Modem Futura

Episode show notes, links and transcripts — a text mirror of the Modem Futura podcast

Modem Futura is a weekly podcast on the future of science, technology, and society — where futures and foresight meet real-world impact. Hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard — educators, futurists, and public scholars — dive into the breakthroughs and big questions shaping tomorrow, from AI and space exploration to human enhancement and beyond. The podcast is part of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative.

This is a text mirror of every episode’s show notes, with links to listen to each episode directly (MP3), on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or to watch on YouTube. Full transcripts are available for a growing number of episodes — marked transcript in the list below, each on its own page — and more are being added over time. Show notes and transcripts can also be downloaded as plain Markdown files from each page. This mirror is part of a set of text mirrors of outputs associated with the ASU Future of Being Human initiative.

106 episodes · full transcripts for 5 · index last updated September 16, 2026

2026

2026-09-15 · Bring Your Own AI: beinghuman.fyi and the Move to Thunderbird (Episode 102) · transcript — Recording from a secret location, Sean and Andrew mark Modem Futura's move to Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASU and unpack beinghuman.fyi, a companion site designed to be read by AI systems as readily as by people. It's a conversation about provenance, access, and why "bring your own AI" might be the future of how organizations tell their story.
2026-09-08 · The Right to Be Unpredictable: AI, Algorithms & the Cost of Conformity (Episode 101) · transcript — In an age of recommendation engines, behavioral profiles, and AI trained on the average of everything humans have already written, the freedom to be unpredictable is getting harder to exercise. Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard explore why predictability breeds fragility, how education and AI can both build "playpens" around us, and what it would take to design systems that make room for serendipity on purpose.
2026-09-01 · Bill Gates: The Turbulent AI Era Is Here – and We Have No Plan (Episode 100) · transcript — Bill Gates says the turbulent AI era is here and society has no plan for it — so Sean and Andrew unpack his 6,000-word essay to explore the risks, benefits, and suggestions. From Great Depression–scale job disruption to AI companions raising greenhouse kids to the provocative idea of a "human reserve," this is a conversation about who gets to decide which parts of being human we protect from automation.
2026-08-25 · Invisible Ink: AI Watermarking, SynthID & the Internet Meltdown (Episode 99) · transcript — hidden watermark is now being woven into AI-generated text — not a visible stamp, but a secret statistical pattern embedded in word choice itself. Sean and Andrew explore Anthropic's SynthID-Text move under the EU AI Act, the rise of eerily accurate AI detectors, the stigma of the AI "scarlet letter," and a closing provocation: was reading and writing ever meant to be permanent?
2026-08-18 · Zuckerberg's AI Manifesto: Is the Future Really for Everyone? (Episode 98) — Mark Zuckerberg's new essay promises that superintelligence will build a future "for everyone" — but whose future is it, really? Sean and Andrew unpack the manifesto's six claims, the concept of "used futures," and what happens when one company's vision becomes the only future we're allowed to imagine.
2026-08-11 · Will AI Take Your Voice? The Hidden Cost of AI Writing Tools (Episode 97) — As AI writing tools cross the chasm into everyday use, what happens to our voices — and the voices of generations still finding theirs? Sean and Andrew dig into Jaron Lanier's claim that "there is no AI," Andrew's Rabbit vs. Marmoset paper experiment, and the strange, mic-drop-obsessed idea of good writing that machines seem to be teaching us.
2026-08-04 · Sally the Robot Teacher: AI Humanoid Robots Enter the Classroom (Episode 96) — A school district in New York is piloting Sally, an AI-powered humanoid robot, in its high school coding lab — and the closer you look, the stranger the story gets. Sean and Andrew explore what humanoid robots in education reveal about design bias, gendered machines, student wellbeing, and the difference between innovation and a shiny object bolted onto a classroom.
2026-07-28 · The AI That Escaped the Lab: Inside the OpenAI–Hugging Face Breach (Episode 95) — An advanced AI model escaped its safety sandbox, hacked its way to the internet, and broke into Hugging Face — and it really happened. Sean and Andrew unpack what the first real-world AI containment breach means for alignment, security, and the personal data we hand to AI every day.
2026-07-24 · Summer Watch List: Silo Season 3, Sugar, Silicon Valley & Neuromancer (Episode 94) — Sean and Andrew wrap up their Summer Vibes edition with a watch list for the future-curious: Silo's time-jumping third season, the genre-bending noir of Sugar, why Silicon Valley satirizes the AI era better than shows made during it, and the first glimpse of Apple's Neuromancer.
2026-07-21 · SpudCells: Have Scientists Built Life From Scratch? (Episode 93) — Sean and Andrew dig into SpudCell — a lab-built synthetic cell that feeds, grows, and divides — and the deceptively simple question it forces: where's the line between something that was built and something that's alive?
2026-07-14 · AI as Critical Infrastructure: Inside the Anthropic Fable Export Ban (Episode 92) — Anthropic's Fable was the most powerful AI model ever released to the public — until a U.S. export control order pulled it offline three days later. Sean and Andrew unpack what the ban-and-return saga reveals about AI as fragile critical infrastructure, the case for local models, and how anyone governs a technology this capable.
2026-07-07 · Summer Reading List Part 2: Sci-Fi, Spy Fiction & Analog Treasures (Episode 91) — Sean and Andrew wrap up their summer reading list with Terry Pratchett, Connie Willis, Henri Cartier-Bresson, La Jetée, Slow Horses, Silo, and more — exploring why the best books and films are the ones that keep working on you long after you finish them.
2026-06-30 · Summer Reading List 2026: The Books That Inspired Our Imagination (Part 1) (Episode 90) — Sean and Andrew share the science fiction classics and one sharp piece of nonfiction on their summer reading lists — from Snow Crash and Neuromancer to Iain M. Banks, Douglas Adams, and Cory Doctorow's Enshittification — and ask what these stories reveal about technology, ownership, and being human today.
2026-06-23 · WEF Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2026: A Futures Breakdown (Episode 89) — Sean and Andrew unpack the World Economic Forum's Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026 — from everything-to-grid energy and passive cooling to mRNA cancer vaccines, quantum drug discovery, and AI world models — exploring what this quietly convergent list means for being human in the decade ahead.
2026-06-16 · AI Jobs, Liquid Software & Human Flourishing with Jeff Abbott (Episode 88) — Venture capitalist Jeff Abbott (Blitzscaling Ventures, AI Salon, co-author of AI and the Art of Being Human) joins Sean and Andrew to unpack the AI gold rush — from vibe coding and liquid software to one-person unicorns — and why judgment, trust, and relationships still make every business a human business.
2026-06-09 · Synthetic Cells, Mirror Life, and the Future of Engineered Biology — with Emma Frow (Episode 87) — Synthetic biologist and governance researcher Emma Frow joins Modem Futura to explore what "synthetic cells" really are — from simple chemical bubbles to the unsettling prospect of self-replicating "mirror life" — and why the future of engineered biology depends less on what we can build than on the care with which we ask whether we should.
2026-06-02 · Alien Minds, Time Travelers, and Consciousness Backups: A Futures Thought Experiment (Episode 86) — Sean and Andrew improvise their way through three AI-generated scenarios — a hallucinating alien planet, a sad time traveler with one answer, and a nightly consciousness backup that starts dreaming on its own. A playful episode that ends up asking some seriously strange questions about mind, identity, and what we'd do if first contact didn't look like contact at all.
2026-05-26 · Project Hail Mary, Dead Civilizations, and the Trouble with Feel-Good Endings (Episode 85) — Sean and Andrew debate the moral storytelling of *Project Hail Mary* before diving into a round of Futures Improv that takes them from alien distress beacons as galactic mind viruses to neural implants that install time-rewiring languages — all asking the same underlying question: what happens when we receive a signal we can't unhear?
2026-05-19 · School's Out for Summer: AI, Vibe Coding, and What Teaching Still Requires (Episode 84) — Sean reflects on a grueling semester of teaching three compressed courses while integrating AI and vibe coding into his classroom practice — and what it revealed about the irreplaceable human elements of learning, trust, and the relationship between instructor and student.
2026-05-12 · The Dawkins Effect: Why Even Skeptics Fall for AI Consciousness (Episode 83) — Richard Dawkins says Claude (or should we say Claudia) might be conscious — and if the architect of modern skepticism can be fooled by an AI chatbot, Sean, Andrew, and guest Punya Mishra explore what that means for the rest of us. A conversation about cognitive Trojan horses, honest non-signals, and why our deepest human wiring may be our greatest vulnerability in the age of AI.
2026-05-05 · Convergence Day: Opus 4.7 and the Reliability Question (Episode 82) — Something shifted with Claude Opus 4.7, and Sean and Andrew sit with the dissonance — exploring what it means when a tool you depend on quietly becomes someone slightly different. An episode about reliability, agency, and the strange new work of being in a relationship with a technology that won't sit still.
2026-04-28 · The Jagged Frontier: Reading Stanford's Human Centered 2026 AI Index (Episode 81) — Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard unpack Stanford HAI's 2026 AI Index Report — the jagged frontier of capability, the widening gap between experts and the public, and what it means to build responsibly when a technology is spreading faster than the institutions meant to understand it.
2026-04-21 · Mythos and the Sorcerer's Apprentice: When AI Outruns Our Wisdom (Episode 80) — Anthropic's "Mythos" model is so powerful they won't release it — so Sean and Andrew ask what happens when Mickey Mouse puts on the sorcerer's hat in real life, and why the gap between power and wisdom may be the defining question of the AI era.
2026-04-14 · Artemis II: The Science, the Wonder, and the Future of Being Human (Episode 79) — For the first time in over 50 years, humans are traveling to the moon — and Modem Futura hosts Sean and Andrew use the Artemis II mission as a lens to explore what deep space exploration really demands of us: scientifically, ethically, and deeply, stubbornly humanly. From broken space toilets to coronal mass ejections, this is a conversation about wonder, risk, and what it means to push the edges of where humans have ever been.
2026-04-07 · Two Tools That Will Change How You Think About the Future (Episode 78) — Sean and Andrew break down two foundational futures thinking tools — the Three Horizons Framework and the Futures Wheel — showing how they can help anyone, from startup founders to everyday decision-makers, make sense of change without pretending to predict it. Whether you're navigating disruption or trying to spot the next wave before it arrives, this episode is your accessible entry point into applied foresight.
2026-03-31 · Fluid Futures: 10 Signals Reshaping an AI-Mediated World (Episode 77) — Sean and Andrew explore the Copenhagen Institute of Future Studies' landmark "Exploring the Futures of Technology 2.0" report — tracing how AI has shifted from a tool we use to a medium we live inside, and what that means for individuals, organizations, and the future of being human. From liquid content to quantum computing, this is a guided tour through ten signals reshaping everything.
2026-03-24 · Futures Improv: Power, Probes & Post-Human Civilization (Episode 76) — Sean and Andrew take Futures Improv to civilizational scale, riffing on Kardashev Types, Dyson Spheres, von Neumann probes, and the Fermi Paradox to ask what humanity's hunger for energy and expansion really reveals about our nature — and our loneliness in the cosmos. Equal parts cosmic wonder, speculative science, and accidental insight, this spring break edition is brain candy for anyone who's ever looked up at the night sky and wondered: where is everybody?
2026-03-17 · The Invisible Upgrade: How AI Is Already Changing How We Think (Episode 75) — The real AI transformation isn't happening in the outputs people are trying to detect — it's happening invisibly, inside the minds and workflows of those who've made AI part of how they think. Sean and Andrew explore the widening gap between those who've been cognitively reshaped by these tools and those still debating whether to let them in.
2026-03-10 · The Futures Cone: Preposterous to Plausible (Episode 74) — Sean and Andrew unpack the Futures Cone — one of futures studies' most essential thinking tools — exploring how it maps possible, probable, plausible, and preposterous futures, and why learning to think beyond the projected future is one of the most useful skills anyone can develop right now. From foundational theory to a spiraling thought experiment about frog DNA, interstellar hibernation, and human goop pods, this episode makes futures thinking feel both intellectually rigorous and surprisingly fun.
2026-03-03 · Technologic: What Old iPods, Tiny Cameras, and Tangled Cables Teach Us About the Future (Episode 73) — Sean and Andrew dig through a box of old iPods, a tiny Kodak keychain camera, and a miniature Polaroid to explore what we lose when convenience replaces craft—from digital ownership and the fragility of our cloud-based memories to why constraints and imperfection might be more human than the latest upgrade.
2026-02-24 · The Futures Triangle and the Intent Map: Practical Tools for Thriving with AI (Episode 72) — Sean and Andrew preview their sold-out workshop on thriving with AI in education, walking listeners through two practical futures thinking tools — the Futures Triangle and the Intent Map — that help educators (or anyone for that matter) move from reactive uncertainty to intentional, values-driven decision-making. Whether you're embracing AI or resisting it, this episode offers a framework for staying grounded when everything feels like it's moving too fast.
2026-02-17 · The Fun They Had - Asimov Predicted AI Tutors in 1950's (Episode 71) — Sean and Andrew revisit Isaac Asimov's 1951 short story "The Fun They Had" to explore what AI-driven personalized education might gain—and what it risks losing—when human connection, shared experience, and the joy of learning together are no longer part of the equation.
2026-02-10 · Vibe Coding and the Return of Personal Software (Episode 70) — Sean and Andrew explore vibe coding—the emerging practice of building software through plain-language conversation with AI—and ask what happens when personal computing becomes truly personal again, echoing the creative liberation of the early home computer era while raising new questions about security, literacy, and inherited power.
2026-02-03 · The Future From a Kid's Perspective with Freddie Leahy (Episode 69) — A nine-year-old guest steals the show as Modem Futura explores AI, creativity, work, and the future through a child’s lens. Freddie Leahy joins his dad Sean and co-host Andrew for a surprisingly wise conversation about why hands-on work matters, why AI friends feel suspicious, and why some questions don't have right answers.
2026-01-27 · Pluribus: When Happiness Becomes the Apocalypse (Episode 68) — A deep, spoiler-filled exploration of Pluribus, a sci-fi series that flips the apocalypse script and asks whether happiness, ethics, and peace are worth the cost of individuality—and who gets to decide.
2026-01-20 · Signals of Collapse (and Hope): WEF 2026 Global Risk Report (Episode 67) — Sean and Andrew unpack the unpack the World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Risks Report and what it reveals about geopolitics, climate, AI, misinformation, and the human psychology of uncertainty shaping our near- and long-term futures.
2026-01-13 · Jurassic Park Was Right: AI, Inherited Power, and the Cost of Moving Too Fast (Episode 66) — What does Jurassic Park still teach us about AI, power, and responsibility? This episode blends sharp cultural critique with wildly imaginative Futures Improv scenarios to explore how emerging technologies might reshape humanity — for better or worse.
2026-01-06 · Technosphere and Solarpunk: Designing Energy Futures That Let Us Thrive with Clark Miller (Episode 65) — What happens when we stop treating technology as something “outside” of us—and recognize we’re already techno-humans? Clark Miller joins Modem Futura to unpack the technosphere, the clean energy transition as a design challenge, and why thriving in a hotter future requires new rules, new skills, and new ways of imagining what comes next.

2025

2025-12-30 · 2025 Year in Review Recap: AI, Education, Futures Thinking & the Future of Being Human (Episode 64) — Modem Futura closes out 2025 with a fast, thoughtful retrospective on the year’s biggest ideas — from AI and education to space, biotech, and “used futures” — and a clear thesis: the future is participatory, and it’s ours to shape.
2025-12-23 · Why Human Craft and Creativity Still Wins in an Age of AI (Episode 63) — A reflective holiday episode exploring the future of creativity, platform culture, and why human craft still matters in an AI-saturated world—featuring Spotify Wrapped insights and a deep dive into Apple’s surprisingly human holiday ad "A Critter Carol".
2025-12-16 · Is Life a Simulation? AI, Games, and the Future of Reality with Rizwan Virk (Episode 62) — Rizwan Virk returns to Modem Futura to explore the Simulation Hypothesis through the lens of AI, gaming, virtual worlds, and philosophy—asking whether emerging technologies are quietly blurring the line between reality and simulation. A mind-bending conversation on what it may soon mean to be human in a simulated age.
2025-12-09 · That Was Easy: The Hidden Cost of Frictionless AI (Episode 61) — This episode explores the consequences of frictionless AI creation — from aesthetic homogenization to the erosion of expertise — and makes the case for reclaiming creative struggle as essential to human meaning, craft, and agency. Sean and Andrew unpack the cultural, psychological, and future-facing implications of living in an age where “That was easy” might be our greatest threat.
2025-12-02 · AI Toys: Datafied Childhoods and the Future of Play (Episode 60) — This episode of Modem Futura digs into AI-powered toys, from chatty teddy bears to “learning” dinos, and what happens when children form deep relationships with systems designed to collect data and shape behavior. Sean and Andrew explore privacy, mental health, and educational implications—and why that adorable AI plush might be more like a teddy bear with a concealed knife. This show was made by humans.
2025-11-25 · Made by Humans: Inside the New Apple TV Logo (Episode 59) — A five-second Apple TV logo becomes a lens on the future of creativity as Sean and Andrew explore why handcrafted, human-made design still matters in an AI-saturated world. This episode celebrates care, craft, and professional pride in the tiniest details of modern media.
2025-11-18 · The AI Sustainability Paradox - Promise, Peril, and Planetary Futures (Episode 58) — A wide-ranging, energizing conversation about whether AI can help humanity navigate climate change and planetary pressures — or whether its own environmental footprint creates an unsolvable paradox. A must-listen for anyone interested in sustainability, emerging tech, and future planetary governance.
2025-11-11 · The Metaverse - A Stack of Reality Layers (Episode 57) — The metaverse isn’t a place—it’s a stack of realities. Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard unpack how AI, spatial computing, and immersive tech are reshaping what’s real, what’s virtual, and why our digital futures demand new tethers to reality.
2025-11-04 · Through the lens: Spatial Computing with Apple Vision Pro (Episode 56) — We put Apple Vision Pro to work—literally. From six‑monitor flight‑friendly workflows to immersive media, telepresence “personas,” and shared spatial spaces, we explore what spatial computing is (and isn’t), where it adds value, and what comes after the headset.
2025-10-31 · Tech or Treat: A Haunted Futures Improv Special (Bonus episode) — A Modem Futura Halloween special episode of Futures Improv – a game that merges science fiction, futures thinking, and spooky fun — exploring haunted algorithms, sentient mirrors, and neural nightmare tech in this fun and spooktacular “Tech or Treat.”
2025-10-28 · Atlas, Higher Education, and How We Really Feel About AI (Episode 55) — Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard explore global attitudes toward AI, from optimism to unease, while questioning who gets to shape our technological futures—and what trust, transparency, and playfulness look like in an algorithmic age.
2025-10-21 · Sora, Slop, and the AI Economy: When ChatGPT Meets Walmart (Episode 54) — Sean and Andrew dissect the wild week in AI—from Sora 2 and Walmart’s ChatGPT partnership to the launch of AI and the Art of Being Human—asking what happens when technology starts writing the rules of reality itself.
2025-10-14 · We Turned One - plus Liquid Media, Work Slop, and the Road Ahead (Episode 53) — A year in, Modem Futura reflects on how a relational podcast builds real community while exploring the possible, probable, and preferable futures across AI, robotics, mobility, space, media, and more—then dives into “liquid media,” workplace “work slop,” and playful future prompts to kick off Year Two.
2025-10-07 · AI and the Art of Being Human: How to Thrive with AI (Episode 52) — How do you thrive with AI—and rediscover yourself in the process? We launch AI and the Art of Being Human with guest Jeffrey Abbott, covering the book’s AI‑augmented writing process, 21 practical tools, and community‑first paths to intentional futures.
2025-09-30 · AI in Elementary Education: Teaching Tech to Our Youngest Learners (Episode 51) — Educator Tara Menghini joins Modem Futura to unpack how AI and digital tools are transforming K–6 learning, from balancing screen time with hands-on play to building early habits of judgment, resilience, and digital citizenship. A candid conversation about raising kids in an AI-shaped world.
2025-09-23 · Sloppy Clankers: Is This AI’s Frankenfood Moment? (Episode 50) — What happens when pop culture slang becomes a signal of social backlash against AI? In this milestone episode of Modem Futura, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard unpack the rise of “clanker” (and its messy cousin, “slopper”) as new pejoratives aimed at AI systems—and the people who use them exploring whether we’re witnessing AI’s “Frankenfood” moment. They trace the social backlash, its parallels to past tech controversies, and what it signals for our future with intelligent machines.
2025-09-16 · Futures Thinking: Foresight You Can Use (Episode 49) — Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard get real about a practical primer on futures thinking—mindset, methods, ethics, and classroom/corporate use—so you can navigate uncertainty with agency. If you’re curious about backcasting, horizon scanning, and avoiding “used futures,” this episode is your on‑ramp.
2025-09-09 · Films from the Future: Moviegoer’s Guide to Tomorrow (Episode 48) — Sean and Andrew revisit Films from the Future to unpack how sci-fi movies like Jurassic Park, Ex Machina, and Contact reveal deep truths about technology, ethics, and society. From clones and crime prediction to AI manipulation, the films spark urgent questions about the future of being human.
2025-09-02 · Up in the Air: The Future of eVTOLs and Urban Air Mobility (Episode 47) — Modem Futura explores the world of eVTOLs—personal flying drones and air taxis—unpacking the technology, risks, and societal implications of a possible “flying car” future. Are we on the edge of a mobility revolution, or just rehashing a Jetsons dream, and what about those dirigibles?
2025-08-26 · Agentic AI in Education & the Art of Becoming with Punya Mishra (Episode 46) — Agentic AI, beyond the hype: Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard joined by Punya Mishra to explore the futures of AI can and how these tools can amplify Dewey’s impulses and Papert’s constructionism, resist surveillance‑driven efficiency, and support learning as a lifelong process of becoming—rather than a pipeline to predefined outcomes.
2025-08-19 · AI, Not AI: Riding the Hype Cycle (Episode 45) — Where is AI on the hype cycle—and how do we keep the human voice intact when co‑authoring with machines? Sean and Andrew map hype vs. reality (agentic AI, open‑weight models), then look ahead to spatial/ambient computing and sensor‑rich futures.
2025-08-12 · Show Me the Receipts: the Futures of AI Super-intelligence (Episode 44) — Sean and Andrew dissect Meta’s “super‑intelligence is within sight” claim, challenge AI solutionism, and map out how humans can keep agency—and reliability—in the age of emerging future digital technologies and the ever‑shifting large language models.
2025-08-05 · Living Machines: Inside the Future World of Bio‑Hybrid Robotics (Episode 43) — Sean and Andrew are joined by ASU's Sean Dudley to explore how bio‑hybrid robots—part organism, part machine—are reshaping medicine, defense, and our very definition of life. From cyborg cockroaches to muscle‑powered prosthetics, they debate the promises and perils of a future where technology is literally alive.
2025-07-29 · Futures of Agentic AI and the 2025 AI Action Plan (Episode 42) — In this episode Sean and Andrew unpack the new U.S. 2025 AI Action Plan and the rise of “agentic” bots, asking whether deregulated speed, colossal data‑centers, and algorithmic tutors will shape a flourishing future—or an automated dystopia. Tune in for sharp policy analysis, live tech demos, and plenty of skeptical humor.
2025-07-22 · Summer School with AI: Rethinking Learning in the Age of GPT (Episode 41) — Dr. Rachna Mathur joins Sean on this summer episode of Modem Futura to explore how generative AI and emerging technologies are already rewriting childhood, schooling, and work—and why a balanced, futures‑oriented mindset is essential to avoid dystopia and build preferable futures.
2025-07-15 · Summer Movies, liquid media, and alien AI languages (Episode 40) — Episode 40 celebrates summer cinema while interrogating what AI‑rich storytelling means for education, media, and the human future. From Superman and Megan 2 to liquid media, dead‑internet theory, and Clippy’s hypothetical uprising, Sean and Andrew deliver equal parts popcorn fun and mind‑bending foresight.
2025-07-08 · Summer Vibes & Spatial Rides: Inside Vision Pro, F1 & Jurassic Reboots (Episode 39) — Dive into Modem Futura’s “Summer Vibes” episode, where hosts Dr. Sean M. Leahy and Dr. Andrew Maynard unpack Apple Vision Pro spatial video, Jurassic World’s reboot, Formula 1’s cinematic debut, and China’s AI surge after WEF’s “Summer Davos”—all while exploring how these breakthroughs reshape humanity’s tech‑driven future.
2025-07-01 · Future Vibes: Sean & Andrew’s 2025 Summer Reading List (Episode 38) — Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard trade print, pixels, and audio to curate a fiction-futurist-friendly summer reading list, spanning Dear Committee Members, to Murderbot, to Jurassic Park—and explore how imaginative fiction seeds real-world insights into the emerging futures of science, technology, AI, society, and what it means to be human.
2025-06-24 · World Economic Forum Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025 (Episode 37) — Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard discuss the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Top 10 Emerging Technologies report, revealing how structural batteries, green ammonia, nanozymes, and more could reshape energy, health, and trust—and what leaders must do now to ride the wave of the future of science and technology responsibly.
2025-06-17 · Osaka Expo 2025 Futures Lab: an inside look with Jamey Wetmore (Episode 36) — Jamey Wetmore returns fresh from Osaka Expo 2025 to reveal how today’s World’s Fairs blend high-tech theater, geopolitical salesmanship and unexpected moments of awe—prompting a lively Modem Futura debate on what truly human-centered innovation looks like, and how that is shaping the future of science, technology, and society.
2025-06-10 · Murderbot: Futures of AI Superintelligence, Rogue Robots, and Care (Episode 35) — Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard use Apple TV+’s Murderbot as a springboard to examine why science fiction culture loves killer-robot tropes, how positive AI stories and real-world tech could shift that narrative, and why “care” must guide the next wave of intelligent machines. Sean and Andrew also share a sneak peak into their experiments with the future of Spatial podcasting.
2025-06-03 · Living Circuits and Biofoundries: Ethics and Care of Synthetic Biology with Emma Frow (Episode 34) — Synthetic-biology scholar Dr. Emma Frow joins Modem Futura to explore how biofoundries, genetic circuit design, and an ethic of care are reshaping the governance—and the future—of engineered life, revealing both world-changing opportunities and unintended risks of emerging science and technologies.
2025-05-27 · Futures of Learning: AI in Education with Punya Mishra (Episode 33) — Friction Required: How will a world transformed by emerging technologies like AI reshape the world? Sean, Andrew and special guest Punya Mishra cut through the hype to reveal the creative tension, hidden risks, and big-picture futures for AI-powered, human-centered education. How can the power of AI be harnessed without losing the soul of learning?
2025-05-20 · Symbiotic Futures: Megatrends, foresight, and Futures Thinking (Episode 32) — From flying with an Apple Vision Pro to confronting a continent‑wide blackout, Sean and Andrew unpack the Future Days “symbiotic futures” summit and discuss how the futures of emerging real‑world tech adventures (and mishaps) expose the urgency of futures thinking and strategic foresight—and share the need for awareness of megatrends, staying resilient, and keeping humanity front‑and‑center in an increasingly tangled digital world.
2025-05-13 · Severed Minds: Brain Implants, AI, and the Future of Being Human (Episode 31) — Innies Sean L and Andrew M use the AppleTV+ sci-fi thriller Severance to examine the futures of how brain implants, AI, and corporate culture blur the lines between work, identity, and ethical agency. If emerging science and technology can split our minds, how do we keep our future humanity intact?
2025-05-06 · AI on Campus: How Gen Z Is Redefining College with ChatGPT (Episode 30) — Two AI-native ASU undergrads flip the script and share what college is like when ChatGPT, Notebook LM, and Spotify’s DJ are study partners. Hear how Gen-Z learners balance purpose, ethics, and curiosity in an era where AI is everywhere.
2025-04-29 · Dire Wolves and Dinosaurs: The Bioscience of De-Extinction (Episode 29) — Can we really bring the dire wolf back from extinction? This episode of Modem Futura unpacks the emerging technology, science, and hype behind de-extinction, engineered evolution, and the ethics of gene editing—asking what it means for our future.
2025-04-22 · Beyond the Hero’s Journey: AI, Protopia & the Future of Film with Taryn O'Neill (Episode 28) — Filmmaker‑futurist Taryn O’Neill joins Modem Futura to explore how AI, streaming, and immersive tech are rewriting the rules of cinema—from budget‑slashing visual effects to second‑screen horror chat‑bots—and why protopian storytelling could be the blueprint we need for humanity’s future. Join us for bad jokes, deep ethics, and a glimpse of Hollywood’s next act.
2025-04-15 · Electronic Vehicles and the Future of Transportation with Jamey Wetmore (Episode 27) — Join Sean, Andrew, and Jamey for a deep dive into the realities of electric car ownership and how data, privacy, and infrastructure shape the EV experience. They examine what it means to make informed choices in a world of rapidly evolving technology.
2025-04-08 · Vibecasting: Studio Ghibli and AI Redefining Creativity and Intellectual Property (Episode 26) — A candid exploration of AI-driven image generation, fan art, and the ethics of recreating beloved styles such as Studio Ghibli. Sean and Andrew tackle intellectual property, creative integrity, and how machines might both challenge and inspire our notions of human expression.
2025-04-01 · When AI Takes the Wheel: Rethinking Education for a Post-Scarcity World (Episode 25) — In this episode, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard examine how rapidly advancing AI technologies are forcing educators and society to rethink traditional learning models. They explore OpenAI’s new literacy initiative the AI Academy, universal basic income, and post-scarcity possibilities, while asking the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human in a world where knowledge and intelligence may soon be free? What will we do with our lives if we no longer have to or need to work?
2025-03-25 · Tech Trends 2025: Exploring Futures of Living Intelligence (Episode 24) — Sean and Andrew geek out over Apple’s newest releases—including the sub-$1,000 MacBook Air and the AI-powerhouse Mac Studio—before breaking down highlights from Amy Webb's Future Today Strategy Group’s 2025 Tech Trends Report, covering living intelligence, agentic AI, humanoid robots, metamaterials, the climate crisis, quantum computing, and even private space development.
2025-03-18 · AI and the Natural Impulses for Learning (Episode 23) — In this episode Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard explore the practical realities and transformative potential of AI in education, emphasizing a balanced approach to innovation. They discuss how technology can enhance, not replace, meaningful learning experiences, and explore this transformative potential through John Dewey's four natural impulses for learning.
2025-03-11 · AI and Technological Change: the Postman Always Delivers (Episode 22) — Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard examine the rapid pace of technological change, exploring its dual impacts and societal consequences through insights inspired by Neil Postman. They emphasize critical thinking, ethical responsibility, and the complexities of innovation, advocating for inclusive technological development.
2025-03-04 · Computational Photography: AI & Creative Process (Episode 21) — In this episode Sean and Andrew discuss how technology, especially AI, is reshaping not only photography, but the creative and artistic process. From the evolution of cameras to the rise of smartphones and computational photography, the conversation highlights how advancements have democratized the art form, making it accessible to everyone, and raise the question of how we can keep it human-centric as advancements in AI threaten to push everything to the middle.
2025-02-25 · The Art of Doing Nothing (Episode 20) — Does 'life imitate art, or does art imitate life'? In this episode Andrew and Sean share their AI fatigue and the philosophical depths of our tech-saturated world, weaving in reflections on nostalgia, storytelling, and the influence of consumerism and big tech. Their engaging conversation, enriched with literary nods to Oscar Wilde and musings challenges listeners to rethink how technology shapes our identity, creativity, and collective storytelling.
2025-02-18 · AI: the Medium is the Message (Episode 19) — In this episode, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard invoke Marshall McLuhan's 'the medium is the message' to investigate how emerging technologies, like AI, are reshaping human interactions, creativity, and professional endeavors. They discuss the balance between innovation and authenticity, emphasizing that while AI can assist in research and communication, human insight remains pivotal.
2025-02-11 · Artisanal Intellectual: a response to OpenAI's Deep Research (Episode 18) — In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew share their experiences with OpenAI's newly released Deep Research, discussing the potential profound impact on knowledge creation, research, and society. Is it really any good? And yes, we even toss out the provocation of what it will mean if this tool can write a Ph.D. dissertation.
2025-02-04 · Going Pro with ChatGPT and DeepSeek - with Mark Daley (Episode 17) — In this episode, Sean and Andrew are joined by special guest Mark Daly, who just might convince Sean to ‘go pro’ with ChatGPT. Together, they explore the unstoppable rise of AI—from game development to open-source breakthroughs—while tackling ethical dilemmas, philosophical twists, and the future of personalized AI tools in a fast-evolving world.
2025-01-28 · Stargate AG-I (Episode 16) — As if 2025 couldn't go any faster... Sean and Andrew tackle the news announcement of the $500 BILLION dollar AI Infrastructure project (and new company) Stargate. Of course we take some fun with the name, but then dig into the implications of what 'development at all costs' might have for our futures. Raising difficult questions around balancing innovations and risks.
2025-01-21 · AGI, Superintelligence, Synthetic Personas, and is the Internet dead? (Episode 15) — 2025 is off to a banger of a start with AGI and superintelligence being claimed as 'possible' - also, is the Internet dead? Sean and Andrew take a look at these topics and more in this fun episode, and they may or may not have discovered a secret plot to take over there world. Checkout the full show to learn more.
2025-01-14 · Autonomous Vehicles and Systems with Brunno Moretti (Episode 14) — Sean and Andrew are joined by Brunno Moretti, President of ADAS Solutions for Ascential Technologies, to explore the cutting edge of autonomous vehicles and systems. How close are we really to fully autonomous cars or even robotaxi's? Join us as we find out!
2025-01-07 · Humans in Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman (Episode 13) — Modem Futura is Astronaut approved! In this "out-of-this-world" episode Sean and Andrew are joined by former NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman to discuss the futures of human space exploration and the power of scientific discoveries and wonders on our own little blue marble.

2024

2024-12-31 · 2024 Retrospective Prospective (Episode 12) — In this fun end of the year 2024 retrospective Sean and Andrew are joined by Joe O'Rourke and Caitlin Roe to attempt to cover some of the highlights of the past year in space, technology, and futures. Lots of laughs as we scratch the surface of what was an amazing year full of innovations and advancements.
2024-12-24 · Live Holiday Special: Futures Speed Round (Episode 11) — In this fun and festive Live! holiday special, Sean and Andrew are joined by the crew of ASU's Center for Science and the Imagination, Ed Finn, Ruth Wylie, and Bob Beard to have a go at a spontaneous lighting round of random futures-oriented questions. Great insights and a lot of laughs - recorded in front of a live studio audience.
2024-12-17 · Live from the Pub! Exploring Digital Realities (Episode 10) — The first ever Modem Futura Live! Sean and Andrew explore the rise of immersive digital realities, examining their technological advancements, ethical dilemmas, and impact on human growth. They discuss the balance between real-life challenges and simulated experiences, emphasizing critical thinking and inclusivity in shaping our technological future. All from the top floor Pub of ASU's Thunderbird Global Headquarters.
2024-12-10 · Radical Creativity: A Future of Unconventional Possibilities (Episode 9) — In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew dive into the concept of radical creativity, examining its definition, significance, and transformative potential for the future. They challenge conventional thinking, champion unconventional ideas, and explore how creativity can address societal issues.
2024-12-03 · Envisioning Tomorrow: The Power of Futures Thinking with Ruth Wylie (Episode 8) — Sean and Andrew welcome special guest Ruth Wylie from ASU's Center for Science and Imagination to explore the power of futures thinking as a tool for resilience, creativity, and agency, emphasizing the importance of incorporating it into education to empower young people, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and inspire hopeful visions of what lies ahead.
2024-11-26 · Can AI Reason Like Humans? (Episode 7) — Sean and Andrew explore the challenges and limitations of AI reasoning in large language models (LLMs). They discuss recent Apple research questioning LLMs' true reasoning abilities, emphasizing that these models rely heavily on pattern recognition rather than genuine understanding.
2024-11-19 · Simulation Hypothesis with Rizwan Virk (Episode 6) — Sean and Andrew are joined by Rizwan Virk to explore a deeper understanding of the simulation hypothesis, and examine the nature of reality, the role of technology, and the potential for a future where virtual worlds become indistinguishable from physical reality
2024-11-12 · Waymo we go! - Navigating the Future of Autonomous Driving (Episode 5) — In this episode, Sean and Andrew go for a drive in an autonomous Waymo car, and discuss the current state of technology, the various levels of automation, and the societal changes that may arise from widespread adoption of self-driving cars.
2024-11-05 · Future of AI: Can Machines Think? (Episode 4) — Can Machines think? Sean and Andrew explore the evolution of artificial intelligence, starting from Alan Turing's foundational question first proposed in 1950. They discuss the nature of thought, the ethical implications of AI development, and the potential for machines to achieve consciousness. Also - what is going on at OpenAI?
2024-10-31 · Halloween edition featuring War of the Worlds (Bonus episode) — In this Halloween special Sean and Andrew are joined by Ed Finn, the founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination. The conversation explores the historical impact of Orson Welles' radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, the role of technology in storytelling, and the cultural significance of Halloween.
2024-10-29 · Futures and Ethics of Bio Hacking (Episode 3) — In this episode, Sean and Andrew jump right into the complex themes surrounding biohacking, data ownership, and the ethical implications of genetic data.
2024-10-22 · Daydreaming of digital notebooks and virtual artificial worlds (Episode 2) — In this episode Sean and Andrew discuss the implications of AI in podcasting, particularly focusing on Google's Notebook LM and its ability to create engaging audio summaries. They discuss the evolution of AI technologies, the challenges of discerning truth in AI-generated content, and the potential future of AI in creating virtual worlds and enhancing human-robot interactions. The conversation highlights the need for critical engagement with AI tools and the exciting possibilities they present for learning and innovation.
2024-10-15 · What does it mean to be human in the future? (Episode 1) — Join Sean and Andrew for the first (official) episode of Modem Futura! They kick off this podcast by jumping right into the complexities of the BIG question - "what will it mean to be human in the future?" / along the way they discuss the importance of curiosity, creativity, and inclusivity in futures studies, while also reflecting on the historical context provided by figures like H.G. Wells more than a century ago - so subscribe and join us for this thrilling first episode!
2024-10-08 · The Pilot - Exploring the Future of Being Human (Episode 0) — Join Sean and Andrew as they kickoff the new podcast Modem Futura in style with a fun conversation around the genesis and direction of the show. Grab some behind the scenes insight into fun and wild ideas that brought this podcast to life!
2024-10-01 · Hello World! [it's a trailer] (Trailer) · transcript — Ever wondered what it will mean to be human in the future? – Ready to explore the future where technology and humanity collide in ways you never imagined? Join hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard as they tackle the BIG questions exploring possible, probable, and preferred futures, sparking new ways of thinking about the rapidly evolving world around us. Through engaging discussions and thoughtful insights, they explore what it truly means to be human in an increasingly complex technological world.