Symbiotic Futures: Megatrends, foresight, and Futures Thinking

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May 20, 2025

Join Sean and Andrew as they share amusing travel tales of testing cutting-edge tech on flights and reflect on the challenges of maintaining work-life balance. They dive into the concept of "symbiotic futures" sparked by a significant blackout experience in Lisbon, discussing the fragility of complex systems and the importance of futures thinking. Celebrating their global listener base, they encourage community engagement while advocating for a more mindful relationship with technology amidst an ever-evolving digital landscape.

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ANECDOTE

Using Apple Vision Pro In-Flight

Sean Leahy used the Apple Vision Pro on an 11-hour flight to work and entertain himself with a large virtual screen.
He experienced challenges like positional tracking issues and eye strain but plans to try it again for further testing.

ANECDOTE

Lisbon Trip Amid Regional Blackout

Sean traveled to Lisbon during a massive power blackout affecting Spain, Portugal, and Southern France.
Despite travel chaos, he arrived after power restoration and attended the Future Days conference themed on symbiotic futures.

INSIGHT

Fragility of Complex Systems

Blackouts reveal how fragile and complex our socio-technical systems are.
Unexpected failures cascade easily, highlighting challenges in controlling and predicting such systems.

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Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard reunite after Sean’s trip to Lisbon’s Future Days conference to riff on everything from testing an Apple Vision Pro on an 11‑hour flight to the Iberian‑Peninsula blackout that plunged Portugal and Spain into darkness. They use those real‑world anecdotes to explore “symbiotic futures,” the fragility of complex socio‑technical systems, and why futures thinking — complete with megatrend scanning and human‑centered foresight — belongs in every profession. Along the way they celebrate reaching listeners in 74 countries, read a heartfelt note from Isabel in Zurich, and issue a friendly call for ratings and reviews to help Modem Futura crack the top‑ten tech‑and‑futures charts.

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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