A Handheld Device to Defeat Cancer | Mary Lou Jepsen
What if the bulky, expensive machines that fill hospital radiology departments could be replaced by a wearable? In this episode, we speak with Mary Lou Jepsen — founder of Openwater and pioneering inventor — about how breakthroughs in light-based imaging could democratize access to brain and body scans.From her work at Google X and Facebook’s moonshot labs to her current mission at Openwater, Jepsen has spent decades at the frontier of tech and health. Now, she’s building a future where scanning the body for disease is as simple as putting on a hat — no radiation, no giant machines, no $1M price tag.We explore:Why light could be the key to affordable, real-time medical diagnosticsHow her device works — and what it might replaceWhat it takes to challenge the medical-industrial complexHer vision for global healthcare access and early detectionOn the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How Science Fiction Can Inspire Real-World Innovation with Ed Finn
In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, Ed Finn, founding director of ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination, explores the impact of storytelling on our ability to envision and create better futures—and why we urgently need more hopeful narratives.Ed shares his journey from a generalist interested in how technology shapes culture to co-creating initiatives like "Project Hieroglyph" with celebrated sci-fi author Neal Stephenson. He argues that our collective imagination is often stuck in dystopian loops or unable to escape the status quo, hindering our capacity for large-scale, positive change. By bringing together storytellers, scientists, and artists, we can craft "technically grounded, hopeful stories about futures we might actually want to live in."In this conversation, we explore:The fundamental role of imagination and narrative in how we understand the world, make decisions, and even perceive reality.Why science fiction can be a powerful tool for foresight, societal deliberation, and inspiring innovation (the "hieroglyph" concept).The importance of moving beyond easy apocalypses to explore "protopian" futures where things are actively getting better, and the challenge of crafting compelling narratives of social change.How reflecting on classic tales like Frankenstein can inform our approach to scientific creativity, responsibility, and the societal implications of new technologies like AI.The potential resurgence of the humanities in an AI-driven world and why critical thinking and a rich self-imagination are crucial for collaborating with new technologies.On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How AI Can Accelerate Science & Its Own Adoption with Niklas Lundblad
In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, Niklas Berild Lundblad, a philosopher, researcher, and former policy lead at Google DeepMind, Google, and Stripe, explores the interplay between progress, complexity, and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.Niklas discusses why asking the right questions is crucial for navigating our future, especially as AI challenges our self-perception and introduces new forms of complexity. He discusses the "soft narcissism" in AI development, the distinction between AI and AGI, and why we should view current AI not as a mirror, but as a strange, exotic artifact whose full capabilities we are still underestimating. In this conversation, we explore:The critical relationship between progress and complexity, and why managing this dynamic is essential for societal growth (including the "Red Queen effect").Why current AI developments feel different from past tech hypes.The potential for AI to revolutionize scientific discovery.How AI could accelerate its own diffusion.The need for curious regulators, mechanisms for change, the challenges of agentic AI, and how cultural biases might affect our approaches to regulation.The Solow Paradox and the Gartner Hype Cycle as frameworks for understanding technology adoption.On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nobel Laureate David Baker on Using AI for Science to Solve Humanity's Biggest Problems
In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, Nobel Laureate David Baker reveals how scientists are now inventing entirely new proteins—life's fundamental building blocks—to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges.David shares his journey and his vision for a future where custom-built "molecular machines," an idea once explored by thinkers like Eric Drexler, could repair our bodies, clean up pollution, and create sustainable materials. He explains how breakthroughs in AI are supercharging this field, but also why human ingenuity and collaborative science are still essential to unlocking these revolutionary possibilities.In this conversation, we explore:The incredible power of designing brand-new proteins for groundbreaking medicines, environmental cleanup, and creating novel materials.The exciting prospect of "molecular machines": tiny engines built from proteins to perform complex tasks, inspired by early visions of nanotechnology.How AI is accelerating scientific discovery, and what it takes to translate these digital designs into real-world solutions.David’s "communal brain" philosophy for fostering innovation and his advice for anyone wanting to solve big, meaningful problems.On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Existential Hope Podcast features in-depth conversations with people working on positive, high-tech futures. We explore how the future could be much better than today—if we steer it wisely.Hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite the scientists, founders, and philosophers shaping tomorrow’s breakthroughs— AI, nanotech, longevity biotech, neurotech, space, smarter governance, and more.About Foresight Institute: For 40 years the independent nonprofit Foresight Institute has mapped how emerging technologies can serve humanity. Its Existential Hope program is the North Star: mapping the futures worth aiming for and the breakthroughs needed to reach them. This podcast is that exploration in public. Follow along and help tip the century toward success.Explore more: Transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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