Back to the F**kture

In this episode of our Back to the F**kture podcast, The Future Laboratory co-founder Martin Raymond talks to the award-winning technologist and space architect Melodie Yashar about how her work on future Mars habitats is providing Earth-bound communities affordable, sustainable, low-carbon homes – and beautiful ones at that. Melodie Yashar, and her team at ICON, recently won Builder magazine Project of the Year award for a very modern, very beautiful, very curvilinear 2,045-square-feet house they’ve designed in Austin, Texas. In many ways it is the prototype for a range of 100 future-facing homes they are currently building and launching this year in Texas Hill Country. In this episode, we discuss everything from the metric of imagination in space to pushing the boundaries of technology-driven spaces. Tune in to learn more.

In this episode of our Back to the F**kture podcast, The Future Laboratory co-founder Martin Raymond speaks with Dr Catherine Nakalembe, Africa programme director at NASA Harvest, scientist, remote sensing expert, a machine learning specialist, and winner of our Futures 100 Innovators Awards. Catherine currently uses drones, satellite data and the latest AI technologies to map the impacts of everything from climate change to developing risk assessment strategies and finance packages that can drastically improve a community’s ability to insulate itself against floods and other adverse weather conditions.  When we delve deeper into her work, we discover how her work is foresight at its most effective and trend analysis at its most potent. Listen to this episode now to find out more.

Our Back to the F**kture podcast series, hosted by The Future Laboratory's co-founder Martin Raymond, asks renowned thinkers to put foresight predictions under the hindsight spotlight. This month Adrien Hobt and Dev Mishra from the PCH Innovations studio return to discuss the power and spirituality of science and technology in tackling issues of the climate crisis, wellbeing and diversity and inclusion. PCH Innovations is a multi-disciplinary innovation strategy & technology development studio, translating radical insights & emerging phenomena into uniquely designed & engineered concepts, materials and high-fidelity prototypes. Listen to this episode now to find out more.

Ibrahim Ibrahim, futurist, retail strategist and managing director of Portland Design, explores the future of blended retail spaces. He discusses reshaping high streets with mixed uses, designing serendipity through fast/slow/local/belong pillars, treating physical spaces as media, and connecting online and offline data to build emotional membership and new retail formats.

In the fifth episode of season two of our Back to the F**kture podcast, Martin Raymond speaks with innovation-seeker and author of The Serendipity Mindset, Dr. Christian Busch, about the importance of having an open and curious outlook. Dr. Christian Busch is a globally renowned expert in innovation and serendipity and director of the CGA Global Economy Programme at New York University, also teaching at the London School of Economics. In this episode, we discuss how opening our eyes to the unexpected and being open to connection can lead to valuable opportunities and solutions. Listen to this episode now to find out more.

In the fourth episode of season two of our Back to the F**kture podcast, Martin Raymond speaks with techno-optimist Bethany Koby-Hirschmann about the importance of a healthy relationship between children and technology. Beth is the co-founder of Tech Will Save Us, and founder of FAM, the family inventions studio that’s already making waves in the world of health, wellbeing and the future happiness of families. In this episode, we talk about re-assessing the role that families play in envisaging tomorrow, and how in turn they can use this optimistic understanding of technology and their relationship with it to make that future better, more inclusive and family-friendly. Listen now.

In this episode of our Back to the F**kture podcast, Martin Raymond speaks to Harry Jameson, performance coach and personal trainer to athletes, celebrities and professionals, and columnist at The Times. Harry is also the founder of RAIN, a luxury CBD home and body balm range, and his latest company Pillar Wellbeing, which focuses on what he refers to as ‘the three guiding pillars of Synchronised Care and wellbeing – movement, nutrition and recovery'. In this episode, we discuss how to get a better understanding of the mind, body, spirit and, most crucially, our energy. ‘At the moment, I believe we can use the tools and technologies we have to give the 65-year-old the energy of a 25-year-old,’ says Harry. Listen to this episode now to find out how.

In the second episode of season 2 of our Back to the F**kture podcast, Martin Raymond speaks to Victoria Stoyanova, strategist by trade and connector at heart. Victoria recently founded Institute of Belonging, a studio exploring the generative power of networks, designed to bring people together to experiment, play, learn and co-create. In this episode, we discuss the power of networking. For Victoria, networking is all about the five Cs – community, collaboration, conversation, creativity and curation. ‘But it is also about collectivist thinking, and about being generous with your time, with making connections and leaning in’. Listen to this episode now.

Welcome back to the second series of our Back to the F**kture podcast, where we ask renowned thinkers to put foresight predictions under the hindsight spotlight. In the first episode of series two, The Future Laboratory co-founder Martin Raymond speaks to Belgian forecaster Herman Konings. Herman Konings is author of seven books, studied theoretical psychology at the University of Leuven, and in his own words, ‘loves the theatrics of psychology and tomorrow as much as he does its theoretics’. In this episode, he explains why forecasting is as much about drama, storytelling and the great potential and many possibilities of the human condition as it is about data, spreadsheets, and the forward extrapolation of bald facts and sometimes blind conjecture. Tune in to series 2 episode 1 now.

In the final episode of season one of our Back to the F**kture podcast, The Future Laboratory co-founder Martin Raymond spoke with artist-curator, art director, editor and writer Georgina Johnson. Georgina has previously worked with the V&A, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, The Photographers’ Gallery, Now Gallery and Ace & Tate. She founded The Laundry Arts in 2017, a platform centred on counter-culture, and is the author of The Slow Grind, a collection of essays, think pieces and conversations gathering some of the most formidable voices across the cultural industries. In this episode, she explains why brands need to step up, step in and understand the role that collectivism, consensus and accountability will play in their future. Tune in to episode 10 now.