Severed Minds: Brain Implants, AI, and the Future of Being Human

Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard examine Apple TV+’s hit series Severance, using its mind-bending premise of surgically split consciousness to explore real-world questions around emerging science and technology, identity, and ethical responsibility. From the Modem Futura podcast.

The Legacy of Early 21st-Century Academia: A Foresight Report from 2100

In this deep dive of Modem Futura, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard tackle the sensational claims surrounding the “de-extinction” of the dire wolf by Colossal Biosciences. From the Modem Futura podcast.

In this episode, Sean and Andrew navigate the complex landscape of generative AI image tools, using the new OpenAI image generator and its Studio Ghibli–style outputs as a springboard for broader ethical questions. From the Modem Futura podcast.

Reflections and provocations from a keynote given at the 2025 Yidan Prize Conference. From the Future of Being Human Substack.

In this episode Sean and Andrew embark on a deep dive on the state of AI-innovation by navigating the complexities of AI literacy, cultural responsiveness, and educational reform. From the Modem Futura podcast.

Reflections and provocations from a keynote given at the 2025 Yidan Prize Conference. From the Future of Being Human Substack.

Grab your flip flops and beach gear and join is us on this laid-back spring break episode, Sean and Andrew cover Apple’s latest hardware announcements and dive into some of the big tech trends for 2025. From the Modem Futura podcast.

I asked the “general AI agent” Manus to design and create an online course. There were some glitches, but the result shows what advanced AI could be capable of in the very near future. From the Future of Being Human Substack.

Having just got my hands on the new general AI agent from Manus I was excited to see what it could do. So I asked it to design, conduct and write up a human subjects research study – with no humans! From the Future of Being Human Substack.