Fixing the future: can we build a better world?

Only 25% of Irish computing students are women, and half leave tech careers before 35. The problem isn't lack of solutions—it's that evidence-based practices are scattered across research papers and grey literature. TechMate changes this. This free toolkit aims to translate decades of research into ready-to-use actions: from redesigning course descriptions to setting up mentoring schemes. Come learn what could actually work to recruit and retain women in tech, why structural barriers persist despite good intentions, and how Irish educators can use evidence to create more inclusive classrooms.

Is AI quietly joining your next appointment? Is your doctor listening to you or to what AI is suggesting? As AI shapes what gets noticed, important details can be missed. It can sound very sure - even when it is wrong. How you use AI for your health matters as well. This talk explores how AI is changing how doctors communicate with you, where bias can creep in, and what that means for your care. Learn what your rights are, how your data is used, what to ask your doctor, and how to stay in control of your care - your health, your choice.

Healthcare has always put patients first, but that's come at a cost to our planet. Treating patients can be a significant source of pollution and environmental harm, creating waste and emissions in the very process of keeping us well. That's changing. Good care and environmental responsibility aren't opposites, they can go hand in hand. Our research outlines practical ways to make every day healthcare more sustainable, starting with how we achieve good health and wellbeing, and then with how we use medicines appropriately. Ultimately, what is better for patients, is better for our communities, and better for our planet..

Many actions in the present make reference to prehistory to justify or explain their intent and impact. This ranges from dark uses, such Donald Trump’s recent military threats to Iran, through to claims in the manosphere about the supposed evolutionary roots of masculinity. But the past, and erroneous claims about our evolved human nature, are also used to justify policies about the environmental and climate crisis. This talk introduces the idea of ‘deep-time washing’ to help us understand how the past is used in these accounts, why it is referred to, and why this matters.