Future Around & Find Out
Dan Blumberg
* Winner of the 2026 Webby Award for Best Technology Podcast *
Future Around & Find Out helps builders think clearly about AI and emerging technologies, grapple with the implications, and decide what to build next.
Independent technologist and former NPR journalist Dan Blumberg speaks with founders, makers, and you to celebrate breakthroughs, call BS on the hype, explore how things might go sideways — and how we can steer the future in the right direction.
On Tuesdays, we interview the builders changing how we work, live, and play.
On FAFO Fridays, futurist Kwaku Aning joins Dan for a playful recap of the week in tech, including the amazing, the scary, and the strange.
You’ll also hear about innovations that too often get overshadowed by AI, including in deep tech, biotech, fintech, quantum computing, robotics, blockchain, and more.
Across it all, you’ll hear sharp takes on what comes next and what builders need to know now.
So let’s Future Around & Find Out together!
https://www.FutureAround.com
Future Around & Find Out helps builders think clearly about AI and emerging technologies, grapple with the implications, and decide what to build next.
Independent technologist and former NPR journalist Dan Blumberg speaks with founders, makers, and you to celebrate breakthroughs, call BS on the hype, explore how things might go sideways — and how we can steer the future in the right direction.
On Tuesdays, we interview the builders changing how we work, live, and play.
On FAFO Fridays, futurist Kwaku Aning joins Dan for a playful recap of the week in tech, including the amazing, the scary, and the strange.
You’ll also hear about innovations that too often get overshadowed by AI, including in deep tech, biotech, fintech, quantum computing, robotics, blockchain, and more.
Across it all, you’ll hear sharp takes on what comes next and what builders need to know now.
So let’s Future Around & Find Out together!
https://www.FutureAround.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
7 snips
May 12, 2026 • 33min
How AI Can Make You a Better Writer: Stop Letting It Write; Start Letting It Ask. | Jay Dixit (Socratic AI)
Jay Dixit, writer, journalist, and founder of Socratic AI, argues for using AI as a questioning partner rather than a writer. He explains flipping prompts so AI interviews you, using AI at every writing phase, and getting unstuck with Socratic prompts. He also talks about AI’s effects on photography, standing out amid AI sameness, and nudging yourself to do the hard, human work.
May 9, 2026 • 31min
"Nice Model You Got There — Shame If Something Happened to It" | FAFO Friday
A heated take on sudden government moves to vet AI models and whether that’s safety or political leverage. A close look at Anthropic’s compute deal with Elon and what private control of AI infrastructure could mean. A contrasting thread about robot design: fuzzy, non-humanoid companions, dancer-informed robotics, and how design shapes trust and social impact.
May 5, 2026 • 51min
Robots Don't Have to Be Creepy. Meet the Dancer Reimagining Them. | Catie Cuan (Founder & CEO, ART Lab)
Catie Cuan, a dancer-turned-roboticist and founder & CEO of ART Lab, reimagines how robots fit into human life. She discusses why capable machines can still feel unsettling. Short takes on non-humanoid designs, robots in homes and care, robots that read human reactions, on-device learning, and how art and dance shape better interaction.
4 snips
May 2, 2026 • 35min
The Goblin in the Machine | FAFO Friday
They unpack why AI develops weird quirks like a ban on goblins and what that reveals about model bias. They debate AI personalities, branding, and whether automated tools teach real skills or just produce outputs. They cover token-based billing shifts and the coming pushback against big data centers. They end by exploring solar power beamed from space and who actually benefits from AI infrastructure.
37 snips
Apr 28, 2026 • 55min
AI doesn't do anything. We do. | Rumman Chowdhury on reclaiming agency and rejecting "moral outsourcing"
Rumman Chowdhury, an ethical AI leader and founder of Human Intelligence PBC, reminds us that people—not algorithms—make choices. She discusses moral outsourcing, bias bounties and red teaming, how simple prompts break guardrails, why benchmarks mislead, and ways builders can reclaim agency with better evaluation, legal protections, and agentic AI.
23 snips
Apr 25, 2026 • 39min
We Won a Webby Award! Who Could've Predicted That? And Are All Predictions Bunk Anyway?
They celebrate a surprise Webby win and brainstorm five-word acceptance lines. They debate whether predictions help or create self-fulfilling prophecies, referencing a TED talk about AI and prophecy. The episode covers Meta’s employee surveillance, rising anti-tech backlash, and how human data fuels AI. They speculate on job training, AI-driven hiring, and practical tips to manage personalized LLMs.
17 snips
Apr 21, 2026 • 45min
"I Can't Believe It's Not Software!" Paul Ford on AI and the Asterisk*
Paul Ford, co-founder of Aboard and acclaimed tech writer, explains why quick, AI-driven prototypes force everyone to hunt for the hidden asterisk. He talks about vibe coding upending agency pricing, how engineers’ power is shifting, why client communication and systems thinking now matter most, and what he’s actually teaching his kids instead of coding.
14 snips
Apr 16, 2026 • 11min
We're a Webby nominee for Best Tech Podcast! Please vote! And here are the FAFO highlights the Webby's loved so much
Celebratory announcement about a big industry nomination and a call to action to vote. A highlight reel showcases debates on AI's limits versus engineering context. Conversations dive into AI-native podcast product design and critical takes on a MIT AI study. Festival takeaways and robotics automation boundaries add lively tech scenes. Playful projects and curiosity-driven education round out the topics.
25 snips
Apr 14, 2026 • 32min
We Need Inventors. And Inventors Need Us. Pablos Holman on Finding and Backing Zero to One Builders
Pablos Holman, inventor and investor who backs bold deep-tech builders, argues we must pick one big problem and go all in. He spotlights invisible garage inventors, why AI optimizes but struggles to create, and how software skills can unlock solutions in energy, water, and manufacturing. Practical, urgent, and provocative takes on backing zero-to-one invention.
29 snips
Apr 11, 2026 • 34min
The Moon, the Mythos, the Mayhem | FAFO Friday
They gawk at lunar photos and debate why we send humans to the Moon instead of robots. They unpack Anthropic’s Mythos and worry it could both spot flaws and be misused. They explain world models and Jeff Bezos’s Project Prometheus. They imagine graceful choreo robots, argue for ‘dumb’ home bots, and ponder robots as care solutions for aging societies.
