Modem Futura Podcast
Episode 8, December 3 2024
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.
In this engaging conversation, Sean, Andrew, and Ruth explore the themes of visualization, futures thinking, and the importance of agency in shaping personal and collective futures. They discuss the challenges individuals face in visualizing concepts and the role of lived experiences in imagining future scenarios. The conversation also gets into the significance of introducing futures thinking in education, particularly for young people, to foster resilience and empower them to shape their own futures. In this conversation, the speakers discuss the evolving role of educators, emphasizing the need for futures thinking in classrooms. They explore the importance of empathy and social responsibility, the shift from dystopian narratives to hopeful futures, and the impact of individual actions on creating a better world. The discussion also touches on the Goldilocks principle in futures thinking and how life experiences shape our ability to envision the future. Ultimately, they argue for a transformative approach to education that fosters imagination and prepares students for an uncertain future.
Links:
ASU’s Center for Science and Imagination
Also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and anywhere good podcasts are available.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to AI Reasoning Challenges
00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage
02:01 The Challenge of Visualization
09:55 Imagining Futures: The Role of Experience
15:01 Futures Thinking in Education
20:49 The Importance of Agency in Shaping Futures
22:22 The Evolving Role of Teachers in STEM Education
24:01 Understanding Futures Thinking
26:30 Navigating Uncertainty in Education
28:05 Empathy and Social Responsibility in Futures Thinking
30:00 Shifting Perspectives: From Dystopia to Hope
32:44 Building a Better Future: Individual Actions Matter
34:10 The Goldilocks Principle in Futures Thinking
39:10 The Impact of Life Experience on Future Thinking
45:04 Imagination in Education: Breaking Free from Constraints
46:38 The Evolution of Education vs. Industry
48:59 Infusing Futures Thinking into Education
49:59 Parental Perspectives on Education
53:46 The Importance of Open-Ended Questions
56:39 Becoming Citizen Futurists
01:00:42 Who Owns the Future?
01:08:30 Closing Thoughts and Future Engagement
Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit – https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu
Host Bios:
Sean M. Leahy, PhD – ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.
Andrew Maynard, PhD – ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.