You could argue that imagining the future involves one part research, one part speculation and one part fanciful thinking.
In this show:
Alex McDowell, the film designer behind the cult sci-fi hit Minority Report, worries that sometimes we’re too practical in our conjecturing about what lies before us. He argues that an embrace of narrative storytelling can help us understand the possibilities ahead.
Dr Maurie Cohen makes a contentious argument that the United States—the world’s great innovator—has lost its ability to look forward.
Professor Jerry Lockenour at the University of Southern California explains why he uses an old LA Times article to help his students understand the concept of the future.
And Professor Naomi Oreskes talks about blending sci-fi and history to craft an academic journal paper that deals with future worries about climate change.
Guests:
Jerry Lockenour, Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering.
Dr Maurie Cohen, Director of the Science, Technology and Society Program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Associate Fellow of the Tellus Institute.
Alex McDowell, Joint Associate Professor in the Interactive Media, Production, and Media Arts and Practice (iMAP) divisions at the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California. Creative Director of the World Building Media Lab and the 5D Institute.
Naomi Oreskes, Professor of History and Science Studies at the University of Southern California, San Diego and Adjunct Professor of Geo-Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Further Information:
Maurie Cohen’s profile (http://chemistry.njit.edu/people/cohen.php)
Jerry Lockenour’s profile (http://ame-www.usc.edu/personnel/adjfac/lockenour/)
LA Times article on Jerry Lockenour’s project (http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/14/local/la-me-future-city-20130314)
1988 LA Times article on life in 2013 (http://documents.latimes.com/la-2013/)
Alex McDowell’s Profile (http://5dinstitute.org/people/alex-mcdowell)
5D Institute (http://5dinstitute.org/)
New Yorker article on 5D Institute’s Science of Fiction conference (http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/05/5d-science-of-fiction-conference-futurist-ideas.html)
Naomi Oreskes Profile (http://history.ucsd.edu/people/faculty/oreskes-naomi.html)
Chronicle of Higher Education article on Naomi Oreskes paper (http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/historians-dabbling-in-science-fiction-evoke-a-climate-collapse/32517)
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/futuretense/imagining-the-future/4731712