Unravelling phrenology: a dive into a controversial past and its modern implications
02/06/24 • 39 min
Prepare to journey back in time to the captivating, yet controversial world of phrenology, with our guest Dr. Alexandra Roginski. This episode takes you from the hustle and bustle of public readings and fortune-tellers in Melbourne's Eastern Arcade to the somber tale of the Gunn-Alley Murder. We shed light on the rise and fall of phrenology, and delve into the intriguing parallels between phrenology and modern facial analysis technology and artificial intelligence.
With Australian technology researchers Chris O'Neil and Edward Santow we explore some of the ethical concerns surrounding this technology, including its potential for discrimination and false assumptions.
SPEAKERS
Podcast Presenter Kate Follington, Dr Alexandra Roginski, Christopher O'Neil, Professor Edward Santow.
This podcast is produced by Public Record Office Victoria the archive of the state government of Victoria. To view the podcast homepage and all episodes, and to view records related to this episode go to https://prov.vic.gov.au/look-history-eye-podcast
Prepare to journey back in time to the captivating, yet controversial world of phrenology, with our guest Dr. Alexandra Roginski. This episode takes you from the hustle and bustle of public readings and fortune-tellers in Melbourne's Eastern Arcade to the somber tale of the Gunn-Alley Murder. We shed light on the rise and fall of phrenology, and delve into the intriguing parallels between phrenology and modern facial analysis technology and artificial intelligence.
With Australian technology researchers Chris O'Neil and Edward Santow we explore some of the ethical concerns surrounding this technology, including its potential for discrimination and false assumptions.
SPEAKERS
Podcast Presenter Kate Follington, Dr Alexandra Roginski, Christopher O'Neil, Professor Edward Santow.
This podcast is produced by Public Record Office Victoria the archive of the state government of Victoria. To view the podcast homepage and all episodes, and to view records related to this episode go to https://prov.vic.gov.au/look-history-eye-podcast
Previous Episode
Unearthed: The audacious story of Fanny Finch, pioneer and rule-breaker
Hold on to your hats as we unearth the audacious story of Fanny Finch, an English emigrant who journeyed to Australia in the 1830s. Finch, a woman of colour, dodged open mine shafts and drunken men to succeed as a businesswoman and a trailblazer for women's rights in her efforts to survive as a single mother. We also bring to light how her life inspired an award-winning stage play, which clinched the Victorian Community History Award for innovative historical interpretation in 2021.
Our special guests, historian Kasey Sinclair from La Trobe University and Fanny Finch's descendants, Bill and Alice Garner, offer their unique perspectives in tracing the life of this tenacious woman.
Note: In this episode the host describes Finding Fanny Finch as a 2022 Victorian Community History Award-winning project. Finding Fanny Finch actually won in 2021 and performed at the 2022 award ceremony. See photos of their 2022 performance here.
This podcast is produced by Public Record Office Victoria the archive of the state government of Victoria. To view the podcast homepage and all episodes, and to view records related to this episode go to https://prov.vic.gov.au/look-history-eye-podcast
Next Episode
The Brookside girls
The Brookside Reformatory for Girls was in Cape Clear, ten miles from Scarsdale Victoria. Award-winning education journalist Erica Cervini delves into its cruel and unusual treatment of girls, their multiple escapes, and what we can learn from its ultimate failure. The Brookside girls is episode 14 of Look history in the eye. Erica recently wrote an article for Public Record Office Victoria's Provenance Journal
Presented by Tara Oldfield and Public Record Office Victoria.
The featured song, A bird in a gilded cage, is performed by Tara Oldfield (vocals) and Sarah Harris (piano). Additional voice acting is done by Natasha Cantwell, Asa Letourneau and Sebastian Gurciullo.
Please note that this episode contains details of child abuse in institutional care and may be upsetting for some listeners.Visit the episode page to see original records related to the Brookside girls, and for a link to Erica's Provenance article: https://prov.vic.gov.au/podcast-episode-14-brookside-girls
This podcast is produced by Public Record Office Victoria the archive of the state government of Victoria. To view the podcast homepage and all episodes, and to view records related to this episode go to https://prov.vic.gov.au/look-history-eye-podcast
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