Soonish
Wade Roush
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Top 10 Soonish Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Soonish episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Soonish for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Soonish episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
11/04/21 • 51 min
Clock time is a human invention. So it shouldn’t be a box that confines us; it should be a tool that helps us accomplish the things we care about.
But consider the system of standard time, first imposed by the railroad companies in the 1880s. It constrains people who live 1,000 miles apart—on opposite edges of their time zones—to get up and go to work or go to school at the same time, even though their local sunrise and sunset times may vary by an hour or more.
And it also consigns people like me who live on the eastern edges of their time zones to ludicrously early winter sunsets.
For over a century, we've been fiddling with standard time, adding complications such as Daylight Saving Time that are meant to give us a little more evening sunlight for at least part of the year. But what if these are just palliatives for a broken system? What if it's time to reset the clock and try something completely different?
* *
As I publish this, we’re just days away from the most discouraging, and the second most dangerous, day of the year. It's the day we return to Standard Time after eight months of Daylight Saving Time. (In 2021 that happens at 2:00 am on November 7.)
It's discouraging because twilight and sunset will arrive an hour earlier that day, erasing any lift we might have enjoyed from the theoretical extra hour of sleep the night before. It's dangerous because the shift throws off our biological clocks, just the same way a plane trip across time zones would. The only more dangerous day is the first day of Daylight Saving Time in mid-March, which always sees a wave of heart attacks and traffic accidents.
As someone who's lived at both the western and eastern extremes of my time zone, I've long been sensitive to the way differences in longitude can cut into available daylight. It's bad enough that for Bostonians like me, the sun sets long before it does for people in New York or Philadelphia or Detroit. But after the return to Standard Time, when the curtain of darkness descends yet earlier, it feels like we're living most of our lives in the dark.
Considering that all these problems are self-imposed—the by-products of a time-zone architecture introduced by scientists, government ministers, and corporate interests in the 1880s—it seems odd that we continue to tolerate them year after year. But it turns out that there are lots of people with creative ideas for changing our relationship with time. And for today's episode, I spoke with three of them: Tom Emswiler, Dick Henry, and Steve Hanke.
Should we make Daylight Saving Time permanent? Should we move the boundaries between time zones, or transplant whole regions, such as New England, into neighboring time zones? Should we consider abolishing time zones altogether and simply live according to the movements of the sun? All of these would be improvements, in my mind. Come with me on today's audio journey through the history and future of standard time, and I think you'll end up agreeing.
For show notes, links to more resources, and a full transcript, please go to soonishpodcast.org.
Notes
The Soonish opening theme is by Graham Gordon Ramsay. All additional music by Titlecard Music and Sound.
If you enjoy Soonish, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. Every additional rating makes it easier for other listeners to find the show.
Listener support is the rocket fuel that keeps our little ship going! You can pitch in with a per-episode donation at patreon.com/soonish.
Follow us on Twitter and get the latest updates about the show in our email newsletter, Signals from Soonish.
Origin Story
Soonish
03/29/17 • 19 min
Episode 1.06: After in-depth episodes about movies, monorails, museums, manufacturing, and meat, the show goes meta and I talk about Soonish itself. Hear how Carl Sagan and extraterrestrials helped to kickstart my science journalism career, how the Challenger disaster woke me up to technology’s double-edged nature, and how the New York World’s Fair of 1939 got me thinking about the world of the future. Also, I explain how you can now support Soonish directly through Patreon. The Soonish theme is by Graham Gordon Ramsay. Additional music in this episode by Podington Bear. For more details on this episode visit www.soonishpodcast.org/episodes/2017/3/29/106-origin-story.
02/19/24 • 65 min
After a long hiatus, Soonish is back for a celebration: this is the 50th full episode of the show! (I’m not counting a few bonus episodes in that total.) Tamar Avishai, creator and host of the Hub & Spoke podcast The Lonely Palette, joins this time as co-host to help us take a look back at the first 49 episodes of the show. She quizzes me on the accuracy of many of the technology forecasts and predictions I offered along the way. And she prompts me to explain how the show has evolved since its launch in 2017, why it’s become more political than I ever expected (it’s the democracy, stupid), and where it’s going in the future.
Episodes Referenced
Monorails: Trains of Tomorrow? (January 25, 2017)
Meat Without the Moo (March 8, 2017)
Astropreneurs (April 20, 2017)
Hacking Time (May 11, 2017)
Looking Virtual Reality in the Eye (January 5, 2018)
A Future Without Facebook (March 22, 2019)
Election Dreams and Nightmares (October 31, 2019)
Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible: How One Futurist Frames the Pandemic (May 12, 2020)
Unpeaceful Transition of Power (June 24, 2020)
After Trump, What Comes Next? (September 15, 2020)
American Reckoning, Part 1: Civil Wars and How to Stop Them (October 9, 2020)
American Reckoning, Part 2: A New Kind of Nation (October 12, 2020)
The End of the Beginning (November 15, 2020)
Goodbye, Google (June 25, 2021)
Notes
A special thanks to Tamar Avishai for co-hosting this episode and making it so fun.
The Soonish opening theme is by Graham Gordon Ramsay. All the additional music in the show is from Titlecard Music and Sound in Boston.
If you enjoy Soonish, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. Every additional rating makes it easier for other listeners to find the show!
If you like the types of stories and interviews you hear on Soonish, I know you’ll like all the other Hub & Spoke shows. February is the month of love, and so the collective is raising money to invest in what we love — independent podcasting. Please consider participating in our Valentine’s Day fundraiser at hubspokeaudio.org/love
You can also support Soonish with a per-episode donation at patreon.com/soonish.
Coming Soon
Soonish
12/10/16 • 2 min
Episode 1.00: A preview of coming attractions from Soonish, a new podcast about the future hosted by technology journalist Wade Roush, PhD. Each episode tells a story about the technological choices we’re making today and how those choices could end up helping us, or hurting us, tomorrow. The first episode premiers Friday, January 13th. Find more info at soonishpodcast.org. Music by Kai Engel.
11/15/24 • 99 min
If you listened to my previous episode, you’ll remember that I described four "valleys" or scenarios for how the 2024 presidential election could unfold. The fourth scenario was one where Donald Trump wins both the electoral college and the popular vote, with a margin big enough to claim he has a mandate for change. I called that the Valley of Doom. And like it or not, that's the one we're in.
Now that we know which path we’re really on, it’s time to think through through what’s next. Plenty of other smart people are trying to dissect the Democrats’ mistakes; what feels much more urgent to me is figuring out how to understand the moment we’re in now and how to respond to it. How did civic conversations that used to be built around mutual respect and a shared sense of reality devolve into a free-for-all where lies are more powerful than truth? How did trust in government and institutions decay to the point that a majority of voters were willing to hand power to a disruptor who feeds on chaos and confusion? What options are open now for people who still care about values like community and compassion and equality and enlightened self-government?
To talk it through I reached out this week to two people who helped me think about those questions in two different ways that you could loosely call top-down and bottom-up. The top-down thinker is Jamais Cascio. He’s a futurist and scenario planner based in California, and he’s a familiar voice to listeners of this podcast. The last time Jamais joined us was during the pandemic, and we talked about a framework he’d come up with to help describe the historical forces at play in that crisis. The framework has an acronym, BANI, which stands for Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible. Those feel like pretty good adjectives for this moment too, and in our chat we dived into how a BANI framework helps describe our experience of the Trump era and how we can adapt and respond to the coming changes.
The bottom-up thinker featured in this episode is named Rose Friedman. She’s the co-founder and executive director of a nonprofit called The Civic Standard. And she spends every day thinking about how to support dialogue and togetherness and mutual aid in her rural corner of Vermont. I think it’s the kind of work that could help build a new foundation for democratic dialogue and get us past the fear, terror, and loneliness some politicians would like us to feel. In the second half of the episode, I explain how I learned about The Civic Standard—and why I think their mission is so important.
For notes, resources, and a full transcript of this episode, go to https://www.soonishpodcast.org/515-valley-of-doom
Making Moonrise
Soonish
11/14/19 • 43 min
Fifty years after Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins went to the moon, it’s hard to shake off the afterimage of the Saturn V rocket rising into the sky on a column of flame, and remember that the astronauts' bold adventure was also the product of decades of work by engineers, politicians, propagandists, and even science fiction writers. That’s the gap Lillian Cunningham of the Washington Post set out to fix in her podcast, Moonrise. And she’s here with us today to talk about how the show got made, what she thinks the Apollo story can teach us about the power of imagination, and how the stories we tell help us to write the future.
Cunningham has been at The Washington Post for nine years, and in addition to creating Moonrise, she produced and hosted the limited-run podcasts Presidential and Constitutional. She spoke with Soonish from the Post's studios in Washington, D.C., on October 29, 2019, and in this episode we're sharing a version of the conversation that's been edited for length and clarity.
See the episode page on the Soonish website for full show notes. And for an even deeper dive, including a chat about Lillian's writing process, the music for Moonrise, and the new Apple TV+ series "For All Mankind," check out this bonus segment at our website.
Chapter Guide
0:00 Hub & Spoke Sonic ID
01:31 Soonish Theme
01:45 The Golden Age of Limited-Run Podcasts
02:48 A World-Changing Podcast about the Moon Race
05:08 Welcoming Lillian Cunningham to Soonish
05:45 Lillian’s Journey to Podcasting
08:53 Why Make a Show about the Moon Race?
12:21 Beginnings: Why Start the Moon Story in 1933?
17:58 The Role of Science Fiction and Futurism in the Moon Program
20:52 The Soviet Side of the Moon Story
24:10 Midroll Message: Recommending Words To That Effect
26:07 What Makes an Expert an Expert?
31:14 The Story Never Stops
35:19 Will We Ever Go Back to the Moon?
39:14 End Credits and Patreon Thank-Yous
41:38 Promoting Hub & Spoke Newest Show, Subtitle
The Soonish opening theme is by Graham Gordon Ramsay.
Additional music is from Titlecard Music and Sound.
If you like the show, please rate and review Soonish on Apple Podcasts / iTunes! The more ratings we get, the more people will find the show.
Listener support is the rocket fuel that keeps this whole ship going! You can pitch in with a per-episode donation at patreon.com/soonish.
Give us a shout on Twitter and sign up for our email newsletter, Signals from Soonish.
Please check out Subtitle from Patric Cox and Kavita Pillay. It's the newest addition to the Hub & Spoke audio collective. The premiere episode Not So Anonymous is about the remarkable power of forensic linguistics software to unmask writers who'd probably rather stay unknown.
06/18/18 • 39 min
The golden era of “hard” science fiction that respects the rules of actual science lasted from the 1940s to the 1960s. In the 1970s, demand for hard sci-fi fell off a cliff, with a big push from the first Star Wars movie in 1977. But for the last year and a half, Soonish host Wade Roush has been part of a project to revive this underappreciated genre. This week’s episode is all about Twelve Tomorrows, the new short-story anthology Wade edited for MIT Technology Review and the MIT Press. The episode outlines the book’s mission and origin story. And four of the eleven authors who contributed stories to the book weight in on the differences between hard science fiction, fantasy, and other sci-fi sub-genres.
Soonish listeners can get 30% off the book's list price by calling 1-800-405-1619 or writing to [email protected] and using the discount code SOONISH30. And now through July 31, listeners who become new Soonish patrons at Patreon at the $5 per episode level or above will get a free autographed copy of the book! To sign up go to patreon.com/soonish.
The full video of the Twelve Tomorrows launch event, including readings by Elizabeth Bear, Lisa Huang, and Ken Liu is at https://www.soonishpodcast.org/extras/2018/6/21/video-meet-three-of-the-twelve-tomorrows-authors
Music in this episode by Graham Gordon Ramsay and Titlecard Music. Full episode details: https://www.soonishpodcast.org/episodes/2018/6/18/208-sci-fi-that-takes-science-seriously
The End of the Beginning
Soonish
11/15/20 • 55 min
Soonish's six-month detour into electoral politics finishes where it started, with a conversation with our favorite futurist, Jamais Cascio. We talked late on November 6—when it was already clear that Joseph R. Biden would win the presidential race, but before the networks had officially called it—and we explored what Biden's unexpectedly narrow win will mean for progress against the pandemic; for the fortunes of the progressive left; and for the future of democracy in the United States.
Turning Donald Trump out of office was an enormous and crucial accomplishment, and Biden voters should take a moment to celebrate. But Cascio argues that if Republicans retain control of the Senate (a matter that now hinges on a pair of ferociously contested runoff elections in Georgia), Biden's win will amount to, at most, an "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging" moment. It will give Biden and Harris the opportunity to tackle the biggest crises facing the country—the newly resurgent coronavirus pandemic and the economic havoc it's wrought. But it won't leave much room to pursue the structural reforms needed to tame white grievance, end minoritarian rule, and get government working again.
But there's always 2022. In other words, this election wasn't the beginning of the end of the long fight to save democracy and protect the rights of all citizens in this country. But it might be the end of the beginning.
Chapter Guide
00:08 Soonish theme
00:22 We Did It!
01:32 Reality Sinks In
04:29 Re-introducing Jamais Cascio
05:28 Check-in
06:31 Setting the Scene
08:48 The Troubling News
10:19 The Depths of our Polarization
13:01 Perpetuating Dysfunction
17:01 Reviewing Wade’s Post-Election Scenarios
19:49 The Pandemic and Conspiracy Theories
24:57 Violence Against Democracy
27:38 The Weakness of Norms
30:51 Mid-roll Endorsement: Big Brains
31:49 What Next for the Progressive Left?
36:13 Polls Are Left-Wing Astrology
37:57 Cliodynamics
40:30 Back to BANI
45:34 Fighting Back Against Incomprehensibility
48:49 Final Thoughts: The Real Work Is Still Ahead
52:11 End Credits and Acknowledgements
53:00 “Jaws: Amity Island Welcomes You” from Iconography
Find the full show notes and a transcript for this episode at soonishpodcast.org.
The Soonish opening theme is by Graham Gordon Ramsay. All additional music by Titlecard Music and Sound.
If you enjoy Soonish, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. Every additional rating makes it easier for other listeners to find the show.
Listener support is the rocket fuel that keeps our little ship going! You can pitch in with a per-episode donation at patreon.com/soonish.
Follow us on Twitter and get the latest updates about the show in our email newsletter, Signals from Soonish.
09/15/20 • 36 min
Donald Trump will not be president forever. Whether he leaves office in 2021 or 2025; whether he steps down peacefully or not; whether he’s replaced by a Democratic president or a Republican one—he will leave. And then the country will face the immense task of restoring democratic norms and facing up to the failings that allowed a populist, white-nationalist demagogue like Trump to reach office in the first place.
In this episode, with help from University of Chicago political scientist Will Howell, we look at the leading explanations for Trump’s rise and the competing ideas about ways to move forward after Trump.
Assuming Joseph R. Biden wins in November 2020—which isn’t a safe assumption, of course—should the next administration focus on structural reforms to make government more effective, so that Washington can then fix people’s real problems and take the oxygen out of populist anger? Or should it push forward with a program of cultural transformation that recognizes, and tries to root out, the deep strains of racism, xenophobia, and nihilism that fuel Trumpism and today’s Republican party?
It turns out (unsurprisingly) that your preferred prescription depends on your precise diagnosis of the country’s ills. Howell makes a strong argument for a reformist approach that puts good government and pro-social policies first. Other scholars fear that a deeper reckoning with Americans’ illiberal leanings will be required. As you’ll hear in the episode, I’m still of two minds. But I also hope there’s a middle way.
Chapter Guide
00:00 Content Warning
00:16 Soonish Opening Theme
00:30 Donald Trump Barrage Montage
01:13 What Is Donald Trump?
02:36 Never Another Trump
04:22 Disaster Response
05:07 Introducing Will Howell
07:30 Connecting Back to “Relic” and our Failing Constitution”
09:23 Defining Populism and its Harms
11:20 Once and Future Populist Demagogues
13:19 The Conditions for Populism, and How to Change Them
15:59 Institutional Reform or Policy Reform?
17:58 Redesigning the US Presidency
19:31 The F Word (Fascism)
20:13 Jason Stanley on Fascist Movements
21:09 Sarah Churchwell: “This Is What American Fascism Looks Like”
22:12 The Party of White Grievance
23:48 Will Howell Responds: Forces Working in Tandem
26:43 The Reformist Left and the Cultural Left
28:01 A Middle Way
28:45 Structural Reform or Detrumpification? Priorities for the Next Administration
31:31 Best-Case Scenario
33:33 End Credits and Acknowledgements
35:12 Recommendation: The Constant
Notes
The Soonish opening theme is by Graham Gordon Ramsay.
Additional music is from Titlecard Music and Sound.
If you like the show, please rate and review Soonish on Apple Podcasts / iTunes. The more ratings we get, the more people will find the show. Really!
Listener support is the rocket fuel that keeps this whole ship going! You can pitch in with a per-episode donation at patreon.com/soonish
Follow us on Twitter and get the latest updates about the show in our email newsletter, Signals from Soonish.
Trump doll photo by Max Litek, shared on Unsplash. Thanks Max!
02/14/24 • 51 min
Hey listeners! A new, original episode of Soonish is coming very soon. Meanwhile, I wanted to share a Valentine's Day treat.
As the philosopher Haddaway once asked, "What is love?" Well, it can be anything that stirs the heart: passion, grief, affection, kin. The desire to consume; the poignancy of memory. At Hub & Spoke—the collective of independent podcasts where Soonish was a founding member back in 2017—we want to stretch our arms, and ears, around it all.
This special episode of our anthology show, the Hub & Spoke Radio Hour, looks at love from four different angles. It's hosted by Lori Mortimer and edited by Tamar Avishai. Production assistance from Nick Andersen. Music by Evalyn Parry, The Blue Dot Sessions, and a kiss of Dionne Warwick.
Listen to the full episodes we excerpted here:
Rumble Strip, “Forrest Foster Lays Karen to Rest”
Mementos, “Cherie’s Letters”
Ministry of Ideas, “Consumed”
The Lonely Palette, “Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Desired Moment (c. 1770)”
Discover the full slate of Hub & Spoke shows.
And please share the love by supporting Hub & Spoke's Valentine’s Day fundraiser. Donate here.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Soonish have?
Soonish currently has 58 episodes available.
What topics does Soonish cover?
The podcast is about Futurism, Nasa, Space, Society & Culture, Architecture, Social Media, Neuroscience, Virtual Reality, Future, Music, Energy, Productivity, Documentary, Podcasts, Technology, Movies, Manufacturing, Science Fiction, Artificial Intelligence and Food.
What is the most popular episode on Soonish?
The episode title '"We've Needed Something to Bring Us Together"' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Soonish?
The average episode length on Soonish is 42 minutes.
How often are episodes of Soonish released?
Episodes of Soonish are typically released every 27 days, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of Soonish?
The first episode of Soonish was released on Dec 10, 2016.
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