15 Minute Futures

In this episode, we hear from world-class energy expert, John Hancock, who tells us what the future of energy will look like. Have a listen and discover what the greatest hope for humanity for a clean energy looks like...

In this episode of 15MinuteFutures, we interview Professor Sohail Inayatullah, world expert on using stories and metaphors to inspire change. As part of this, we learn how his world-famous technique, causal layered analysis, can be used to to create compelling strategic directions for both individuals and groups.

In this episode, we interview Professor Neil Gemmell, from the University of Otago, New Zealand, about the potential to use gene editing to control pests and de-extinct native species. We ask the question, what is hype and what can we expect to see in our lifetime. The answers are very encouraging!

In this episode, we interview Wendy McGuinness, Chief Executive of the renowned McGuinness Institute, and discuss why it's time to panic on climate change. We also explore how crowd-sourcing solutions might offer a way to avoid human extinction in the next 100 years.

Brain-cloud interfaces, the ability for humans to regenerate our organs and robots that fight diseases at the cellular level. That's right, this episode is all about nanotechnology. From spaghetti resistant shirts to new ways to fight cancer, it's all here in the seventh episode of 15MinuteFutures.

Most people exploring the future of work have focused on how computers are going to take the jobs of humans. But what are we supposed to do about it both as individuals and as a society, if we are to get the benefits of automation without accepting large scale human suffering? Have a listen to this episode and find out!

In the future, Artificial Intelligence is going to be everywhere, right? Wrong! It already is. Do you really understand what AI is? Are you afraid that AI is going to take all our jobs or do you see the various ways that AI is already helping improve your life? In this episode, we explore why we think AI, at least in the short term, will massively improve our lives. We explore some of the risks and ethical questions around AI, and make some practical suggestions about how you can be the windscreen rather than the bug when it comes to an AI-filled future. So have a listen and let us know what you think. If you like what you hear, give us a ‘like’ on itunes, soundcloud or facebook and follow us!

Bio-engineering applies the principles of engineering to the fields of biology and healthcare. By bringing these fields together, scientists have revolutionised our understanding of how biological organisms work, including those smart, but still hairy apes, we call humans. In this podcast we explore where this field came from and how went from a sleepy little discipline to giving us some of the most powerful tools we’ve ever had to change DNA, 3D print organs, slow the ageing process and even create new species. We explore the amazing new potential these technologies have for improving human health and well-being and even reducing our impact on other animals and the planet. But we also raise some of the ethical and even existential challenges the new and powerful tools of biotech are giving us. Are we ready for these new God-like powers? Listen and judge for yourself.

In this episode we explore how 3D printing is changing the way we are producing everything from consumer goods, to cars, houses and even our own organs. Join us and form your own view on whether 3D printing is going to be good or bad, and what we can do about it.

We've come a long way since the first primitive applications of virtual reality, which were 360 degree paintings of war scenes designed to immerse the viewer. And with Pokemon Go, augmented reality is now also starting to go mainstream. In the near future, it’s going to be impossible to tell the difference between virtual and actual reality, and it's going to be everywhere. This will create, no doubt, major new opportunities for work and pleasure. But are we ready for the hidden risks and ethical questions these new technologies? Will the surgeons, teachers and sports heroes of the future all be trained using virtual reality? Will augmented reality make us all smarter, funnier and more sexy, and connect us to each other, across the globe, in ever richer ways? Or will this new technology addict and enslave us like social media, but ultimately leave us feeling empty and more isolated than ever? We explore these questions and more in this episode of '15 minute futures'.

Are you ready for food that’s built rather than grown? We are expecting more than 2.4 billion extra people on the planet by the year 2050. With huge growth in the middle classes globally, demand for meat is also estimated to double by 2050. More broadly, food production will have to increase by between 70 and 100 percent. How on earth will we meet this new demand from hungry mouths without continuing our unsustainably water and land-hungry farming practices? Listen and find out!