Blockchain — Podcast

Life in 2073: Humanity’s New Relationship with Nature with Dr. Markku Wilenius

For the Summer of 2023, a dozen futurists talk about what life will be like for humans in 30 to 50 years. Each guest is asked to paint a picture of the changes that we will experience between now and 2053 or 2073. Then they are asked what mistakes we are making today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief. The goal of these episodes is to spark the imagination of listeners about the future we have the ability to create.

In this episode, futurist Dr. Markku Wilenius paints a picture of life in 2073 with a focus on how humans will reimagine our relationship with nature. Rather than just extracting resources from nature, we will address climate change through regenerative agriculture, reforestation, and even by leaning on algae as both a food source and building material. Dr. Wilenius ends the conversation by talking about how technologies like blockchain, the Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence will enable humans to become incredibly efficient with our resources in the future.

Dr. Markku Wilenius is a Professor of Futures Studies and the UNESCO Chair in Learning Society and Futures of Education with more than 25 years of research and experience in future studies. He works with governments, businesses, and NGOs - like Dubai Future Academy, Finland Futures Research Centre, Allianz, The Club of Rome, and IPCC - to make critical decisions using strategic intelligence. In recent years his research interests include understanding socio-economic long-term waves, the future of the financial industry, the future of the forest industry, and the future of non-hierarchical organizations.

“In 2073, we will have a kind of world consciousness. So whatever happens in the other parts of the world is very knowable to us and that makes it that whatever problems and challenges there are are felt by the whole globe.” Dr. Markku Wilenius talking about the growing interconnectedness of humans around the world.

The Miraculous Mechanical Intelligence of 2053 with Mike Bechtel

For the Summer of 2023, a dozen futurists talk about what life will be like for humans in 30 to 50 years. Each guest is asked to paint a picture of the changes that we will experience between now and 2053 or 2073. Then they are asked what mistakes we are making today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief. The goal of these episodes is to spark the imagination of listeners about the future we have the ability to create.

In this episode, Mike Bechtel paints a picture of life in 2053 with a focus on information technology. Mike describes how digital information will stream directly over our eyeballs, why artificial intelligence will be a fundamentally transformative technology – like the wheel or electricity - that we can’t imagine living without, and the reasons that blockchain will be essential for establishing trustworthy information. Mike wraps up the interview by talking about how some of our current behaviors – like our approaches to education and aging – will be looked at in 50 years with a sense of disbelief.

Mike Bechtel is a managing director and the chief futurist with Deloitte Consulting LLP. Mike helps clients develop strategies to thrive in the face of discontinuity and disruption. His team researches the novel and exponential technologies most likely to impact the future of business, and builds relationships with the startups, incumbents, and academic institutions creating them.

Prior to joining Deloitte, Mike led Ringleader Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm he co-founded in 2013. Before Ringleader, he served as CTO of Start Early, a national not-for-profit focused on early childhood education for at-risk youth. Mike began his career in technology R&D at a global professional services firm where his dozen US patents helped result in him being named that firm’s global innovation director. He currently serves as professor of corporate innovation at the University of Notre Dame.

Futurist Friday with Daniel Sisson

In this episode, Daniel Sisson joins the show. With an international business background, Daniel has spent his career in the San Francisco tech industry in a wide variety of roles for startup companies. He is a self-taught developer obsessed with virtual reality. the Metaverse. and the potential those technologies will present to the world.

In this interview, Daniel shares some of the newsletter sources he finds valuable for his research, he talks about political polarization in the United States and Europe, and he discusses the technologies he finds fascinating including virtual reality, the Metaverse, cryptocurrency and blockchain, artificial intelligence and robotics, and even space colonization. The interview concludes with what fills Daniel with optimism - the rise of the creator class and the attitudes of young people who are putting an emphasis on the “life” part of work/life balance.

Futurist Friday with Ufuk Tarhan

In this episode, Ufuk Tarhan joins the show. Ufuk is a futurist, economist, and a best-selling author in Istanbul. She is the only Turkish woman to appear on Forbes Magazine's "50 Most Influential Female Futurists" and "World's Top 100 Female Futurists" lists. She writes articles for business and future-oriented journals and online platforms, and she is an active and effective social media content creator.

In this interview, Ufuk discusses the wide variety of sources she regularly uses in her research. She shares the trends she is following closely including aging and how a global population that continues to get older will change the way we live. She ends the conversation with a fascinating look at the technology advances that will likely occur through the 2020s all the way to the year 2060.

Futurist Friday with Michael Kanaan

In this episode, Michael Kanaan joins the show. He is the author of the book T-Minus AI. Recently, Michael completed his role as the Director of Operations for the Department of Air Force/MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator and is now the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.

In this interview, Michael discusses his approach to doing research, including many of the sources he scours on a regular basis. He shares some of the trends that he is following. Those trends include device addiction, the digital divide and how that increases inequality in urban and rural communities, Artificial Intelligence, and the promise of a quantum world. He also talks about how he is inspired by people younger than him. He is filled with optimism by their empathy, ability to coordinate, and desire to be involved in public service.

Five Technologies CEOs Need to Understand with Trond Undheim

Futurist Trond Undheim and 12 Geniuses host Don MacPherson discuss five technologies - Artificial Intelligence, synthetic biology, robotics, blockchain, and 3D printing - and how the combination of these technologies will change every aspect of our lives. Their conversation provides advice for how CEOs, mid-level leaders, and public servants can take advantage of the disruptive nature of these technologies and how leaders can help their people stay relevant by providing continuous education, training, and learning opportunities. The conversation concludes with Trond’s thoughts on brain-machine interfaces, the metaverse, and humanity’s next evolution.

Revisiting Cybersecurity Trends with Max Heinemeyer

It’s been two years since cybersecurity expert Max Heinemeyer first joined the show to discuss trends in cybersecurity. In this update, Don and Max discuss the people and organizations behind the hacks that have recently devastated companies, our infrastructure and governments. They also discuss current cyberthreats and vulnerabilities, and how joint efforts between government and the private sector can help protect citizens all over the world against cybercrime.

The Future of Trust with Álvaro Marquez

The way we trust our peers, governments, and corporations will evolve dramatically over the next decade. The COVID-19 pandemic, deep fakes, fake news, and social media manipulation are all challenging our ability to trust. In this interview, 12 Geniuses host Don MacPherson speaks with Method’s Álvaro Marquez about the Trust 2030 Project and the three potential societies into which our world could evolve over the next decade.

A true global citizen who speaks five languages, Álvaro Marquez is Chief Design Officer at Method, where he led a team of researchers for the Trust 2030 Project in partnership with Hitachi.

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