Before we scrolled, we soldered. Before we followed turn-by-turn directions, we learned the landscape.In this episode of Genius or Junk, we’re joined by Professor Mike Waller to debate two powerful forces in modern technology: the Raspberry Pi and the humble sat nav. One was built to teach coding, prototyping, and curiosity. The other was built to make life effortless.But what happens when convenience replaces capability?We explore the maker movement, repair culture, and why getting your hands dirty still matters in a world of sealed devices and disposable upgrades. From microprocessors to mapping exercises used inside governments and global organisations, this conversation goes far beyond gadgets — it’s about empowerment.Then comes the twist.Are sat navs quietly disabling our spatial awareness? Are we outsourcing imagination, navigation, even thinking itself to screens? And as AI accelerates, how do we design technologies that enhance human capacity instead of subtracting from it?This isn’t nostalgia versus progress.It’s augmentation versus atrophy.So what belongs in the Genius Vault — tools that build skills… or tools that remove the need for them?#GeniusOrJunk#RaspberryPi#MakerMovement#DesignThinking#InnovationCulture#SatNav#HumanCentredDesign#AI#CriticalThinking#FutureOfWork#Education#Podcast

Before keyboards, touchscreens, and voice notes, ideas flowed through ink — across paper, through the hand, and into the brain.In this episode of Genius or Junk, we explore the surprising science behind handwriting, fountain pens, and why putting pen to paper activates the brain in ways typing simply can’t. From creativity and cognition to the sensory joy of a well-balanced nib, we ask whether analogue tools still deserve a place in a hyper-digital world.But it’s not just about nostalgia. We also examine what modern convenience is costing us — from sedentary lifestyles to the quiet disappearance of embodied thinking. If life is easier than ever, why are we moving less, feeling foggier, and disconnecting from the physical world around us?So what belongs in the Genius Vault — the fountain pen, or the frictionless future?

Before digital maps, getting lost was part of the journey — paper atlases, wrong turns, and asking strangers for directions.In this episode of Genius or Junk, Pim van Baarsen of the Silverstone Technology Cluster explores how satellite navigation evolved from Cold War military hardware into an everyday tool that reshaped confidence, safety, and how we move through the world.But not every innovation earns a free pass. We also put social media algorithms on trial, questioning whether systems designed to personalise content have instead fuelled echo chambers, addiction, and division.So what truly belongs in the Genius Vault?