Modem Futura

Something is happening with AI that almost nobody is talking about — and the reason nobody's talking about it is because, by design, you can't see it. In this episode, Sean and Andrew dig into what Sean calls "the invisible upgrade": the quiet, compounding transformation taking place not in the AI-generated artifacts people are frantically trying to detect, but deep inside the cognitive workflows of the people who've fully woven these tools into how they think, research, create, and decide. The public conversation — still orbiting detection, displacement, and dread — is looking at the wrong thing entirely. While critics scan for seams and fingerprints in AI-produced output, a growing cohort of knowledge workers has already been irreversibly changed. Not replaced. Changed. Andrew introduces his concept of "constitutive resonance" — the idea that AI doesn't just assist us the way a calculator does; it reconfigures us as we use it, and we reconfigure it in return. Drawing on Marshall McLuhan's insight that all media work us over completely, the conversation explores what it means when the medium isn't a message you can read — it's a transformation you can't unread. They also unpack the "productivity gap" widening between those operating with AI as an extension of their cognition and those still debating whether to let it past the gates. If the most capable AI-augmented work is indistinguishable from non-augmented work, what does detection even mean anymore? This episode doesn't resolve that tension — but it maps it in a way that might change how you see the conversation going forward. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

What if thinking about the future isn't about predicting what will happen — but about mapping what could? In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew dive deep into one of the most foundational tools in futures studies: the Futures Cone. Originally developed by Joseph Voros, the cone is a deceptively simple framework that helps individuals, organizations, and communities move beyond the comfortable illusion that tomorrow will just be a slightly improved version of today. Instead, it invites us to explore the full landscape of what might be — from the probable and plausible, all the way out to the possible and the genuinely preposterous. The conversation traces the geometry of the cone layer by layer: from that familiar "projected future" where most of us live by default, through the probable and plausible, into the possible and the outer ring of the preposterous — a space that isn't meant to be dismissed, but treated as a productive boundary for creative thinking. Along the way, Sean and Andrew unpack the Dator-Clarke Line, the tension between expert knowledge and unbounded creativity, and why futures work insists on asking "what would we prefer?" — not just what seems inevitable. Then things get wonderfully weird. A casual thought experiment about frogs and metamorphosis spirals into a genuinely fascinating exploration of interstellar travel, human hibernation, adaptive biology, and what it might mean to send pods of reconstituted human "goop" across the galaxy. It's exactly the kind of thinking the Futures Cone is built for: starting preposterous, and arriving somewhere surprisingly plausible. Whether you're new to futures thinking or deep in the practice, this episode is an invitation to give yourself permission to imagine beyond the straight line. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

What happens when you dig through a box of old iPods and realize the tangled cables might be the least complicated thing you pull out? In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew unpack—literally—a collection of vintage Apple devices, a $35 Kodak keychain camera, and a miniature Polaroid to explore a question that keeps getting bigger the more you sit with it: what are we quietly losing in the relentless push toward newer, faster, and more connected? The conversation moves from the satisfying click of a tactile scroll wheel to the uncomfortable reality that your entire digital library—music, photos, books—could vanish the moment a company flips a switch or you're no longer around to log in. Along the way, they wrestle with the paradox of abundance: why having access to every song ever recorded can leave you unable to choose a single one, and why younger generations may actually be better at navigating that ocean of options than those of us who remember the scarcity model. There's a thread here about ownership—real ownership, the kind where a device sits air-gapped in a drawer for a decade and still plays back exactly what you left on it. And there's a thread about craft, care, and the creeping "fast food-ification" of technology, where speed-to-market quietly erodes the things that once made our devices feel like they were made *for* us. It's a warm, funny, deeply human conversation about what it means to hold on—to objects, to memories, to intention—in a world that keeps asking you to stream, subscribe, and move on. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

What does it actually look like to thrive — not just survive — in an era of rapid AI integration? In this episode, Sean and Andrew go behind the scenes on their  sold out workshop at ASU's 2026 FOLC Fest, designed for higher education educators navigating the messy, uncertain terrain of AI in teaching and learning. Rather than debating whether AI belongs in the classroom (a conversation they argue ended in November 2022), they focus on something more interesting: how do educators maintain agency, clarity, and purpose when the ground keeps shifting beneath them? The episode walks through two powerful but accessible thinking tools — the Futures Triangle, a foresight method developed by (the amazing) Sohail Inayatullah that maps the competing forces of pull, push, and weight shaping any change landscape, and the Intent Map, a values-driven framework from Jeffery Abbott and Andrew Maynard's book *AI and the Art of Being Human* that helps individuals articulate what matters most before momentum makes the decision for them. Anchored by two provocative 2035 headlines — one where AI tutors render faculty roles obsolete, and another where human-AI partnership produces the most critically thinking generation in history — the conversation becomes an invitation to stop reacting and start choosing. Along the way, Sean and Andrew explore the art of presenting, the beauty of failure, why sticky notes have overstayed their welcome in workshop culture, and why the most important metrics in education might be the ones you can't put a number on. This isn't an episode about mastering AI tools. It's about staying true to what matters to you.ASU FOLC Fest Website and information [Web] -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew explore Isaac Asimov's remarkably prescient 1951 short story "The Fun They Had," a brief, brilliant tale set in 2155 where two children discover a paper book—an artifact from a forgotten era—and begin questioning everything about their own AI-driven, hyper-personalized education. Written decades before the personal computer existed, Asimov imagined a world where mechanical tutors deliver individually tailored lessons in isolation, and where the very idea of a human teacher seems absurd. What makes this story so compelling today is how closely it mirrors the promises—and tensions—of our current moment. As AI-powered learning tools proliferate, the conversation turns to what personalized education might gain and what it risks losing: the shared experiences of a classroom, the inspiration of a human mentor, the messy, emotional, irreplaceable dynamics of learning alongside others. Sean and Andrew unpack the story's deeper questions about the purpose of education—is it about efficiency and skill transfer, or something more fundamentally human?—and connect them to John Dewey's enduring framework of inquiry, communication, construction, and expression. The episode also wanders into the surprising resurgence of analog technologies—vinyl records, film cameras, iPods—and asks why, in an era of infinite digital choice, so many people are reaching for the constraints and tactile pleasures of older media. From the permanence of the printed word to the paradox of too much choice on Spotify, this conversation is an invitation to sit with a question Asimov posed over seventy years ago: in our rush to optimize learning and life, what kind of fun might we be leaving behind?Read the short story: The Fun They Had (Issac Asimov, 1951) -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

Something unexpected is happening in the world of software: it's becoming personal again. In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew explore the rapidly expanding phenomenon of vibe coding—the practice of describing what you want in plain language and letting a generative AI build it for you. What starts as a practical conversation about creating web apps and custom tools quickly opens into something much richer: a reflection on what it means when anyone, regardless of technical background, can conjure software into existence with a sentence or two. The hosts trace a surprising thread from the Commodore 64 and early BASIC programming of the late 1970s and 80s to today's AI-powered coding environments, finding echoes of that original thrill—the moment you realized you could make a machine do something it hadn't done before. Sean walks through real experiments he ran using Claude, including a horizon-scanning web app and a futures-oriented uncertainty matrix tool, both created from single natural-language prompts in seconds. But the conversation doesn't shy away from the tensions. What happens when code is generated faster than anyone can understand it? What are the security implications of prompt injection, inherited power, and AI agents running on your personal machine? And where is the line between liberating personal tool-making and professional-grade software that people's lives depend on? This episode is part celebration, part caution, and entirely an invitation to think about what software becomes when it's shaped not by engineers alone, but by anyone with a question and a good description of what they need.Get the book: AI and the Art of Being Human (Pocket edition) [Amazon US] -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

What do kids actually think about the future they're inheriting? In this special episode, Sean and Andrew are joined by an unexpected guest: Freddie Leahy, Sean's almost-10-year-old son and aspiring paleontologist. What unfolds is a surprisingly nuanced conversation about artificial intelligence, creativity, and what it means to do meaningful work.Freddie arrives with a question that might surprise some adults: Will AI take the job he wants? His dream of becoming a paleontologist—inspired by Jurassic Park's Alan Grant—isn't just about dinosaurs. It's about digging in the dirt, feeling fossils in his hands, doing the work himself. When Andrew suggests AI could help find more bones faster, Freddie pauses. He doesn't want to just control an AI that does the digging. He wants to be the one who discovers.The conversation winds through familiar Modem Futura territory—AI image generation, the limits of large language models, the temptation to shortcut creative work—but seen through fresh eyes. Freddie has made AI art with his dad, but he notices something: "It never meets what you want." He wants to write his own stories, not have them generated. When offered the prospect of an AI friend who shares all his interests, he's suspicious: "That would be weird because nobody likes what I like."Perhaps the most striking moment comes during Futures Improv, when asked about mind uploading. His answer is immediate: "I refuse." Why? Because at nine years old, why would you give up a body that still works?This episode isn't about what adults think kids should know about technology. It's an invitation to listen to what the future already thinks about itself. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this episode of Modem Futura, hosts Sean M. Leahy and Andrew Maynard dive deep into Pluribus, the provocative new Apple TV series from Vince Gilligan. Framed as an inversion of the classic zombie apocalypse, Pluribus imagines a world where humanity is absorbed into a peaceful, hyper-ethical hive mind—leaving only a handful of unassimilated individuals behind.The conversation explores what makes Carol, the show's protagonist, such a divisive character. She's angry, resistant, and refuses to engage with the hive mind's vast collective intelligence. Sean and Andrew unpack the show’s central question: If everyone around you is happy, cooperative, and content, but you must surrender individuality to join them—would you? Their conversation explores autonomy versus collective well-being, consent in a post-human world, and whether happiness itself can become coercive. Along the way, they examine the show’s ethical tensions: a hive mind that cannot lie but can withhold information; a society that refuses violence, harvesting, or even agriculture; and a sustainability crisis resolved through unsettling—but rational—means.The episode connects Pluribus to a lineage of science fiction touchstones including I Am Legend, Solaris, Soylent Green, and Star Trek’s Borg—while also reflecting on modern parallels such as AI systems, cultural conformity, and the seductive promise of frictionless living. Through moments of humor (the infamous “cuddle puddle”) and unease, the hosts wrestle with what it truly means to be human when individuality itself becomes negotiable.If everyone around you was happy and they wanted you to join them, would you? And if you refused, who becomes the monster? -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

What does it mean to take the temperature of the world's anxieties? Each year, the World Economic Forum asks over a thousand experts across the globe to weigh what keeps them up at night—and the resulting Global Risks Report offers something more valuable than prediction: a map of collective concern. In this episode, Sean and Andrew dig into the 2026 report, which landed with striking timing as the opening weeks of 2026 seem determined to validate its most pressing warnings. Geoeconomic confrontation has rocketed to the top of short-term risks—up eight positions from last year—while misinformation and societal polarization follow close behind. But the long view tells a different story: environmental concerns dominate the ten-year horizon, with extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and critical changes to Earth's systems claiming the top spots. What makes this conversation particularly rich is the exploration of how different people see risk differently—younger respondents prioritize inequality and misinformation, while those over 40 fixate on geopolitical tensions. Regional perspectives diverge even more dramatically; AI risks that loom large in the US barely register in Brazil or Chile. The hosts wrestle with a fundamental tension: our brains evolved to handle immediate, visible threats, not slow-moving catastrophes or interconnected global systems. Reports like this serve as a kind of signal / trend analysis and foresight—a way to aggregate signals we can't perceive individually. The episode isn't about doom; it's an invitation to ask better questions about what these signals mean for you, your community, and the institutions that might still help us navigate what's coming.WEF' 2026 Global Risk Report [web]  -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this playful yet deeply thoughtful episode of Modem Futura, hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard lean into speculative fun while wrestling with some of the most serious questions shaping our technological future. Sparked by a timeless passage from Jurassic Park, the conversation explores what happens when powerful technologies advance faster than our ability to understand, govern, or ethically wield them — a theme that feels especially resonant in today’s age of AI acceleration.Drawing on Michael Crichton’s iconic warning about “inherited power without discipline,” the hosts unpack how tools like generative AI can create the illusion of expertise, raising urgent questions about responsibility, humility, and what it truly means to earn knowledge. The discussion weaves through reflections on frictionless technologies, the dangers of techno-hubris, and why “show me the receipts” may be the most important mantra of the decade.The episode then pivots into a fan-favorite segment: Futures Improv. With rapid-fire speculative scenarios ranging from photosynthesis skin patches and post-scarcity socks to radically extended human lifespans, lunar independence movements, and the discovery of deeply boring aliens, Sean and Andrew riff on the social, economic, and philosophical implications of bizarre — yet strangely plausible — futures.By blending laughter with insight, this episode reminds us that imagining weird futures isn’t escapism; it’s a critical tool for breaking free from “used futures” and expanding our collective capacity to design better ones. Equal parts funhouse mirror and foresight exercise, this is Modem Futura at its most curious, creative, and human. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard welcome ASU’s Clark Miller for a wide-ranging conversation on what it means to be techno-human—not biological beings who simply “use” technology, but people whose bodies, behaviors, and imaginations are inseparable from the industrial systems we’ve built. Clark reframes modern life as a “technosphere” where electricity grids, cars, air conditioning, industrial food, pharmaceuticals, and even microplastics shape who we are and how we live. From there, the discussion turns to why energy feels increasingly invisible (and how that invisibility is often intentional—driven by safety codes, reliability goals, and governance that narrows decision-making to technical experts). The episode then tackles the clean energy transition as a design problem: net-zero emissions matters, but so do the human outcomes that come with it—especially who gets to own and benefit from the future energy system. Using solar as a concrete example, Clark walks through the staggering scale required and the political economy embedded in rules about ownership (including who gets left out, like renters). The hosts also explore pressures from AI and data centers, the allure—and limits—of “shortcut” solutions like small modular nuclear reactors, and why Phoenix’s extreme heat and grid vulnerability make it a high-stakes preview of climate futures. The conversation closes on hopeful pathways: urban solar (rooftops and parking shade), resilience with storage, the role of imagination (including solarpunk), and how AI could help build better techno-human capabilities—if we choose to aim it that way.Clark Miller, Ph.D. [Bio]  -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

To close out 2025 and tee up 2026, Sean Leahy and Dr. Andrew Maynard hit pause for a candid “year in review” conversation: what surprised them, what themes kept resurfacing, and what they’ve learned about making a future‑focused show in real time. They share behind‑the‑scenes milestones and metrics — including global listening across 100+ countries and a top‑tier ranking among millions of podcasts — while also unpacking why podcast analytics can be messy and why ratings, reviews, and listener emails matter more than dashboards. From there, they revisit standout episodes and recurring threads: astronaut‑approved insights on being human in space; the hidden fragility of ADAS and autonomous‑vehicle sensor calibration; EVs, eVTOLs, and the enduring “flying car” trope; de‑extinction and biotech; and big‑mind rabbit holes like the simulation hypothesis, black holes, and cosmic limits. Unsurprisingly, AI shows up everywhere — sometimes as a practical tool, often as a cultural force shaping identity, agency, and values — alongside a deliberate push to reclaim human craft and intention in an era of frictionless creation. The pair also return to education, John Dewey’s “natural impulses” for learning, and what always‑on digital devices and AI could mean for early childhood development. The through‑line: the future isn’t something we merely discover — it’s something we create, together, by asking better questions and building better conversations. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this end-of-year holiday episode of Modem Futura, hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard take a rare pause from the usual existential weight of emerging technologies to reflect on creativity, craft, and community in a year defined by acceleration. The conversation opens with a thoughtful exploration of what platform “year-in-review” moments (like Spotify Wrapped) quietly reveal about culture, identity, and participation in algorithmic ecosystems. Sean shares behind-the-scenes insights into Modem Futura’s global reach, listener engagement, and surprising audience patterns, prompting a deeper reflection on what meaningful impact looks like beyond raw download numbers.The episode then pivots to a timely cultural analysis of Apple’s 2025 holiday short film A Critter Carol, unpacking why its practical puppetry, visible human labor, and intentional imperfection stand out in an era increasingly saturated with AI-generated media. Sean and Andrew examine how the ad functions as a subtle but powerful statement about human creativity—one that celebrates friction, care, and embodied craft while still embracing advanced technology as an enabling tool rather than a replacement for imagination. The discussion situates this moment alongside broader concerns about “AI slop,” automation of creativity, and the risk of settling for the average when tools make production effortless.Together, the hosts argue for a future where behind-the-scenes processes matter as much as polished outputs—and where technology’s highest calling is to expand, not flatten, what it means to be human. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this expansive and playful episode of Modem Futura, hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard welcome back futurist, game designer, and author Rizwan Virk to explore the rapidly evolving Simulation Hypothesis—and what it means in an era of AI, spatial computing, and increasingly immersive digital worlds. Building on the newly released second edition of The Simulation Hypothesis, Virk reflects on how advances in virtual reality, AI-driven characters, and gaming technologies are collapsing the distance between simulated and physical experience.The conversation weaves through Apple Vision Pro experiences, metaverse layers, and the idea of “foveated reality,” where only what is observed needs to be rendered—echoing parallels with quantum mechanics. The trio examine how modern game engines, procedural generation, and AI-powered NPCs are quietly pushing us toward a future where simulated environments may become indistinguishable from lived reality. Along the way, they unpack ideas like the Metaverse Turing Test, persistent AI characters with memory and agency, and how entertainment and gaming have historically driven technological breakthroughs long before academia or industry fully caught up.Virk also connects ancient philosophy, mythology, and mysticism—Plato’s Cave, Maya, and even Rick and Morty—to contemporary debates about reality, consciousness, and identity. The episode culminates in a provocative reflection: if simulations are real enough to feel meaningful, emotional, and embodied, does it ultimately matter whether we’re “in” one? With humor, depth, and radical curiosity, this episode invites listeners to reconsider not just technology’s future—but the nature of reality itself.Rizwan Virk's Website [Web]  -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew dive deep into the rising cultural tension between generative AI’s promise of instant production and the human need for meaningful creative friction. Prompted by frustrations with “AI slop” — low-effort, machine-generated content flooding professional and social spaces — the hosts examine why the “easy button” mentality poses risks to wisdom, craft, and our collective future. Drawing on examples from coding, design, and their own creative workflows, they unpack how frictionless creation can erode understanding, undermine expertise, and lead to a homogenized aesthetic where everything feels the same. They discuss the psychological pull toward efficiency, the biological impulse to conserve energy, and the seductive speed of synthetic content that risks replacing deep thinking with “satisficing” — settling for what is merely “good enough.”Sean introduces Michael Crichton’s concept of “inherited power” from Jurassic Park to illustrate how AI enables people to wield capabilities they never earned, while Andrew reflects on care, meaning, and the dangers of losing human agency. Together, they argue for intentionally preserving friction — the struggle that builds mastery, creativity, and authentic connection. The episode ends with a playful futures-improv scenario imagining a world split between “button-press operators” and “friction elites,” raising questions of justice, autonomy, and what it will truly mean to be human in an AI-saturated world. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this toy-themed episode of Modem Futura, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard start with an overnight stay aboard the USS Midway before segueing into the holiday toy season and a very 2020s concern: AI-powered toys. From chatty teddy bears running GPT-4 that cheerfully explain how to light matches and sexual kinks to kids, to the long lineage of “intelligent” toys like Teddy Ruxpin, Furby, Hello Barbie and Watson-powered dinos, they trace how our playthings have quietly become networked, data-hungry machines.They unpack two intertwined risks: the datification of childhood—toys that vacuum up children’s voices, feelings and habits for unknown purposes—and the behavioral shaping that happens when a sycophantic large language model becomes a child’s most attentive companion. What happens when a stuffed animal knows your child’s fears, rewards their worst impulses, and never says “no”? The hosts explore parasocial bonds between kids and AI agents, the erosion of parental agency, and the unsettling prospect of outsourcing emotional development to opaque systems. Along the way, they connect these questions to education tech, neurodivergent learners, Stephenson’s The Diamond Age and Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence, asking what a “safe playground” even means when every toy wants your child’s data and attention.Rather than moral panic, Sean and Andrew offer a practical holiday PSA: before buying the season’s hottest AI toy, look past the cute fur and ask who’s really holding the metaphorical knife. -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew dive deep into the surprising story behind the new Apple TV logo and mnemonic—and why it matters in a world overrun by “AI slop.” They unpack how, in an age where everyone assumes animations are spun up in seconds by generative tools, Apple chose a radically different path: a practical, physical frosted-glass logo, carefully lit and filmed in real space, then paired with a handcrafted two-second audio chime composed by Finneas. Along the way, they explore why this kind of intentional, human-centered design still matters: from the hidden craftsmanship that most viewers will never see, to Steve Jobs’ famous insistence on caring about the parts “no one will ever notice.” They connect this tiny five-second animation to larger questions around professional pride, authenticity, and the future of media creation, including new signals like shows that explicitly declare “This show is made by humans.” Through stories, laughter, and a little obsession over color, light, and sound, the conversation becomes a meditation on what it means to create with care in an era where the easy default is automation.Apple TV's New Logo and Mnemonic [Web]Variety Interview with Finneas [Web]This show was made by humans.  -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew explore one of the most urgent and complex questions of our time: Can AI meaningfully help humanity navigate climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater scarcity, and the broader planetary pressures shaping the Anthropocene — without worsening them? Drawing on the new 2025 synthesis report AI for a Planet Under Pressure from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the conversation unpacks how artificial intelligence is being used today to model ecosystems, accelerate scientific discovery, and surface hidden patterns that humans alone cannot easily see. At the same time, Sean and Andrew wrestle with the paradox at the heart of AI-driven sustainability: data centers require staggering amounts of energy, water, and planetary resources, raising the unsettling possibility that the tools designed to save us may also accelerate the crisis.The discussion travels from planetary boundaries and microplastics to China’s renewable-energy surge, climate cooperation, wicked problems, and the deep human behaviors that often undermine long-term sustainability efforts. They also ask whether AI could help foster global cooperation — even acting as a kind of AI “peacemaker” — and explore why futures thinking, human agency, and ethical governance are essential if any of these technological pathways are to work. Ultimately, the episode examines both the promise and peril of letting AI become an architect of planetary futures.[Report] - AI for a Planet Under Pressure - Stockholm Resilience Centre  -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

In this mind-bending episode of Modem Futura, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard dive deep into the metaverse—not as a corporate brand or sci-fi fantasy, but as a living, evolving stack of realities. Drawing on their immersive experiences with Apple’s Vision Pro, they explore what happens when the physical and digital worlds begin to merge—when the headset comes off but the virtual persists. The hosts unravel how layers of spatial, augmented, and extended reality form a “metaverse stack” that blurs the line between presence and simulation, raising profound questions about identity, memory, and the nature of reality itself. Along the way, they revisit Neil Stephenson’s Snow Crash, question whether AI-generated worlds make us NPCs in our own simulation, and debate whether sustainability must now include digital preservation. What does it mean to have a “totem” that anchors us to truth? How can foresight and responsible innovation help us design this new mixed-reality future before it designs us? -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----

Recorded while actually wearing Apple Vision Pro headsets, Sean and Andrew go hands‑on with spatial computing to test what it’s good for today—and what it might become tomorrow. They compare “spatial” to VR and AR, unpack why Apple avoids the term “VR,” and explain pass‑through, eye/hand‑based interaction, and foveated rendering in plain English. The conversation moves from everyday use (multi‑monitor work setups, traveling with AVP, watching films and immersive video, viewing panoramas as if you’re back on location) to the human side: motion‑sickness thresholds, accessibility benefits, social norms and privacy (Ray‑Ban/Meta, the legacy of Google Glass), and whether head‑mounted tech solves real problems or just sells new ones. They reflect on hardware realities (comfort, straps, weight), chip refreshes and what they reveal about system bottlenecks, and why a stratified ecosystem (audio AR via earbuds, lightweight glasses, full “nerd helmets”) is more likely than “one device to rule them all.” The pair also imagine shared, synchronized spaces—identical tables/cafés worldwide—where remote collaborators feel truly co‑present, and close with a call for developers and AVP aficionados to experiment with Modem Futura’s spatial back‑catalog.Modem Futura in Spatial Video - [web] -----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.eduSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFuturaFollow us on Instagram: @ModemFuturaHost Bios:Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU BioSean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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 BioAndrew 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.-----