Know Next Now: Melbourne Knowledge Week Opening Gala – MKW18

This is going to be special. To kick off Melbourne Knowledge Week 2018, we’ve asked the nerds at Future Crunch to develop a brand new musical show to help us ‘Know Next Now’. Showcasing their infectious brand of intelligent optimism, this is a story about the future of Melbourne (and the planet) that you’ve never heard before.

Once upon a time, gold made Melbourne marvellous. The rush never ended – and now knowledge is the new gold. We mine it, work it, craft it and sell it. Our streets swell with students, data servers hum quietly beneath our feet, and our skyline glitters with the combined brainpower of millions.

Behind it all endures the ancient knowledge of the oldest culture on the planet. Though precious, it cannot be bought. It lights a path for all to walk.

We know the challenges we face, in Melbourne and around the world. ‘Know Next Now’ is the story of how – with boldness, optimism and revolutionary technologies that build on 80,000 years of human ingenuity – we are rising to meet them.

DR ANGUS HERVEY
Dr Angus Hervey is a political economist and a journalist specialising in the impact of disruptive technologies on society. He’s a co-founder of Future Crunch, and founding community manager of Random Hacks of Kindness, a global initiative from Google, IBM, Microsoft, NASA and the World Bank to create open-source technology solutions to social challenges. He was also the first editorial manager for Global Policy, one of the world’s leading international policy journals. He holds a PhD in Government and a Masters in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics, where he was also the Ralph Miliband Scholar from 2009 to 2012.

TANE HUNTER
Tane Hunter is a cancer researcher, bio-informatician, and science communicator. He’s a co-founder of Future Crunch, as well as a data analytics startup, Lighthouse. He holds a Masters in Bio-Informatics from the University of Melbourne, and has worked for the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital diagnosing rare genetic diseases. He is currently completing his PhD at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, using molecular biomarkers in DNA and analysing them using artificial intelligence to improve treatments for people suffering from cancer. He’s also a former US junior mountain biking champion, and in 2014 sailed solo across the Pacific.

WILL TAIT
Will Tait is an MC, musician and presenter with a talent for inspiring wonder, a sense of belonging, and stewardship for a living planet. Using music, drama, humour and joy Will creates moments of magical, mythical experience that help make human stories tangible and trustworthy. He is an educational presenter and the founder of Our Planet Enterprises, producing and delivering sustainability-focused school and festival performance throughout Melbourne and Victoria. He is also the lead singer for 8Foot Felix, a theatrical multi-genre festival band touring in Australia and overseas.