Modem Futura Pluribus: When Happiness Becomes the Apocalypse
In this episode of Modem Futura, hosts Sean M. Leahy and Andrew Maynard dive deep into Pluribus, the provocative new Apple TV series from Vince Gilligan. Framed as an inversion of the classic zombie apocalypse, Pluribus imagines a world where humanity is absorbed into a peaceful, hyper-ethical hive mind—leaving only a handful of unassimilated individuals behind.
The conversation explores what makes Carol, the show's protagonist, such a divisive character. She's angry, resistant, and refuses to engage with the hive mind's vast collective intelligence. Sean and Andrew unpack the show’s central question: If everyone around you is happy, cooperative, and content, but you must surrender individuality to join them—would you? Their conversation explores autonomy versus collective well-being, consent in a post-human world, and whether happiness itself can become coercive. Along the way, they examine the show’s ethical tensions: a hive mind that cannot lie but can withhold information; a society that refuses violence, harvesting, or even agriculture; and a sustainability crisis resolved through unsettling—but rational—means.
The episode connects Pluribus to a lineage of science fiction touchstones including I Am Legend, Solaris, Soylent Green, and Star Trek’s Borg—while also reflecting on modern parallels such as AI systems, cultural conformity, and the seductive promise of frictionless living. Through moments of humor (the infamous “cuddle puddle”) and unease, the hosts wrestle with what it truly means to be human when individuality itself becomes negotiable.
If everyone around you was happy and they wanted you to join them, would you? And if you refused, who becomes the monster?
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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
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Host Bios:
Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is the Executive Director 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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