FUTURES Podcast
The FUTURES Podcast explores the multitude of possible tomorrows. Meet the scientists, technologists, artists and philosophers working to imagine the sorts of developments that might dramatically alter what it means to be human. Hosted by Luke Robert Mason.
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Designing Brain-Computer Interfaces w/ Conor Russomanno
07/15/2024
Designing Brain-Computer Interfaces w/ Conor Russomanno
Founder & CEO of OpenBCI Conor Russomanno shares his thoughts on what neurotechnology can teach us about being human, the ethical challenges of designing devices to measure brain activity, and the advantages of open-source brain-computer interfaces. Conor Russomanno is the founder and CEO of OpenBCI, a company working to build ethical brain-computer interfaces. He became fascinated with the relationship between the human brain and mind after suffering concussions playing college football and rugby. While pursuing an MFA in Design & Technology at Parsons School of Design, he spent two years creating DIY brain-sensing headsets and neuro-interactive games, animations and stories. In 2013, he began work on what would later become OpenBCI, which has since designed and distributed more than 40,000 tools for neuroscience to more than 100 countries around the world. One of Russomanno's leading innovations is the award-winning Galea headset, a hardware and software platform that merges next-generation biometrics with mixed reality. Russomanno's work has been featured in media outlets such as Bloomberg, Scientific American and Wired. He was recognized in the Forbes "30 Under 30" in 2018 and has served as an adjunct professor and research affiliate at Parsons, NYU and MIT. Bonus episode recorded in-person at The Royal Society Neural Interfaces Summit in September 2023. ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Why Tech Needs Feminism w/ Dr. Eleanor Drage & Dr. Kerry McInerney
06/10/2024
Why Tech Needs Feminism w/ Dr. Eleanor Drage & Dr. Kerry McInerney
Senior Research Fellows Dr. Eleanor Drage and Dr. Kerry McInerney share their insights on how artificial intelligence will impact society, using a feminist lens to rethink innovation and the importance of language in shaping our understanding of ‘good’ technology. Dr Eleanor Drage is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre for the Future of Intelligence. She teaches AI Professionals about AI ethics at Cambridge and presents widely on the topic. She specialises in using feminist ideas to make AI better and safer for everyone. She is currently building the world's first free and open access tool that helps companies meet the EU AI act's obligations. Eleanor is also an expert on women writers of speculative and science fiction from 1666 to the present - An Experience of the Impossible: The Planetary Humanism of European Women’s Science Fiction. Dr Kerry McInerney (née Mackereth) is a Senior Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, where she co-leads a project on how AI is impacting international relations. Aside from The Good Robot, Kerry is the co-editor of the collection Feminist AI: Critical Perspectives on Algorithms, Data, and Intelligent Machines (2023, Oxford University Press) and the co-author of the forthcoming book Reprogram: Why Big Tech is Broken and How Feminism Can Fix It (2026, Princeton University Press). This episode was recorded in front of a live audience for an event in partnership with . ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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A Right to Cognitive Liberty w/ Prof. Nita Farahany
05/27/2024
A Right to Cognitive Liberty w/ Prof. Nita Farahany
Legal scholar Nita Farahany shares her insights into protecting our privacy through the right to cognitive liberty, how neuro-technology can enhance our understanding of mental health, and why the public should demand self-access to their brain data. Nita Farahany is Professor of Law & Philosophy at Duke Law School, Director of Science & Society, and Faculty Chair of the MA in Bioethics & Society Policy. Since 2010, she has served on Obama’s Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Her scholarship focuses on the ethical, legal, and social implications of biosciences and emerging technologies, particularly those related to neuroscience and behavioral genetics. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute, Chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the American Association of Law Schools, is one of the co-founding editors-in-chief of Journal of Law and the Biosciences, and serves on the Board of the International Neuroethics Society. She received an AB from Dartmouth College, an MA, PhD, and JD from Duke University, and an ALM from Harvard University. Bonus episode recorded in-person at The Royal Society Neural Interfaces Summit in September 2023. ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Human Rights & Robot Wrongs w/ Dr. Susie Alegre
05/22/2024
Human Rights & Robot Wrongs w/ Dr. Susie Alegre
Human rights lawyer Dr. Susie Alegre shares her insights into the threat artificial intelligence poses to human creativity, the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in safeguarding freedom of thought, and applying existing laws to regulate the development and deployment of emerging technologies. Dr. Susie Alegre is a leading international human rights lawyer and Associate at Garden Court Chambers. She has been a legal pioneer in digital human rights, in particular the impact of artificial intelligence on the human rights of freedom of thought and opinion. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Roehampton, and a Senior Fellow at CIGI. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience for an event in partnership with . ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Reclaiming Tech w/ Jeremy Gilbert, Alex Williams & Alison Winch
04/29/2024
Reclaiming Tech w/ Jeremy Gilbert, Alex Williams & Alison Winch
Cultural & Political Theorists Jeremy Gilbert, Alex Williams & Alison Winch share their insights on the societal impacts of technological innovation, the hegemonic power of the Silicon Valley tech billionaires, and re-engineering digital platforms for democratic purposes. Jeremy Gilbert is Professor of Cultural & Political Theory at the University of East London. He is the author of Common Ground: Democracy and Collectivity in an Age of Individualism, Anticapitalism and Culture: Radical Theory and Popular Politics and Twenty-First Century Socialism. He writes regularly in the British press, is the current editor of the journal New Formations, and hosts three regular podcasts: #ACFM (on Novara Media); Love is the Message; Culture, Power, Politics. Alex Williams is a political theorist and lecturer in digital media and society currently based at the University of East Anglia. His writings include Political Hegemony and Social Complexity, Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work (with Nick Srnicek), as well as numerous articles on the future of left politics and contemporary formations of digital power. Alison Winch is a Lecturer in Promotional Media at Goldsmiths. She researches intimacy, power and sexual politics in a branded media culture. Her books include The New Patriarchs of Digital Capitalism: Celebrity Tech Founders and Networks of Power (Routledge 2021), which is co-authored with Ben Little. Her monograph Girlfriends and Postfeminist Sisterhood (Palgrave, 2013) looks at how the affect of friendship is harnessed in a media culture. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience for an event in partnership with & . ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Engineering a Better Future w/ Dr. Shini Somara
04/08/2024
Engineering a Better Future w/ Dr. Shini Somara
Mechanical Engineer Shini Somara shares her thoughts on why we need impactful storytelling in science communication, how diversity drives innovation in STEM, and why imagination is key to understanding new technologies. Dr. Shini Somara is a Mechanical Engineer specialising in Computational Fluid Dynamics and an award-winning media broadcaster. She deep dives into all topics on science, technology and innovation to deliver easily accessible and relatable pearls of wisdom for all ages and abilities. Shini speaks to audiences on TV, radio, XR/VR and live events. She has published 7 young persons STEM books and runs a podcast for Women in STEM called eSTEAMd Women. As a TEDx Speaker and mentor to MEng/PhDs at Imperial College in London - Shini is passionate about making science & technology accessible to all, especially amongst under-represented groups in engineering and innovation. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience for an event in partnership with . ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Blockchain Radicals w/ Joshua Dávila
04/02/2024
Blockchain Radicals w/ Joshua Dávila
Blockchain Socialist Joshua Dávila shares his insights on using blockchain technology to challenge capitalism, why we should take a techno-probabalistic approach to crypto, and how to build a more equitable and decentralised world. Joshua Dávila has been working in the blockchain space for the past five years in Europe and has been anonymously moonlighting as the one behind The Blockchain Socialist blog and podcast. He is also the co-director of the upcoming documentary Crypto Futures which explores the alternative economic imaginaries of the crypto ecosystem that the mainstream media doesn’t cover. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience for an event in partnership with & . ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Protopian Stories for Better Tomorrows w/ Ari Wallach
03/11/2024
Protopian Stories for Better Tomorrows w/ Ari Wallach
Futurist Ari Wallach shares his insights into why we need ethical long-term visions that prioritise humanity, the importance of transgenerational empathy, and how to co-construct inclusive stories that imagine better tomorrows. Ari Wallach is a futurist and social systems strategist. He is the founder and Executive Director of Longpath Labs, an initiative focused on bringing long-term thinking and coordinated behavior to the individual, organizational, and societal realms in order to ensure humanity flourishes on an ecologically thriving planet Earth for centuries to come. Ari is the author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs by HarperOne. Ari’s TED talk on Longpath has been viewed over 2.5 million times and translated into 19 languages. Wallach was also the founder and CEO of Synthesis Corp., a New York-based strategic innovation consultancy whose clients included CNN, Volkswagen Global, The UN Refugee Agency and the US State Department. Wallach was the co-founder of the 2008 presidential initiative “The Great Schlep with Sarah Silverman” and most previously hosted Fast Company magazine's Fast Company Futures with Ari Wallach. He was most recently adjunct associate professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, lecturing on innovation, AI and the futures of governance and public policy. ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Eaten by the Internet w/ Dr. Corinne Cath & Dr. Fieke Jansen
03/04/2024
Eaten by the Internet w/ Dr. Corinne Cath & Dr. Fieke Jansen
Researchers Dr. Corinne Cath & Dr. Fieke Jansen share their insights into critical approaches to internet infrastructure, the environmental costs of data centres, and how to reimagine our relationship with digital technologies to ensure a more equitable and sustainable future. Dr. Corinne Cath is a postdoc at the University of Delft, working with Dr. Seda Gürses and Prof Linnet Taylor. She is also a research affiliate at the Minderoo Centre at the University of Cambridge. Corinne is a cultural anthropologist who studies the politics of Internet infrastructure and cloud computing. Previously, Corinne was Vice President of Research at the Open Tech Fund, a US-based grantmaker focused on developing open-source technologies. She finished her PhD in 2021 at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), University of Oxford). Her current research focuses on how cloud computing is eating the internet and the adequacy of existing EU technology policy efforts that touch on cloud computing. Dr. Fieke Jansen is a postdoc researcher at the University of Amsterdam and a co-principle investigator of the critical infrastructure lab. She did her PhD at the Data Justice Lab at Cardiff University, where she looked at the institutional and societal implications of data-driven risk scoring and biometric recognition in Brussels, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK. Fieke is a former Mozilla and Green Web Foundation fellow where she explored ways to frame the climate crisis as a core digital rights issue. Prior to starting her phd Fieke worked on human rights and technology at Hivos and Tactical Tech. Fieke's research interest is to understand how the material impact of expending infrastructures are shaping the management, distribution, and depletion of natural resources. ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Space Settlements on Mars w/ Kelly & Zach Weinersmith
02/26/2024
Space Settlements on Mars w/ Kelly & Zach Weinersmith
Authors Kelly Weinersmith & Zach Weinersmith share their insights into the challenge of building settlements on Mars, how extended periods in extra-terrestrial environments would impact our body and mind, and how international space law needs to be updated if we are to become a multi-planetary species. Dr. Kelly Weinersmith received her PhD in Ecology at the University of California Davis, and is an adjunct faculty member in the BioSciences Department at Rice University. Kelly studies parasites that manipulate the behavior of their hosts, and her research has been featured in The Atlantic, National Geographic, BBC World, Science, and Nature. When she isn’t studying Nature’s creepiest wonders, Kelly is writing books with her husband, Zach Weinersmith (creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal Comics). Their first book, Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything, was a New York Times Bestseller. Zach Weinersmith is the cartoonist behind the popular geek webcomic, Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. He co-wrote the New York Times bestseller Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything and illustrated the New York Times-bestselling Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration. His work has been featured by The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Forbes, Science Friday, Foreign Policy, PBS, Boingboing, the Freakonomics Blog, the RadioLab blog, Entertainment Weekly, Mother Jones, CNN, Discovery Magazine, Nautilus and more. He lives in Virginia with his wife/coauthor and his children/coauthors. ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Mathematics as Science Fiction w/ Prof. Ian Stewart
02/19/2024
Mathematics as Science Fiction w/ Prof. Ian Stewart
Mathematician Prof. Ian Stewart shares his strategies for explaining abstract mathematical concepts to the public, the role imagination can play in education, and how science fiction can assist in solving the world’s most complex mysteries. Professor Ian Stewart is a British mathematician who majored in mathematics at the University of Cambridge and is an emeritus professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick. With more than 200 papers and 20 books on mathematics under his name, Professor Stewart has done much to popularise mathematics, talking about the principles and depth of mathematics within various academic fields such as literature, history, and astronomy. For these accomplishments, he received the Michael Faraday Medal from the Royal Society of London in 1995 and became the first recipient of the Christopher Zeeman Medal in 2008. He also received the 2017 Euler Book Prize, given for an outstanding book in mathematics, and serves as a Fellow of the Royal Society of England. Watch on YouTube: ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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Human Extinction w/ Dr. Émile P. Torres & Prof. Steve Fuller
01/29/2024
Human Extinction w/ Dr. Émile P. Torres & Prof. Steve Fuller
Philosopher Dr. Émile P. Torres & sociologist Prof. Steve Fuller share their thoughts on the history of human extinction, how apocalyptic narratives inform culture, and what it means to live in the end times. Émile P. Torres is a philosopher whose research focuses on existential threats to civilization and humanity. They have published widely in the popular press and scholarly journals, with articles appearing in the Washington Post, Aeon, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Metaphilosophy, Inquiry, Erkenntnis, and Futures. Prof. Steve Fuller is Auguste Comte Professor of Social Epistemology at the , UK. Originally trained in history and philosophy of science, he is the author of more than twenty books. From 2011 to 2014 he published three books with Palgrave on 'Humanity 2.0'. His most recent book is . Find out more: ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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How Human Biology Shapes Civilisation w/ Prof. Lewis Dartnell
01/08/2024
How Human Biology Shapes Civilisation w/ Prof. Lewis Dartnell
Astrobiologist Prof. Lewis Dartnell shares his insights into how biology has shaped civilisation, the challenges of living on Mars, and why cooperation is our human superpower. GUEST BIO Lewis Dartnell is a science researcher, and writer and holds a Professorship at the University of Westminster. His research is in the field of astrobiology and the search for bacterial life beyond the Earth. Lewis explores how microbial life, and signs of its past existence, might survive the bombardment of cosmic radiation on the surface of Mars, and what are the best ways to try and detect it. Alongside his academic research Lewis is a science writer. He has won prizes from the The Daily Telegraph, Oxford University Press, New Scientist and The Times Higher Education. Lewis’ books include the Sunday Times bestsellers The Knowledge: How To Rebuild Our World From Scratch, which discusses how to reboot civilisation after an apocalypse to see how science and technology supports our modern world. Origins: How The Earth Shaped Human History is a deep dive into how features of the planet we live on have influenced the course of history. Origins has been translated into twenty-six languages, and a copy of The Knowledge exists on the surface of the moon. In his book Being Human: How Our Biology Shaped World History Lewis explores fundamental aspects of us as a species, from our genetics to our anatomy and psychology, and how these intrinsic features of our humanness have had a profound influence in shaping the world today. Lewis has appeared on BBC Horizon, Wonders of the Universe, Stargazing Live, and Sky at Night, as well as on the DVD extras for the sci-fi film Monsters. He acted as scientific consultant and scriptwriter for films including a full-dome planetarium show We Are Aliens, and documentaries with Brian Cox. Lewis has been interviewed on the BBC World Service, the Guardian Science Weekly Podcast, talkSPORT and on Lauren Laverne’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music. Lewis has delivered lectures at the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Institution, and the Natural History Museum. Find out more: ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. CREDITS Producer & Host: Join the conversation on , , and at @FUTURESPodcast Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at Subscribe & Support the Podcast at
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The Long View w/ Richard Fisher
10/11/2023
The Long View w/ Richard Fisher
Journalist Richard Fisher shares his thoughts on the importance of taking a long view of the future, why short-termism is the greatest threat to civilisation, and how metaphors are key to our comprehension of time. Richard Fisher is a Senior Journalist with BBC Global News in London, where he writes and commissions for BBC Future, the BBC's international-facing science, technology and health features site. He was recently a 2019-20 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has held various roles at the BBC, including leading the BBC.com Features teams as a managing editor, and before that, he was both a feature and news editor at New Scientist. Find out more: FOLLOW Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. Follow him on Twitter: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason
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Our Superhuman Future w/ Elise Bohan, Prof. Steve Fuller & Anders Sandberg
07/31/2023
Our Superhuman Future w/ Elise Bohan, Prof. Steve Fuller & Anders Sandberg
Transhumanists Elise Bohan, Prof. Steve Fuller and Anders Sandberg share their thoughts on the future of humanity, the role artificial intelligence will play in society, and the radical ways advanced technology may redefine what it means to be human. Recorded in front of a live audience at Kings Place, London on 16 February 2023. Elise Bohan is a Senior Research Scholar at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute (FHI). She holds a PhD in evolutionary macrohistory, wrote the world’s first book-length history of transhumanism as a doctoral student, and recently launched her debut book Future Superhuman: Our transhuman lives in a make-or-break century (NewSouth, 2022). Prof. Steve Fuller is Auguste Comte Professor of Social Epistemology at the University of Warwick, UK. Originally trained in history and philosophy of science, he is the author of more than twenty books. From 2011 to 2014 he published three books with Palgrave on ‘Humanity 2.0’. His most recent book is Nietzschean Meditations: Untimely Thoughts at the Dawn of Transhuman Era (Schwabe Verlag, 2020). Anders Sandberg is a Senior Research Fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute (FHI) at Oxford University where his research focuses on the societal and ethical issues surrounding human enhancement and new technologies. He is also research associate at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and the Oxford Centre for Neuroethics. Find out more: FOLLOW Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. Follow him on Twitter: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason
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Bioethics of Human & Animal Enhancement w/ Dr. Sarah Chan
05/01/2023
Bioethics of Human & Animal Enhancement w/ Dr. Sarah Chan
Bioethicist Dr. Sarah Chan shares her thoughts on the ethics of human genome editing, the potential of developing a social model of enhancement, and the possibility of using biotechnology to improve the cognitive abilities of animals. Sarah Chan is a Chancellor’s Fellow working in interdisciplinary bioethics at the Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, and Co-Director of the Mason Institute for Medicine, Life Sciences and Law, University of Edinburgh. Previously, from 2005 to 2015, she was a Research Fellow in Bioethics at the University of Manchester, first at the Centre for Social Ethics and Policy and from 2008 the Institute for Science Ethics and Innovation. Sarah’s research focuses on the ethics of new biomedical technologies, including stem cell and embryo research; reproductive medicine; synthetic biology; gene therapy and genetic modification; and human and animal enhancement. Her current work draws on these interests to explore the ethics of emerging modes of biomedicine at the interface of health care research, medical treatment and consumer medicine including population-level health and genetic data research; the use of biomaterials in both research and treatment; and access to experimental treatments and medical innovation. Find out more: FOLLOW Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. Follow him on Twitter: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason
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Robot Rights & Alien Intelligences w/ David J. Gunkel
04/24/2023
Robot Rights & Alien Intelligences w/ David J. Gunkel
Media scholar David J. Gunkel shares his thoughts on the philosophical case for the rights of robots, the challenge artificial intelligence presents to our existing moral and legal systems, and how tools like ChatGTP force us to confront our human exceptionalism. David J. Gunkel is Presidential Research, Scholarship, and Artistry Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of Robot Rights, Of Remixology: Ethics and Aesthetics after Remix, and The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics. Find out more: FOLLOW Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. Follow him on Twitter: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason
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Visions of the Future w/ Pat Cadigan
11/07/2022
Visions of the Future w/ Pat Cadigan
Cyberpunk author Pat Cadigan shares her thoughts on the role of science fiction in society, her methods for thinking about the future, and which elements of the cyberpunk genre have become features of our everyday reality. Pat Cadigan was born in Schenectady, NY, and grew up in Fitchburg, MA. Attending the University of Massachusetts on a scholarship, she eventually transferred to the University of Kansas where she received her degree. Since embarking on her career as a fiction writer in 1987, her Hugo and Nebula Award-nominated short stories have appeared in such magazines as Omni, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine as well as numerous anthologies. Her first collection, Patterns, was honoured the Locus Award in 1990, and she won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1992 and 1995 for her novels Synners and Fools. Pat Cadigan moved to the UK in 1996 and now lives in London. Recorded live from the Science Museum, London on 26 October 2022. Find out more: Credits Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason Follow Us Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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Future Superhuman w/ Elise Bohan
10/10/2022
Future Superhuman w/ Elise Bohan
Macrohistorian Elise Bohan shares her thoughts on the importance of adopting a transhumanist worldview, why we live in a make-or-break century, and what is worth preserving about humanity. Elise Bohan is a Senior Research Scholar at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute (FHI). She holds a PhD in evolutionary macrohistory, wrote the world’s first book-length history of transhumanism as a doctoral student, and recently launched her debut book Future Superhuman: Our transhuman lives in a make-or-break century (NewSouth, 2022). Find out more: Credits Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason Follow Us Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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Becoming an Avatar w/ Philip Rosedale
09/07/2022
Becoming an Avatar w/ Philip Rosedale
Founder of Second Life Philip Rosedale shares his thoughts on what virtual worlds can teach us about being human, the relationship between Second Life users and their avatars, and the challenges of building the metaverse using Web 3.0 technologies. Philip Rosedale is the Founder of Linden Lab, parent company of Second Life, an open-ended, Internet-connected virtual world and pioneering metaverse. Following Second Life, he worked on several projects related to distributed work and computing. Excited by innovations in these areas and the proliferation of new VR-enabling devices, he re-entered the virtual worlds space in 2013, co-founding High Fidelity, a company devoted to exploring the future of next-generation shared virtual reality. Philip rejoined Second Life in 2022, as Strategic Advisor, focused on helping to shape and build a better metaverse. Find out more: Credits Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason Follow Us Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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Biofabrication w/ Ritu Raman
07/18/2022
Biofabrication w/ Ritu Raman
Biomedical engineer Ritu Raman shares her insights on designing biological robots, how new developments in tissue engineering may allow us to grow organs, and what biofabrication means for the future of food and medicine. Ritu Raman, PhD is the d’Arbeloff Career Development Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Her lab is centered on engineering adaptive living materials for applications in medicine and machines. The Raman Lab’s current focus is building neuromuscular actuators to restore mobility and power robots. Prof. Raman has received several recognitions for scientific innovation, including being named a Kavli Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences and being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 and MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 lists. She is the author of the upcoming MIT Press book Biofabrication. She is passionate about increasing diversity in STEM and has championed many initiatives to empower women in science, including being named a AAAS IF/THEN ambassador and founding the Women in Innovation and STEM Database at MIT (). Find out more: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason FOLLOW Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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Moral Enhancement Technologies w/ James Hughes
07/04/2022
Moral Enhancement Technologies w/ James Hughes
Sociologist James Hughes shares his thoughts on how libertarian transhumanism allows for cognitive liberty and bodily autonomy, the ethical implications of using enhancement technologies to amplify human virtues, and the challenge of being a techno-optimist. James Hughes, the Executive Director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, is a bioethicist and sociologist who serves as the Associate Provost for Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning for the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB), and as Senior Research Fellow at UMB’s Center for Applied Ethics. He holds a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Chicago where he taught bioethics at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. Dr. Hughes has taught health policy, bioethics, medical sociology and research methods at Northwestern University, the University of Connecticut, and Trinity College. Dr. Hughes is author of Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future (2004) and is co-editor of Surviving the Machine Age: Intelligent Technology and the Transformation of Human Work (2017). In 2005 Dr. Hughes co-founded the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET) with Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom, and since then has served as its Executive Director. Dr. Hughes serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Evolution and Technology, and as co-founder of the Journal of Posthuman Studies. Find out more: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason FOLLOW Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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We Have Always Been Cyborgs w/ Stefan Lorenz Sorgner
06/13/2022
We Have Always Been Cyborgs w/ Stefan Lorenz Sorgner
Metahumanist philosopher Stefan Lorenz Sorgner shares his thoughts on the debates surrounding contemporary transhumanism, the possibility of immortality achieved through mind-uploading, and the ethical issues associated with gene editing, digital data collection, and life extension. Prof. Stefan Lorenz Sorgner teaches philosophy at , whereby he particularly promotes the emerging field of. He is also Director and Co-founder of the , Fellow at the , , and , where he was also Visiting Prof. during the summer of 2016. He studied philosophy at King's College/University of London (BA), the University of Durham (MA by thesis; examiners: , Durham ; David Owen, Southampton), the University of Giessen and the University of Jena (Dr. phil.; examiners: , Jena; , Turin). In recent years, he taught at the Universities of Jena (Germany), Erfurt (Germany), Klagenfurt (Austria) Ewha Womans University in Seoul (South Korea) and Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany). His main fields of research are Nietzsche, the philosophy of music, bioethics and meta-, post- and transhumanism. Find out more: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason FOLLOW Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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The Psychoanalysis of Artificial Intelligence w/ Isabel Millar
06/06/2022
The Psychoanalysis of Artificial Intelligence w/ Isabel Millar
Psychoanalytic theorist Isabel Millar explains the role psychoanalysis can play in helping us to understand what artificial intelligence means for humanity, what modern science fiction reveals about our fascination with sex-robots, and what is driving a desire to replicate human attributes in silicon. Dr Isabel Millar is a philosopher and cultural critic from London. Her work focuses on AI, sex, the body, film and the future. Her book The Psychoanalysis of Artificial Intelligence was published with the Palgrave Lacan Series in 2021. As well as extensive international academic speaking and publishing across philosophy, psychoanalysis and cultural theory, Isabel has made numerous TV, documentary and podcast appearances including for BBC2 (Frankie Boyles' New World Order), Russia Today (Entrevista), Tomorrow Unlocked (Build me Somebody to Love), Schizotopia, Machinic Unconscious Happy Hour and Parallax Views among others. Isabel has recently been a psychoanalytic script consultant for BBC Drama and interviewed for a book by Ai-Da Robot, the world's first AI artist. She has contributed to the forthcoming AI Glossary, Chimeras: Inventory of Synthetic Cognition for Onassis Publications and is one of 50 global thinkers writing Manifesto - A Struggle of Universalities edited by Nicol A. Barria- Asenjo and Slavoj Zizek. She is a research fellow at The Centre for Critical Thought, the University of Kent and is currently writing her next book Patipolitics. Find out more: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason FOLLOW Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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Virtual Reality is Genuine Reality w/ David Chalmers
02/28/2022
Virtual Reality is Genuine Reality w/ David Chalmers
Philosopher David Chalmers shares his thoughts on how virtual worlds are challenging our understanding of reality, the possibility that could be living in a simulation, and what techno-philosophy can teach us about the nature of consciousness. David J. Chalmers is University Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness at New York University. His previous books include The Conscious Mind and Constructing the World. He has given the John Locke lectures and has been awarded the Jean Nicod Prize. He is known for formulating the 'hard problem' of consciousness, which inspired Tom Stoppard's play The Hard Problem, and for the idea of the 'extended mind', which says that the tools we use can become parts of our minds. Find out more: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason FOLLOW Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Everything w/ Martin Ford
02/14/2022
Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Everything w/ Martin Ford
Futurist Martin Ford shares his thoughts on why we should treat artificial intelligence like a utility, the impact a robot revolution will have on the economy, and how machines may enhance our creativity by encouraging new forms of innovation. Martin Ford is a futurist and the author of four books, including (2021), the New York Times Bestselling (winner of the 2015 Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award and translated into more than 20 languages), (2018), and (2009). He is also the founder of a Silicon Valley-based software development firm. Find out more: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason FOLLOW Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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God in the Machine w/ Dr. Beth Singler
01/31/2022
God in the Machine w/ Dr. Beth Singler
Anthropologist Dr. Beth Singler shares her thoughts on the misconceptions surrounding artificial intelligence, the dangers of treating humans like machines, and whether virtual reality could provide us with quasi-religious experiences. Dr Beth Singler is the Junior Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence at Homerton College, University of Cambridge, where she is exploring the social, ethical, philosophical and religious implications of AI. As an associate fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence she is collaborating on the AI Narratives and Global AI Narratives projects, as well as co-organising a series of Faith and AI workshops as a part of the AI: Trust and Society programme. She has also produced a series of short films on the questions raised by AI, and the first, Pain in the Machine, won the AHRC Best Research Film of the Year Award in 2017. Beth has appeared on Radio4’s Today, Sunday and Start the Week, spoken at the Hay Festival as one of the ‘Hay 30’, the 30 best speakers to watch, as well as speaking at New Scientist Live, Edinburgh Science Festival, the Science Museum, Cheltenham Science Festival, and Ars Electronica. She was also one of the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000, a list of the most influential people, in both 2017 and 2018. Find out more: CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason FOLLOW Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:
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Ancestors & Ancient DNA w/ Prof. Alice Roberts
01/10/2022
Ancestors & Ancient DNA w/ Prof. Alice Roberts
Biological anthropologist Prof. Alice Roberts shares her insights on how sequencing ancient DNA can provide new evidence to help us understand our ancestors, what the latest archaeological discoveries reveal about the origins of homo sapiens, and how an appreciation of deep history can help us navigate the future.
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A New Science of Consciousness w/ Anil Seth
01/05/2022
A New Science of Consciousness w/ Anil Seth
Neuroscientist Anil Seth shares his thoughts on the role of neuroscience in explaining human consciousness, why our perception of reality might be a controlled hallucination, and how psychedelics are challenging our understanding of the mind.
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Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life w/ Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying
12/08/2021
Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life w/ Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying
Evolutionary biologists Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying share their thoughts on what happens when human evolution collides with an increasingly ‘hyper-novel’ modern world, how a greater understanding of biology can help us develop technologies that benefit humanity, and how the ability to adapt is our species’ best tool for creating a sustainable and abundant future.
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