{"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":"Summer Reading List 2026: The Books That Inspired Our Imagination  (Part 1)","slug":"summer-reading-list-2026-the-books-that-inspired-our-imagination-part-1","published_at":"2026-06-30T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/modem-futura-7035675/summer-reading-list-2026-the-books-that-inspired-our-imagination-part-1","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/ee3ca8c7-03f0-4764-8be6-d9bf2494fc07/group-item/6d6f7f88-0335-415e-a229-fbbfe7a3c865/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=3frRI0HN","summary":"Sean and Andrew share the science fiction classics and one sharp piece of nonfiction on their summer reading lists — from Snow Crash and Neuromancer to Iain M. Banks, Douglas Adams, and Cory Doctorow's Enshittification — and ask what these stories reveal about technology, ownership, and being human today.","meta_description":"Sean and Andrew share the science fiction classics and one sharp piece of nonfiction on their summer reading lists — from Snow Crash and Neuromancer to Ia…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2029,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/modem-futura-7035675/episodes/summer-reading-list-2026-the-books-that-inspired-our-imagination-part-1/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/summer-reading-list-2026-the-books-that-inspired-our-imagination-part-1.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}