I don't know, girls don't do engineering. For example, 257 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 2: you can look around a university course and all the 258 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 2: guys there, there's only two girls in the room or 259 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 2: whatever it is. I'm listening to what you're saying, Catherine, 260 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 2: and even if parents are listening to this and going, 261 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,439 Speaker 2: I have no idea what she's actually saying, and I'm 262 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,319 Speaker 2: sure that there will be a few who are going, WHOA, 263 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 2: what happened here? What happened to the podcast? My sense 264 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,079 Speaker 2: is that anybody who's listening to you can Number One, 265 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 2: they know that you know what you're talking about, and 266 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 2: that you're female surprised. I mean, this is this is 267 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 2: twenty twenty two, and this is doable, and it's supposed 268 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 2: to be there for everybody. And the passion and the 269 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 2: excitement and the interest that you have in this is contagious. 270 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 2: I feel like my energy level has lifted about seven, 271 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 2: not just since we began the conversation, just because I 272 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 2: can hear it coming out of you. If there was 273 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,439 Speaker 2: one last thing that parents could do other than direct 274 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 2: their kids in those into those avenues, even if they 275 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 2: don't know what they are themselves, and have them experimenting 276 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 2: them and using their screens and the technologies productively going 277 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 2: down these different rabbit holes. What's the last take home 278 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,319 Speaker 2: message that you might give to parents around girls STEM 279 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 2: and not downplaying their intelligence. 280 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 3: I really think you needed to work with your schools. 281 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 3: So we have so many amazing principles, deputy principles, career counselors, 282 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 3: STEM teachers, language teachers, geography teachers, history teachers, and the 283 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 3: reason why people go into teaching is because they're actually 284 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 3: futurists and so Your children are exposed to futurists every 285 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 3: day when they go to school. They are literally in 286 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 3: They put their brains into the hands of people who 287 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 3: have got decades of training and experience to help them 288 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 3: see the world in a different way and maybe look 289 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 3: at over the edges of the horizon as to where 290 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,559 Speaker 3: that world is going to go. So, as a parent, 291 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 3: if you really feel like your child child needs to 292 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 3: experience something new or learn something different, engage with your 293 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 3: school and discuss it and work out how's the best 294 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 3: way to actually add value to the whole school community 295 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 3: kids Going into school, learning something in a classroom and 296 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 3: coming home again is not how this is going to stick. 297 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 3: It's not how any of this is going to change. 298 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 3: Going into a classroom seeing something from the real world, 299 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 3: seeing things from a futurist point of view, getting involved 300 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 3: in brand new projects, working with industry, work experience. So 301 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 3: adding value to what is already happening without adding pressure, 302 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 3: I think is probably my final ask. Now, sit there 303 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 3: and go how the heck am I going to do that? 304 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 3: Because the school obviously has this great program and this, 305 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 3: that and the other. Have you ever talked to the 306 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,599 Speaker 3: teachers about what they might like to do. Have you 307 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,559 Speaker 3: ever talked to the principle about what's coming up on 308 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 3: the horizon and how we can help. So you might 309 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,559 Speaker 3: be a small business owner and you might sell cars, 310 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 3: for example, Well, if you haven't heard of blockchain, you're 311 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 3: going to hear about it pretty soon. And if you 312 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 3: don't have a website, you're probably not selling very many cars. 313 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 3: And if you don't understand search engine optimization, you're probably 314 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 3: not doing so well. So it's like, if you want 315 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 3: to have success even in your own business, engaging with 316 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 3: technology and engaging with the way young people engage with technology, 317 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 3: you deserve to have a look at this too. Nobody 318 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 3: is obsolete yet, nobody's obsolete full stop. And one of 319 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 3: the things that really bothers me about big tech and 320 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 3: some of the power differentials we're seeing is that you're 321 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 3: almost creating two parts of society, one of which that 322 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 3: engages with this and the other which which is obsolete. 323 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 3: And I don't want to see obsolescence across society anywhere, Catherine. 324 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 2: There is a lot of parents, a lot of school teachers, 325 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 2: school principals, school counselors. People who listen to this podcast too, 326 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 2: will be their minds may just be exploding with ideas 327 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 2: based on what we've discussed just now. If they'd like 328 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 2: to continue the conversation with you, how can they contact. 329 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 3: You on every single piece of social media. I am 330 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 3: at doctor Catherine Ball, so you can find me on everything. 331 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: Great, and that's Catherine. Now, that's Catherine with a C and. 332 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 3: ANH iron E B a double L as in football. 333 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 2: Doctor Catherine Bull. What a delight to talk to you. 334 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with this. 335 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,080 Speaker 3: Oh thanks so much. I could just keep going. And 336 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 3: I'm really glad that you're keeping me short today because 337 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 3: it's very hot up here in Queensland at the moment, 338 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 3: so I hope everyone's staying safe and well. And yeah, 339 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 3: just look, I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful for the future. 340 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: Thanks Catherine. 341 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 2: The Happy Families podcast is produced by Justin Ruland from 342 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 2: Bridge Media. Craig Bruce is our executive producer and if 343 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 2: you'd like more info about the stuff we talked about, 344 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 2: check out the show notes for the podcast. You can 345 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 2: visit at doctor Catherine Ball on all the social media's 346 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 2: or to make your family happier check us out at 347 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 2: Happyfamilies dot com dot au.