
Are we nostalgic for a 90s that didn't exist?
From Download This Show by ABC Australia
May 15, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
The episode explores nostalgia for the 90s, the impact of AI on writing, and the financial implications of Polymarket.
Mixtape is a new Australian-made video game set in the 90s featuring burned CDs, shopping trolley rides and feelings of adolescent freedom. Nostalgia for that era is trending, so what is it about those years that makes us feel so fond? And are we remembering it correctly? Plus, AI is making the internet sound like one not-quite-real person . What are the new indicators of AI writing, and is a 'human in the loop' still enough to keep it all in check? Finally, Polymarket. It's been blacklisted by Australian regulators , but companies in the United States are treating it like serious financial infrastructure . GUESTS: Mark Serrels – Editorial Director at Choice and co-founder of Continue Magazine . Phoebe Toups Dugas – Associate Professor of Human-Centred Computing in the Exertion Games Lab at Monash University , AKA Trans Gamer Professor . NB: Phoebe mentioned a book. It's called Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics and How We Are Wrong About AI . ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the…
People in this episode
Guests: Mark Serrels, Phoebe Toups Dugas
Topics covered
- nostalgia
- 90s culture
- AI writing
- internet
- financial infrastructure
- Polymarket
Keywords
- nostalgia
- 90s
- AI
- Polymarket
- internet
- financial infrastructure
- video game
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Choice, Continue Magazine, Monash University
Books & works: Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics and How We Are Wrong About AI
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