Flash Forward

A Womb Away From Home May 12, 2015 779 What happens when women no longer have to physically bear children? Who wins? Who loses? Who takes artificial wombs to a far away planet to create a colony of super-beings?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Moon is a Harsh Second Mistress May 19, 2015 949 What would happen if the Earth suddenly had a second moon? This week, we work through the impact an additional satellite would have on our planet, from tides, to the night sky, to the potential destruction of Earth. Oh also there are space pirates.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forcing the Hand May 26, 2015 623 This week’s future is a social experiment. What if Earth had a robotic overlord who decided to ban all weapons? All fights would have to be hand to hand. Would there be less death that way? Less casualties? What counts as a weapon anyway? Listen to the episode to find out!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Most Dangerous Games Jun 2, 2015 741 This week on Meanwhile in the Future we step onto the field and talk about contact sports. What would it take to create a future in which the most dangerous sports die out? What are those sports to begin with? What does a world without football look like?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Revenge of the Germs Jun 9, 2015 902 Over the past 85 years, antibiotics have been miracle drugs. They’ve kept infections at bay and opened up a world of medical possibilities: organ transplants, heart surgery, chemotherapy. But they’re not going to work forever. The age antibiotic resistance is coming. So what does a world without these drugs look like?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Never Lay Me Down to Sleep Jun 16, 2015 721 If there was a drug that meant you never had to sleep again, would you take it? Would those who didn’t need to sleep have special advantages over those who did? All that and a side of zombies, in this week’s episode.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Day the Internet Broke Jun 23, 2015 1023 If you’re reading this, you have access to the Internet. But what would happen if the Internet suddenly went away? And what would it take to make that happen?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supernova Next Door Jun 30, 2015 943 We often think of stars as twinkling, harmless little points of light that fill our night sky with majesty. But stars can be dangerous too. When they come to the end of their lifespan, some stars explode fantastically as supernovae. So what would happen if one of those giant explosions happened nearby?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bodybuilders Jul 7, 2015 754 We all want to be our best selves. But what if you could add almost anything to your body and mind? A camera here, an exoskeleton there. This is the world that some biohackers imagine—one in which humans can extend their abilities beyond the limits biology has set for us. But what does that world look like?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grounded Jul 14, 2015 709 Need to get from New York to Paris? Or San Diego? Chances are you’re not taking a car or a bus or a boat to go there. Instead, you’d hop on a plane. But aside from hurting your wallet, commercial flights also hurt the planet, contributing to the continuous input of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that is in turn contributing to climate change. So what if we stopped flights? What would

Winded Jul 21, 2015 701 What would happen if a company put up so many wind turbines that they actually changed the climate on Earth? I know this sounds totally crazy, but I swear to you this is something that scientists have actually looked into. So naturally, I talked to one of those scientists.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facetime Jul 28, 2015 982 Your face is one of your most valuable possessions. But what happens when facial recognition is so good that any company can grab an image of your face while you’re walking down the street, and link it to everything from your social media profiles, to your credit score, to your workplace?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunward Bound Aug 4, 2015 961 If the Earth, somehow, stopped rotating around the sun, it would have exactly 64 1/2 days before it crashed into the fireball at the center of our solar system. Here's what would happen during those last 64 1/2 days.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eternal Life in Prison Aug 11, 2015 844 What if “life in prison” could mean 100 or 200 or 400 years? Does that change the way that sentences are dolled out? What happens when a person gets out of prison?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Drone of One’s Own Aug 25, 2015 1038 What does the world look like when everybody with a smart phone also has a drone?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caged Sep 1, 2015 1021 What would happen if we rounded up all the critically endangered animals and plants and put them in armored zoos?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Empathy Machine Sep 8, 2015 1005 When you were a kid and stole your friends’ toys, your parent probably asked you this angry hypothetical: “How do you think that made them feel?” But what if you actually could feel what another person is feeling? This week, we travel to a future where humans have invented an empathy machine.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greetings Sep 15, 2015 1028 Humans spend a lot of time and energy wondering if there’s anybody else out there. But what if we got unequivocal evidence that there was? In this week’s future, a probe that is extremely similar to the Voyager probes that we sent out in the 1970’s shows up in our galaxy.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unseen Sep 22, 2015 958 In 2006, scientists described the world's first invisibility cloak. But there was a catch. It only worked in two dimensions, and on microwaves. But to what if scientists and engineers could created a true invisibility cloak?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Carbon Gene Sep 29, 2015 1040 When it comes to climate change, there are a lot of researchers already thinking about how to equip crops and food animals with genes to help them withstand heat and parched conditions. But what about genetically engineering humans to try to slow our constant carbon contributions?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bye Bye Binary Oct 6, 2015 883 What if we lived in a world where gender was more like hair color — something you could change at will, and that had little bearing on what other people thought of you?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crossing Oct 13, 2015 875 Every country has their own idiosyncratic rules and regulations for border crossings. But what if the whole process were standardized and run by a single organization?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reputationville Oct 20, 2015 999 What would it be like if we lived in a world where everything you do is subject to a rating dolled out by a combination of machines and other people?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Face Off Feb 2, 2016 1119 Welcome to season two of Flash Forward! We kicked off this season with a pretty unlikely future: the entire world goes face blind. In the episode we discuss what causes face blindness — also known as prosopagnosia — and the tricks that people use to remember their friends. We also go through all the things that would be easier (spying, hiding) and harder (police lineups, cocktail partie

Love At First Bot Feb 9, 2016 1334 Right now there’s a whole lot of buzz about sex robots. Some people are really excited about them, and think we’ll be marrying robots by 2050. Other people are really worried about them, and are organizing whole campaigns against sex robots. This week, we travel to a future where sex robots are realized, and talk about everything from warranties to ethics. [A note: if you listen to our

Don’t Lie To Me Feb 16, 2016 1229 Today we travel to a future without lies. What would it be like if we all wore accurate lie detectors around all the time? In this episode we talk about when children learn to lie, the different social functions of lying, and what might happen if we couldn’t ever fib. How would negotiations be different? How would we make small talk? Could we create art or music? All that and more in thi

The Ultimate Swatting Feb 23, 2016 1413 Today we travel to a future where humans have decided to eradicate the most dangerous animal on the planet: mosquitos. How would we do it? Is it even possible? And what are the consequences? Mosquitos have worked hard to earn the nickname “deadliest animal on earth.” According to the World Health Organization there are 20 million cases of dengue virus every year. And there are 214 milli

Micro But Mighty Mar 1, 2016 1567 Today we travel to a future where your microbiome becomes a key part of your identity. From health to your child’s kindergarten, here are all the ways knowing about your microbiome might impact your life. Let’s start with a definition: what is the microbiome? Simply put, the microbiome is the collection of microbes (mostly bacteria) that live in and on your body. It’s hard to say exactl

My Everything Pal Mar 8, 2016 2097 Today we travel to a future full of spreadsheet approved lives. A future where everything we do is tracked and quantified: calories, air quality, sleep, heart rate, microbes, brain waves, finances, happiness, sadness, menstrual cycles, poops, hopes and dreams. Everything. This episode is longer than our usual 20 minute jaunts to the future, because the future of quantified self is so hug

Unpawful Mar 15, 2016 1443 Today we travel to a future without pets. What would it take for us to give up our fuzzy, slithery, fishy friends? Should our pets get more rights? And if we didn’t have dogs or cats, would we domesticate something else to take their place? This week's episode name is perhaps the worst pun I've ever committed. Sorry not sorry. Anyway. In this episode pets are outlawed, gone, we don't ha

MiniPod Time Travel Mar 22, 2016 1137 Today’s episode is a minipod, a smattering of time travel, future travel, and news about the show. In this episode we hear a bunch of messages from listeners: what folks think about past futures we’ve been to, and future futures we should travel to. We also cover some show news! So, in bullet point form: Some of you might be new to the show this season. Maybe you didn’t even know this

Tree Free Mar 29, 2016 1546 Today we travel to a fully digital world, a world where paper is a thing of the past. On this show we’ve tackled a huge range of futures — we’ve talked about things that are extremely likely, like, antibiotic resistance, and we’ve also talked about things that are simply never going to happen. Like space pirates dragging a second moon to earth for some reason. And when I started workin

Rude Bot Rises Apr 5, 2016 1779 Okay, you asked for it, and I finally did it. Today’s episode is about conscious artificial intelligence. Which is a HUGE topic! So we only took a small bite out of all the things we could possibly talk about. We started with some definitions. Because not everybody even defines artificial intelligence the same way, and there are a ton of different definitions of consciousness. In fact, o

Swipe Right For Democracy Apr 19, 2016 1668 Today we travel to a future where America has converted to a direct democracy. Everybody votes on everything! Hey, did you know it was an election year in the United States? I know, you've probably not really heard about this, it's not like it's on the news 24/7. But for all the coverage and the fights you might be getting into on Facebook, tons of people in the United States aren't goi

Omnibot May 3, 2016 2029 Today we travel to a world with universal translation devices. Where the babelfish from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comes true (although probably not in the form of an evolved organism, but let's not fret about the details). We start this episode with Barry Slaughter Olsen, who's the co-president of Interpret America. Barry tells us all about what interpreting and translation a

Expiration Date May 17, 2016 2845 Today we travel to a future where it’s possible to know exactly when you will die. Do you chose to find out? Now, this is, impossible. Totally impossible. And I’m not even going to try and come up with some strange pseudoscientific explanation for how this might happen. It’s not a thing. Just go with me here. Some people asked for more weird episodes this season, so, here you go! We st

Popnonymous May 31, 2016 2706 Today we go to a future where all pop stars use avatars, clones, robots or cartoons instead of their real bodies and faces. What does that do to music? Can everybody pull off an avatar? And why would any pop star even want that? We start with a conspiracy theory. Jaya Saxena tells us about the theory that Beyonce is a clone. And one of the reasons Jaya thinks that people might think Bey

Kaboom Jun 14, 2016 1755 Today week we take on a doomsday future! We haven’t done one of those this season. So, what would happen if all the active volcanoes in the world erupted at the same time? The short answer is: bad things. The long answer is, well, you’ll have to listen to the episode! First we talk to Jessica Ball, a volcanologist, who walks us through the different types of eruptions, what make somethin

Bot for Teacher Jun 28, 2016 2266 Today a future without schools. Instead of gathering students into a room and teaching them, everybody learns on their own time, on tablets and guided by artificial intelligence. First, I talk to a Ashok Goel, a computer scientist who developed an artificially intelligent TA named Jill Watson and didn’t tell any of his students she wasn’t a human. Then I talk to two people building fut

The Altered State Jul 12, 2016 2169 Today we travel to a future where all drugs are legal. Just roll up to the store, and get yourself some cocaine! We start with some history: for centuries a world without drug laws existed. Mark Kleiman, a professor at NYU who studies drug policy, explains that fear of drugs, and the desire to regulate them, really started in the last 1800’s. The rise of industry, advances in chemistry,

Revenge of the Retweet Jul 26, 2016 2028 Today we try to figure out what happens when our future presidential candidates have thousands of Tweets and Tumblr posts and Instagrams in their online record. What happens, when today’s teens start running for office? When their entire internet history is there, searchable, for us to read? What if these teens Tweet something at 15 that they might regret at 45? Do we learn to accept th

Where’s the Beef? Aug 10, 2016 2225 Today we go to a future where animal products are banned. It’s one that lots of listeners have asked for so here you go. We talk about what happens to the land, the animals and the humans in this equation. In this episode we discuss the arguments in favor and against banning meat. How does that impact culture? Why should we do it? Does it help or hurt the environment? Can you really grow

The Witch Who Came From Mars Sep 5, 2016 2619 Today we do something weird, in honor of the end of the second season! Instead of coming up with a future and then finding experts to talk about it, I asked an AI to write a future for us. And the AI apparently wants us to talk about space travel, witches, and the occult. So here’s what happened in this episode. I asked Mike Rugnetta, the creator and host of PBS Idea Channel and Reasonab

How is Babby (Not) Made Nov 3, 2016 2241 What happens when everybody has 100% control over when they do or don’t have babies? We got to a world with perfect and accessible birth control. You asked for a utopia, and this is as close as we're going to get!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Extra! Extra! Dec 6, 2016 1834 This week we travel to a future where there is so much fake news that nobody can tell what is real anymore. Are we already there? What happens next?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robocrop Jan 3, 2017 2066 Today’s episode is about a future where nobody works on farms anymore, all farming is done by robots. It might be closer than you think.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greetings From Paradice Feb 7, 2017 2087 Every year, over 20 million people get on a cruise ship and set sail for a seafaring vacation. Most of those cruises take their vacationers to warm, sunny climates. But thanks to climate change, a new hoard of ships might start sailing North rather than South. This episode of Flash Forward explores a future where the Arctic becomes a tourist destination just like the Bahamas or the Great

California Dreaming Mar 7, 2017 2316 California has one of the largest economies in the world. So what would happen if it broke away from the United States? Could California ever go independent? And if it did, what would that look like? This is a future that’s been on my list for a while, but since the election here in the United States it’s taken a bit of a different tone. California voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinto

Unreel Apr 4, 2017 2489 This month on Flash Forward, we go to a future where anybody can make a video of you doing anything they want. And that technology is cheap and easy to access. What happens? This episode we start by talking about the technology as it exists now. Hamed Pirsiavash the show to explain his research into generating videos using algorithms. So that’s where the technology stands now. But once

Robocop May 2, 2017 1957 In this future there are no more human police officers. Is that even possible? The future of policing is a really really complicated topic. And it’s also, and this might be the understatement of the year, a controversial one. On this episode we’re not going to try and give you a full picture of what the future of policing might be. That would take hours. Instead, we’re going to focus on

Back to the Future: A Womb Away From Home May 18, 2017 1311 Long time listeners of Flash Forward might feel like this future is kind of… familiar. And it is. It’s actually the first future we ever traveled to on this show. A future where humans have invented artificial wombs. And this is a special bonus episode of Flash Forward where we’re going to go back and revisit that future, because a new piece of research recently came out about artificial

Mons Voyage Jun 6, 2017 1811 This episode, we go on another vacation! Can you tell I need a vacation? Anyway, back to the episode. What would it be like if you could hop on a space cruise ship, and take a trip to Mars? This is a special episode because our little future intro is actually two real people playing real parts. Olivia Koski and Jana Grcevich are the authors of a new book called Vacation Guide to the Sola

Love On The Brain Jul 5, 2017 1868 This episode, we travel to a future where your romantic partners aren’t chosen by questions or swipes, but rather by your brainwaves. This future is based on an idea from Shelly Ronan and Ernesto D. Morales and their project Object Solutions. If you liked what you heard about Object Solutions you should check out their other work, and their Patreon page. I also talked to Suzanne Dikker

Down For Everyone Not Just You Aug 8, 2017 2234 This episode is a little different than other episodes. As many of you know, Flash Forward is my second job. My first job is at ESPN, where I recently helped launch an audio documentary series called 30 for 30 Podcasts. Please go check that out, even if you don’t like sports I promise there’s something for you. My episodes are numbers three and four in the series, and they’re both out, an

After Life Sep 7, 2017 1477 This month’s episode is about what it would take to sterilize the Earth, and why you might want to figure that out in the first place. First we talk to the authors of a paper that tries to figure out this exact question. David Sloan and Rafael Alves Batista are the authors of a paper called “The Resilience of Life to Astrophysical Events” (along with Avi Loeb). No, they’re not evil scie

Piraceuticals Oct 3, 2017 1653 This episode we go to a future with pirates! There always has to be at least one pirate episode per season. This time it’s pharmaceutical pirates. This episode was inspired by a new book by Annalee Newitz called Autonomous. It’s very good and you should read it. I am not being paid to say that, I just really like the book. Autonomous tells the story of two main characters: Jack the ph

Buzz Off Oct 17, 2017 1547 In this episode we travel to a world without bees. And not just honey bees, all bees. You’ve probably heard a lot of doom and gloom predictions about what might happen if honey bees went extinct. Mass famine! The end of coffee! World economic collapse! But is that all true? (Probably not.) And how likely is a honeybee extinction anyway? (Extremely unlikely.) Plus, what about all the oth

Easy Bake Organs Oct 31, 2017 1927 This episode we take on a future full of bioprinted replacement organs. You asked for more hopeful futures, this is about as hopeful as they get! We start by hearing a bit about what the current organ donation market is like from Christine Gentry, who donated a kidney to a stranger. Then we talk to Dr. Anthony Atala, the Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine an

Deceptible Me Nov 14, 2017 2302 This episode we travel to a future where you can choose to turn off your ability to deceive yourself. Are you now a perfectly clear eyed genius? Or a perpetually depressed misanthrope? Maybe both? This episode was suggested by my mom. It begins with two tales of self deception, one from Jacquelyn Gill, an assistant professor of paleo-ecology at the University of Maine and the host of a

Our Father, Who art in Algorithm Nov 28, 2017 3037 In this episode, we travel to a future where a tech mogul feeds a machine learning system all the religious texts he can find, and asks it to generate a “super religion.” Buckle up because this is a long episode! But it’s fun, I promise. For the intro of this episode I worked with Janelle Shane to actually train a machine learning algorithm on a big chunk of religious texts that I assem

There’s No Great Future in Plastics Dec 12, 2017 2092 This episode is all about a world without plastic. What would that look like? Is it even possible? Today, plastic is seen as one of our great environmental enemies. But it actually wasn’t always that way. Bradford Harris, a historian of science and the host of a podcast called How It Began: A History of the Modern World, and Susan Freinkel, a journalist and the author of Plastic: A Toxi

Countless Dec 26, 2017 2734 This episode we travel to a future where the 2020 census goes haywire. What happens if we don’t get an accurate count of Americans? Who cares? Apparently the constitution does! The 2020 census is currently in the crosshairs — census watchers say that it’s not getting enough funding, and community organizations and local governments are already worrying about what an inaccurate census mi

You’ve Got Brainmail Jan 9, 2018 2972 In our last episode of the season, we take one one of the most requested futures: telepathy! What would it be like to be able to link minds, and communicate brain to brain? And how likely is it that we’ll ever get this kind of technology? We start the episode by talking to Roger Luckhurst, a Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Birkbeck, University of London, who explains

The Grey Dawn Mar 27, 2018 2896 We’re back! After a bit of a break, your regularly scheduled Flash Forward episodes will resume starting today. Every other Tuesday you’ll get a future delivered straight to your listening device. I hope you enjoy!On this episode, we’re talking about the future of senior care. Namely: what happens when we outsource care for our aging loved ones to robots, apps and devices?Let’s start by d

Fire From the Deep Apr 10, 2018 2594 In this episode, a huge submarine volcano erupts, breaks the surface of the ocean, and forms a new island. What happens next?Guests:Tracy Gregg, associate professor of geology at the University at BuffaloRebecca Carey, senior lecturer at the University of TasmaniaParaskevi V. Nomiku, assistant professor of geological oceanography at the University of AthensGianpierro Orbasano, Tongan phot

Fitness in a Bottle Apr 24, 2018 3080 Some people love going to the gym. Some people hate it. But what if there was a pill that could replace exercise? Today’s future might actually be closer than you think.Today’s guests:Nicola Twilley, co-host of Gastropod and New Yorker writerDavid Eveleth, my dad and biotech expertNatalia Mehlman Petrzela, historian and co-host of Past PresentSigmund Loland, philosopher of sports at Norwe

Enter the Exos May 8, 2018 3002 This episode we talk exoskeletons: what are they being used for now? What might they be used for in the future? And what happens when they’re everywhere?Guests:Tim Pote, PhD student at Virginia TechGreg Pote, Tim’s brotherDr. Bill Marras, professor at The Ohio State University & Director of the Spine Research InstituteLarry Jasinksi, CEO, RewalkAshley Shew, assistant professor at Virg

Federal Project Two May 22, 2018 3151 Guests:Susan Quinn, author of Furious Improvisation: How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Made High Art out of Desperate Times and other books.Monet Noelle Marshall, playwright, consultant, artist, director, founder of JOCOAA.Monica Byrne, novelist, playwright, futurist, activist.Further Reading:Furious Improvisation: How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Made High Art out of Desperate Times

We Are Family Jun 5, 2018 3290 With the rise in consumer DNA tests and online genealogy, people might soon have a pretty good idea where their families came from for generations. But are we putting too much faith in DNA? Can our genetic ancestry really tell us anything about ourselves? And what happens when DNA databases become playgrounds for true crime sleuths?Guests:Carl Zimmer, science journalist and author of She

The Space Roomba Jun 19, 2018 3026 This episode we take on a future where space junk has gotten so bad, that active spacecraft are constantly having to maneuver around it, which wastes fuel and cuts down on operation time. And humans decide to finally do something about it. But what?Guests:Loren Grush, science reporter at The VergeLisa Ruth Rand, historian of science technology and the environment.Tiago Soares, systems eng

The Very Big Sick Jul 3, 2018 3206 In 1918, the Spanish flu killed four to five percent of the entire global population. Infectious disease experts all agree that another pandemic is coming. It's when, not if. But are we ready for it? Today's episode explores what happens when a pandemic strikes, what the most likely candidates are, and whether or not the world is ready.Guests:Ed Yong, science writer at The AtlanticNahid B

Portrait Of The Artist As An Algorithm Jul 17, 2018 2993 In today’s episode I welcome you to the Museum of Non-Human Art, a brand new gallery full of art made entirely by machines, computers, algorithms, robots and other non-human entities. I hope your enjoy your visit!To see pictures of any of the artworks we talked about on this show head to the website! Guests:Elizabeth Stephens, Australian Research Council Future Fellow in the Institute for

Under The Sea Jul 31, 2018 3398 In the 1960's, the United States spent millions of dollars exploring two different realms: outer space, and the deep oceans. But today, only one of those programs is still around. Why do space colonies seem more likely than underwater cities? And what does it take to build a settlement on the sea floor?Guests:Ben Hellwarth, journalist and author of SEALAB: America's Forgotten Quest to Liv

Dr. Doolittle Aug 14, 2018 3417 ~~~~ TAKE THE SURVEY! (Please) ~~~~Today we tackle the age-old question: what if animals could talk? Or, more precisely, what if we could actually understand what animals are saying?Guests:Con Slobodchikoff, professor at Northern Arizona University, CEO of Zoolingua, and author of Chasing Dr. Doolittle: Learning the Language of Animals.Irene Pepperberg, professor of psychology Harvard Uni

Spawn of Sponcon Aug 28, 2018 2927 On today’s episode we travel to the near-future of advertising. Welcome to a future in which you can sign up to be a brand ambassador, and get paid for every time you mention a product in conversation. Simply download the app, and your phone will listen to your every word waiting to hear brand names, and pay you some money every time you mention one. Guests:Deborah Dahl, speech technology

Fungus Among Us Sep 11, 2018 2518 How much of what you do is actually your choice? What if you were secretly being controlled by a parasite that had infected your brain? What if that infection was spreading? Guests:David Walton, author of The Genius PlagueTade Thompson, author or RosewaterCharissa de Bekker, researcher at the University of Central FloridaSandeep Ravindran, science journalistFor additional reading and reso

Money For Nothing Sep 25, 2018 3072 What if we just gave everybody money? It sounds simple, but universal basic income is a trendy idea right now and a lot of you have asked for an episode about a future where everybody gets money from the government no matter what. And it turns out that while it sounds simple, just giving everybody money is way more complicated than you might thing.Guests:Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, Senior e

Eyes In The Skies Oct 9, 2018 2648 Computers are getting smaller and smaller. But what if we had sensors the size of dust, that could float through the air undetected, talk to one another, gather information, and transmit that information back down to a central place? This is the concept behind smart dust, and it's more plausible than you might think.Guests:Amy Webb, quantitative futurist and founder of the Future Today In

Farm To Tablet Oct 23, 2018 2876 On today’s episode we tackle a future that was once a staple of science fiction: food pills. Instead of shopping and cooking and sitting down to eat meals together, we all simply pop our nutritional pills and move along with our lives. How feasible is this, really? Where did the idea come from? And what does the rise and fall in the popularity of the idea say about our changing relationsh

What To Expect When You're Expecting In Space Nov 6, 2018 2823 If humans want to really have a go at leaving Earth and living in space or on other planets, we’re going to have to figure out a lot of things: spaceships, food supplies, fuel, how to keep everybody from killing one another. But one thing seems to be frequently left out of the picture, when it comes to distant space travel research: reproduction. It turns out we know very, very little abo

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