Advice For And From The Future

12/15/2020

Should I sublimate to another dimension? Is that even possible? What is a dimension anyway? Today's episode talks physics and metaphysics, teeny tiny spaces, why you shouldn't drive a spaceship into a black hole, and what to do when you want to get away from it all. Featuring Dr. Katie Mack and an original poem by the amazing Jayne A. Quan.

Should I sublimate to another dimension? What does that even mean? Are there other dimensions? What about wormholes? And what if, instead of trying to use physics to get away from it all, you actually faced your fears? Featuring physics and metaphysics wisdom from Dr. Katie Mack, author of The End o...

10/20/2020

The shop is repaired after that pesky hybrid animal infestation and we're back with a conversation about surveillance, resistance, and whether you can ask your friend to turn off their Alexa when you come over.

Can I ask my friend to turn off her Alexa when I go to her house? To answer that question, Dr. Simone Browne joins the show to talk about privacy, ethics, and whose job it is to convince someone to not opt into surveillance. Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness Interview with Dr. Simone…

09/22/2020

So let's say you've been alive for, oh, I don't know, 1,000 years. You've had some kids. They've had some kids. And now a good percent of the human population is related to you. What does that mean for your dating prospects? Today I'm joined by Dr. Janina Jeff to talk dating, genetics, and what we're actually looking for in partnership.

Today’s question comes from a future where humans live a long, long time. And some of them might want to date. But how do you make sure you’re not actually dating someone you’re related to? And what’s the point of dating anyway? To find out, I call Dr. Janina Jeff, a geneticist and senior sc...

09/08/2020

Should I start a bug farm? Are insects the future of food? Should I buy that cricket flour at the store? On today's episode, I'm joined by Soleil Ho, the food critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and the host of the podcast Extra Spicy, to talk about eating bugs and what we really need to fix our food systems.

Are bugs the food of the future? Should I start a bug farm? What’s the best way to cook them? All that and more on today’s episode, featuring the amazing Soleil Ho, food critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, host of the podcast Extra Spicy, and founder of the podcast Racist Sandwich. Further re...

08/25/2020

You just got a new job, yay! But HR just called and they want to put a chip in your hand to get in and out of the office. What should you do? This episode is extra interesting for me (Rose) because I actually do have a chip in my hand. Listen to the episode for more!

Today’s question is about just how much to trust your boss. Should you let them implant a chip in your hand? To answer, Rose calls Stacy-Marie Ishmael, journalist, editor, and sometimes career advice-giver. Advice For And From The Future is written, edited and performed by Rose Eveleth. The theme ...

08/11/2020

Should you get your DNA sequenced? What if it feels like the only way to connect to your ancestors? What questions can your genes actually answer? What proof is there in genetic information? All that and more on today's episode, featuring the amazing Dr. Alondra Nelson.

Today’s episode is about proof, identity and DNA. What are you looking for, when you look for your heritage? What can DNA really tell you? And who decides which forms of proof are required when?  [megaphone] To answer this question, we spoke with Dr. Alondra Nelson, president of the Social Scienc...

07/29/2020

Do you want to be a better, more careful news consumer and sharer? How do you figure out if something is real? Why does it matter if animal memes are fake? All that and more (including Rose talking to her robot self about the nature of truth) in today's episode.

On today’s trip to and from the future, we’re considering questions of truth, reality, and how to be a good sharer of news. How do you avoid sharing fake information? How do you tell what’s real and what’s not? In this swirling vortex of disinformation, how can you make sure you’re not con...

07/14/2020

New episode! Should you cryopreserve your dog? What about cloning? Today's episode takes on life after death for our furry friends.

Today we’re considering a question about death. It comes for us all, eventually. Or does it? Should you freeze your furry friend? Today’s guest is Ace Tilton Ratcliff, a writer and the cofounder of Haper’s Promise. Ace wrote about their experience with pet cryopreservation here: “Cryonics, D...

06/30/2020

Should you have a child? With everything going on? With the planet burning? Today's episode includes a discussion of personal responsibility, British doctors from the 1960's, and dinosaurs.

Is it okay to have kids amidst ~~all this~~? Is it acceptable to bring a child into the world, if the world is on fire both literally and figuratively? What are the ethics of having babies given climate change? Should I, personally, have a kid? This question has become more and more common, and on.....

06/16/2020

Great news! Your partner was selected to go to Mars. There's only one problem. You don't want to go to Mars! What should you do?

What happens when your partner wants to flee this planet, and you want to stay? Is wanting to go to Mars basically saying you want to break up? Can you have a long, long, long distance relationship? Is a five-year date a terrible idea? To answer this interplanetary conundrum, Rose calls up Andrea Si...

06/16/2020

Oh hello there.