Space Exploration — Podcast

Career Transitions, Space Exploration, and Global Conflict with Scott Stalker

In this episode of 12 Geniuses, Scott Stalker joins the show to talk about his career transition, the future of space exploration, and the signals the wars in Ukraine and Middle East are sending us about the future. Scott has been a guest of 12 Geniuses twice in the past while he was Command Senior Enlisted Leader of US Space Command in Colorado Springs, CO. After 31 years of dedicated service, Scott retired from the United States Marine Corps in August of 2023.

In this discussion, he shares some of the important lessons he learned from his own career transition. He talks about being prepared for opportunities before they arrive, the importance of activating his personal network and having respected supporters ready to advocate for him, and why it is critical to know his value and worth. Scott believes anyone going through a career transition should understand what they love and enjoy. He said he took a test of his personal strengths to help determine that. He also shared his belief that transition is a journey and he is actively preparing for where that journey may take him years into the future.

The second part of the conversation focuses on the potential of space - mining, tourism, and colonization. Scott talks about how investment in space will continue and grow significantly in the next decade. He cites regulation as one of the challenges to current expansion, however, he believes that - much like the International Space Station - there will be space hotels in the future where humans will be able to take vacations. Scott talks about the incredibly valuable resources - precious metals and water - in space available for mining that will keep the Earth economy going. He truly believes humans “will be a multi-planetary species.” He notes that the current advances in space are not led by governments as in the past. Instead, it is commercial investments like Space X that are leading the way.

The conversation finishes with Scott’s assessment of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. He talks about the signals they are sending about the future. Traditional assessment of an enemy involves thinking about the weather, the enemy, and the terrain. Scott says the war in Ukraine has demonstrated that another assessment variable needs to be added to this list - “the will” of the leader and the people. He believes other governments are watching the international support of Ukraine with caution.

Scott Stalker served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps for 31 years, retiring in August 2023. While on active duty, Scott served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the Defense Intelligence Agency, United States Cyber Command, National Security Agency, and in his final assignment with United States Space Command. He served in a multitude of locations during his distinguished military career to include combat operations in Somalia and Iraq and was assigned to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command from 2010 to 2014.

Scott has a bachelor’s degree in intelligence studies and a master’s degree in cybersecurity, as well as an organizational leadership certificate from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He completed studies at John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where he became a SECDEF Strategic Thinkers Program CAPSTONE graduate.

Scott currently serves as a senior consultant and executive advisor for several different corporations. He is a keynote speaker for high-profile events within the federal government, intelligence community and national security sector and serves on the boards of several businesses and nonprofits. Additionally, Scott currently serves as a senior fellow for the National Defense University.

Previous episodes with Scott Stalker:

The Future of War with MGySgt Scott H. Stalker from November 10, 2020

Leadership and Love with MGySgt Scott Stalker from November 9, 2022

Life in 2073: Aging and Space Exploration with Don MacPherson

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, our usual host of the show, Don MacPherson, is interviewed by futurist Rebecca Ryan. Don paints a picture of what life might be like in 2073 with a focus on aging and the development of space tourism and a space economy. He talks about how new technologies and a move to treat aging as a disease could radically change the way we age and enable life expectancy to 90 or even 100 years with outliers reaching 120 years and beyond. Don compares the current stage of space exploration and development to the early years of flight and shares his belief that humanity’s desire to explore will push us to colonize Mars and visit other planets as our capabilities improve. Don and Rebecca finish the interview with a discussion about what the humans of 2073 will be surprised that we were doing in 2023.

Don MacPherson is CEO of 12 Geniuses and host of the 12 Geniuses podcast - a show for curious and voracious learners. Don interviews exceptional people about trends and technologies changing the way we live and work. A five-time entrepreneur, Don has spent 25 years studying the employee experience, the attributes of great leadership, and how healthy organizational cultures are created and sustained. An avid traveler and volunteer, Don has visited 75 countries and been a mentor of young people for 30 years.

A Non-Obvious Look at Life in 2053 with Rohit Bhargava

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 Rohit Bhargava paints a picture of life in 2053. Rohit talks about the growing desire for analog experiences that deepen human connection, innovative ways for ending loneliness, the future of virtual relationships, and how we will manage our authentic selves in a multi-versal world. Rohit also talks about the future of space exploration. He ends the conversation by talking about some of the things that we are doing today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief.

Rohit Bhargava is on a mission to inspire more non-obvious thinking in the world. He is the #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of nine books and is widely considered one of the most entertaining and original speakers on disruption, trends and marketing in the world. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur and founding two companies, he spent 15 years leading brand strategy at Ogilvy and Leo Burnett where he advised global brands on human behavior, marketing and storytelling.

“We are in a time right now when the Surgeon General just declared loneliness to be an epidemic and loneliness, in essence, is a lack of deep human connection with one another. And I think sometimes the more digitized something gets, the less human connection we feel to it. So, the appeal of analog is we regain that human connection.” Rohit Bhargava in “A Non-Obvious Look at Life in 2053 with Rohit Bhargava” talking about the trend of people choosing experiences that are analog over digital.

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