Near Future Laboratory Podcast

Read More 👉🏽 ⁠https://detroit.imaginesharder.com

Can you imagine your idea of the future of work, beyond Zoom calls from the beach?

Want to help create a reinvigorated future imaginary of what work could be? Want to try your hand at Design Fiction Worldbuilding?

Join me for Detroit Imagines Harder: Futures of Work, a 3-day Design Fiction Summit & Workshop held in real life in real Detroit.

Just a few spots left!

October 16-18, 2024.

Read More 👉🏽 https://detroit.imaginesharder.com

Tobias and I have a tidy morning/evening conversation that revolves around the impact of Philip K. Dick's science fiction, particularly how his imaginative devices influence modern technological narratives. We talk about the ways he refers to and anticipates AI and other artifacts, of course there's a deep dive into the significance of the Minority Report's gestural interface created for the 2001 film adaptation, and how it has influenced real-world technological advancements.

What prompted this discussion was the recent release of the book Towards the Realm of Materiality: Designing Philip K. Dick's Non-Existing Technologies and Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the PKD book from an "adjacent now."

The question I have is this: what methods can be adopted in order to operationalize these science fiction themes into practical realities, with the aim of constructing a more habitable world using advanced design and speculative concepts.

Please consider supporting the podcast and joining the Near Future Laboratory community over on Patreon!

Exploring AI Imaginaries and Future Speculations

Near Future Laboratory Podcast Episode 90: Exploring Creative Worlds with Kyle Ng

$55 Gets You 4 Design Fiction Books (Plus Electronic Sheep Training Cards): https://shop.nearfuturelaboratory.com/products/the-manual-of-design-fiction-paperback

In Episode 089 I get into an in-depth conversation with guest Silvio Lorusso, a designer, artist, and writer based in Lisbon. Our discussion centers around the complex relationship between design, disillusionment, and the evolving role of design in society, as Silvio has articulated in his recent book 'What Design Can't Do', a critique of the rhetorical expectations placed upon design. We consider the future and past inspirations relevant to the field of Design and cover various facets of design culture, including the loss of material practices, the socio-economic impacts of design evolution, and the melancholic nostalgia among designers today. We bet into the cultural significance of memes, the backlash against crypto art, and the generational gap in the perception of technological advancements. We also get to share personal anecdotes from our professional experiences, and come to share a kind of hopeful aspiration mixed with skepticism towards the promises of modern design and technology. A fun conversation!

Please rate and write a review on whatever platform you're listening right now, and support this work over on Patreon!

Your support is meaningful and gratefully received. To get in touch, contact me over at Near Future Laboratory

Thanks for listening!

_Julian

A discussion with Dave Gray about our experiences creating communities that foster human connection, imagination, and possibility. We share our own approaches to building new kinds of ways of organizing human potential where people can explore ideas and practice creatively.

"What if school was a place where we could test our theories by creating prototypes, proposals, and provocations; where experiments were encouraged, where people could play, practice, and prepare for life and work?"

https://schoolofthepossible.com

See all of my podcasts over on https://nearfuturelaboratory.com/

Also, please support the podcast over on patreon.com/nearfuturelaboratory. Becoming a patron gets you access to the Near Future Laboratory Discord, and discounts on SuperSeminar.

Please also rate the podcast and write a review!

Thank you!

Julian

Taryn O'Neil and Tamara Krinsky are the creative force behind ⁠Scirens⁠, a creative team working at the intersection of science & storytelling, creative entertainment that encourages curiosity and imaginative thinking to shape a new vision for a rapidly changing world.

They recently produced the trailer for Arizona State University's Center for ⁠Science and the Imagination⁠'s ⁠Climate Action Almanac⁠.

You can see the trailer, called The Assignment over on Youtube.

Thank you to all my patrons who support this podcast and the work amongst the Near Future Laboratory's Discord community. Please consider supporting this work by becoming a Patron over at ⁠patreon.com/nearfuturelaboratory⁠.

If you're interested in the work we do and how we do it, you will find some useful references and tools over at ⁠https://shop.nearfuturelaboratory.com⁠

https://scirens.com/

https://www.climatealmanac.org/

https://csi.asu.edu/

This is a digest of the 3PM session of General Seminar Season 05 Episode 01 where we discuss possible futures in which AI is as normal, ordinary, and everyday as wheels on luggage and televisions we talk to.

General Seminar is Near Future Laboratory's platform for sense-making in which we excavate artifacts from possible futures rather than make predictions and prognostications. This is the Design Fiction approach to imagining into possible futures.

To learn more about General Seminar sign up for the Near Future Laboratory's newsletter at ⁠https://nearfuturelaboratory.com⁠ and see past General Seminars at ⁠https://generalseminar.com

This is a digest of the 10AM session of General Seminar Season 05 Episode 01 where we discuss possible futures in which AI is as normal, ordinary, and everyday as wheels on luggage and televisions we talk to.

General Seminar is Near Future Laboratory's platform for sense-making in which we excavate artifacts from possible futures rather than make predictions and prognostications. This is the Design Fiction approach to imagining into possible futures.

To learn more about General Seminar sign up for the Near Future Laboratory's newsletter at https://nearfuturelaboratory.com and see past General Seminars at https://generalseminar.com

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, gather 'round for an electrifying journey through the cerebral and speculative realm of "Thrilling Wonder Stories." Listen as we regale you with a tale of imagination, innovation, and intellectual wonder. Our narrative unfolds through a dazzling array of discussions, exploring the intersection of technology, science, and the arts. From the organic to the artificial, from the accidental to the meticulously planned, our speakers weave a tapestry of ideas that challenge the boundaries of reality and fiction. Venture with us into discussions that span the history of consciousness, the marvels of special effects in film, the complexities of artificial intelligence, and the speculative frontiers of science fiction. This transcript is not just a record; it's a gateway to exploring the future's potential, the mysteries of the universe, and the uncharted territories of human creativity. Dive into a world where the wonders of tomorrow are discussed today, where imagination is the currency, and the possibilities are as boundless as the stars. Welcome to "Thrilling Wonder Stories," where every word is a step into the future!

With Liam Young, Matt Jones, Julian Bleecker, Bruce Sterling, and Kevin Slavin

https://patreon.com/nearfuturelaboratory

https://shop.nearfuturelaboratory.com

In this episode, I chat with the fun, creative, thoughtful Ruth Guerra, a design researcher with a knack for amplifying the questions about design, creativity, research and futures through a wonderful social media presence. We dive into her journey from a theater undergrad to mastering future design, where she champions participatory design with a twist. Ruth shares her passion for storytelling, not just any storytelling, but the kind that shapes our future. She's also getting busy hosting innovative workshops to help people get a sense of how design research and design fiction legible to normal humans. So buckle up, we're exploring how design, values, and a sprinkle of theater can make the world a more engaging place. Spoiler alert: there are no spoilers in here even though we talk for a moment about 'Leave the World Behind.' This is a fun one that just might have you thinking about joining the Near Future Laboratory Discord and supporting this podcast over on patreon.com/nearfuturelaboratory

Check out Ruth's Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/ridguerra⁠

And definitely her Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/ridguerra⁠

Check out the episode's sponsored book, Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the book that came from an adjacent future in which the Sony Walkman failed: https://shop.nearfuturelaboratory.com/products/androids-dream-of-electric-sheep