{"podcast":{"title":"Modem Futura","slug":"modem-futura-7035675","podcast_index_feed_id":7035675,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/3frRI0HN","website_url":"https://www.modemfutura.com","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/169edcc0-5263-448a-8854-8a95ee4ac52a/73f6a163-91f1-4370-9c73-9897d267cdb8/3000x3000/modem_futura_cover_v3.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"Sean Leahy, PhD","episode_count":98,"summary":"Modem Futura is your weekly guide to the future of science, technology, and society—where futures and foresight meets real-world impact. Hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard—educators, futurists, and public scholars—dive into the breakthroughs and big questions shaping tomorrow: AI ethics, space exploration, climate tech, bio-engineering, digital media, STEM education, and the shifting future of work. In candid, banter-filled conversations with innovators, scholars, and storytellers, they unpack how emerging technologies influence human values, creativity, and culture—and what these trends mean for you today. Whether you’re curious about quantum computing, electric air taxis, or the sociology of robots, Modem Futura connects cutting-edge research with the narratives that drive innovation. Join us each week to explore possible, probable, and preferred futures, and discover practical insights for navigating an increasingly tech-driven world. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be part of the conversation exploring what it will mean to be human in the future!","last_synced_at":"2026-07-25T08:19:54.878351+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/modem-futura-7035675"},"episode":{"title":"Futures Improv: Power, Probes & Post-Human Civilization","slug":"futures-improv-power-probes-post-human-civilization","published_at":"2026-03-24T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/modem-futura-7035675/futures-improv-power-probes-post-human-civilization","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/modem-futura-7035675","url":"https://www.modemfutura.com","audio_url":"https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/fca32cee-ef4c-4b50-82e5-4c768318a8c1/018f87c3-4d42-4bc0-9d66-53873b51ec68/episodes/audio/group/939222f4-b084-40e2-98de-30921a6e2546/group-item/7eb20f80-d0a0-4c39-bb9d-cbcf869c26d1/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=3frRI0HN","summary":"Sean and Andrew take Futures Improv to civilizational scale, riffing on Kardashev Types, Dyson Spheres, von Neumann probes, and the Fermi Paradox to ask what humanity's hunger for energy and expansion really reveals about our nature — and our loneliness in the cosmos. Equal parts cosmic wonder, speculative science, and accidental insight, this spring break edition is brain candy for anyone who's ever looked up at the night sky and wondered: where is everybody?","meta_description":"Sean and Andrew take Futures Improv to civilizational scale, riffing on Kardashev Types, Dyson Spheres, von Neumann probes, and the Fermi Paradox to ask w…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3970,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/modem-futura-7035675/episodes/futures-improv-power-probes-post-human-civilization/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/modem-futura-7035675/futures-improv-power-probes-post-human-civilization.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}