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The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones December 9, 2023

The Future of Predictions

A Discussion with Christopher E. Mason

Christopher E Mason

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Predictive algorithms are changing the world – that is the claim of Christopher E. Mason who has co-authored (with Igor Tulchinsky) the book The Age of Prediction: Algorithms, AI, and the Shifting …

The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones

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Veteran journalist Owen Bennett-Jones delves into the some of the most pressing issues of our time with politicians, scholars, scientists, doctors, writers, public intellectuals and thought-leaders.

The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones December 4, 2023

The Future of the State

A Discussion with Graeme Garrard

Graeme Garrard

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
The Reagan-Thatcher neoliberal era started the retreat of the state. Privatisation and deregulation meant power was handed over to corporations and markets. Now that neoliberalism has run its course, will …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones November 26, 2023

The Future of Innovation

A Discussion with Min W. Jung

Min W. Jung

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Humans have been so dominant on Earth in large part because of their capacity to innovate – but how does that work exactly? Why can they innovate so much? That …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones November 20, 2023

The Future of the Rural-Urban Divide

A Discussion with Nicholas F. Jacobs and Daniel M. Shea

Nicholas F. Jacobs and Daniel M. Shea

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
The town/countryside split has always been a feature of democratic Western politics and has impacted party choice. The advent of rust belts may have added a layer of complexity and …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones November 14, 2023

The Future of World Disorder

A Discussion with Peter R. Neumann

Peter R. Neumann

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Listen:
Do confusions in the West threaten a new world disorder? It’s a question asked by Professor Peter R. Neumann of Kings College, London. He is the author of The New World …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones November 9, 2023

The Future of Crucial Materials

A Discussion with Ed Conway

Ed Conway

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Listen:
Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. These fundamental materials have created empires, razed civilizations, and fed our ingenuity and greed for thousands of years. Without them, our modern world …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones November 1, 2023

The Future of Cancelling

A Discussion with Greg Lukianoff

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Listen:
Cancel culture is something all academics are aware of and some are concerned about.  Certainly that’s true of Greg Lukianoff who was the co-author (with Jonathan Haidt) of The Coddling of the American …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones October 24, 2023

The Future of Paying Attention

A Discussion with Carolyn Dicey Jennings

Carolyn Dicey Jennings

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Is it really harder to pay attention to something than it used to be? No doubt the world is getting faster, and social media platforms are so good at grabbing …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones October 18, 2023

The Future of Incarceration

A Discussion with Colleen P. Eren

Colleen P. Eren

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
The United States has long been associated with a very harsh criminal justice system with, in some cases, people serving long sentence for minor crimes. But attempts to reform the …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones October 9, 2023

The Future of Superstates

A Discussion with Alasdair Roberts

Alasdair Roberts

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Listen:
Empires​ are supposed to be a thing of the past but very big countries with global reach are becoming more entrenched. By 2050, almost 40 per cent of the world’s …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones October 2, 2023

The Future of the EAST

A Discussion with Yasheng Huang

Yasheng Huang

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Listen:
Exams, autocracy, stability, and technology have been hallmarks of Chinese society for centuries — from ancient times through to the present. Is that set to continue and how well does …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones September 24, 2023

The Future of Ukraine

A Discussion with Christopher Miller

Christopher Miller

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has already changed the world. Why did it happen? Who is winning? How will it end? Christopher Miller is the author of The War Came to …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones September 16, 2023

The Future of Anarchism

A Discussion with Ruth Kinna

Ruth Kinna

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
50 years ago, anarchism was written off by some as a set of outdated idealistic ideas that had no contemporary relevance. Then came protests at events such as World Trade …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones September 11, 2023

The Future of Secularization

A Discussion with Ryan Cragun

Ryan Cragun

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Listen:
The statement ‘we live in a secular age’ is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones September 3, 2023

The Future of the NHS

A Discussion with Gavin Francis

Gavin Francis

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
The British National Health Service - free for all - used to be the envy of the world. But today the NHS is malfunctioning. More and more people are resorting …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones August 26, 2023

The Future of Talking

A Discussion with Shane O'Mara

Shane O'Mara

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Talking is a defining part of what makes us human – we are almost constantly in dialogue but what purpose does all this conversation serve? Both for the individual and …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones August 18, 2023

The Future of Traditionalism

A Discussion with Mark J. Sedgwick

Mark J. Sedgwick

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Listen:
Twenty years ago, it seemed Traditionalism was an esoteric and irrelevant set of beliefs. Since then, powerful people sympathetic to its ideas have overturned that perception. In the US, Russia …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones August 12, 2023

The Future of Underground/Sea Cables

A Discussion with Henry Farrell

Henry Farrell

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
How much of US power is underground? We hear a lot about the US military assets used on land, on the sea, and in the air - but not much …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones August 5, 2023

The Future of Space Travel

A Discussion with Douglas C. Ligor

Douglas C. Ligor

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
The expansion of space travel is much discussed but always seems subject to delay. Why is that and when will it happen on a much larger scale? Douglas Ligor has …
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-Jones July 25, 2023

The Future of Supply Chains

A Discussion with Rob Handfield

Rob Handfield

Hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones
Listen:
Supply chains matter. And one of the most compelling defences of the capitalist system is that for all its various dysfunctions, it does at least ensure the quick delivery of …