When seen from the perspective of something that we can imagine, aspire to, and begin to design, the future reveals what exquisite and astonishing creatures we are. The fact that we can break away from the constraints of time’s arrow and create a tomorrow that is different from today is quite astounding.
Add to this our sense of justice and responsibility, our capacity to empathize with others, and our growing ability to map a course between what we know and what we imagine could be, and it becomes clear that we have the means to build a future that far exceeds the limitations of the present.
What hangs in the balance is whether we have the will to embrace this path forward.
From Future Rising: A Journey from the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow
Andrew Maynard is a scientist, author, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions at Arizona State University. He studies the future and how our actions influence it.
Latest book
Future Rising: A Journey from the Past, to the Edge of Tomorrow
This is is possibly the most personal and important book I’ve written
— Andrew Maynard
Future Rising takes readers on a journey that explores the nature of our relationship with the future, and our responsibility to it. It’s an admittedly eclectic journey, touching on everything from the physics of the universe to the nature of art, and ultimately to what it means to be human. But as we face an increasingly uncertain future, it’s an incredibly important one.
What’s New
I Asked ChatGPT to Develop a College Class About Itself
All Those Professors Warning About ChatGPT? My Class Is Their Worst Nightmare. New article on Slate
What’s a Luddite?
The original Luddites were not anti-technology. Their argument was with how wealthy industrialists were robbing them of their way of life. (Gizmodo)
Moviegoer’s Guide Podcast
A serialization of the book Films from the Future, read by Andrew Maynard. The Moviegoer’s Guide provides a unique and multifaceted perspective on emerging technologies and their responsible development and use.
Jurassic World and Responsible Innovation
Jurassic World: Dominion may fall short on the science, but it’s social commentary is worth heeding.
Relationship Building with the Future
Ten ways we can build a better relationship with the future, from reveling in our creativity to designing with humility (World Economic Forum)
Five Robot Movies That Will Make You Cry
A lineup of films that remind us that intelligent machines don’t aways have to be bad for the future of being human
How to Make the World a Better Place
How do you create value that’s meaningful to you? And what happens when you hit roadblocks despite your best intentions? From the 2020 KEEN National Conference
AI and the Art of Manipulation
With growing interest in the potential risks and benefits of AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) I thought it worth posting a link to chapter 8 from the book Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci Fi Movies.
What if we think of the future as an object?
A extended podcast episode based on a TEDx talk that was nixed by COVID