
The Foresight Institute Podcast
Welcome to the Foresight Institute’s podcast! Since 1986, Foresight has advanced technologies for the long-term benefit of life, focusing on science and technology too early-stage or interdisciplinary for traditional institutions to support. Our podcast features technical seminars in Molecular Machines, Biotech, Intelligent Cooperation, Neurotech, and Spacetech, alongside our Existential Hope content and special episodes. To view presentations of our technical work and to stay up-to-date on new content, subscribe on YouTube and follow us on Twitter. The Foresight Institute Podcast is AI-searchable using Fathom.fm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Show episodes

Existential Hope podcast: Clay Routledge | Why Meaning and Agency Matter More Than Ever
In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, existential psychologist Clay Routledge explores how meaning and agency shape both individual well-being and societal progress. While material conditions have improved, many people—especially younger generations—report growing pessimism and disconnection. Clay argues tha
Cate Hall is the CEO of Astera. She’s a former Supreme Court attorney and the ex-No. 1 female poker player in the world. Before joining Astera, she co-founded and served as COO and later co-CEO of Alvea, a pandemic medicine company that set the record for the fastest startup to take a drug candidate to Phase I clinical
Sam Rodriques is an inventor and entrepreneur. In 2023, he launched FutureHouse, a new research lab in San Francisco focused on building an AI Scientist. He previously ran the Applied Biotechnology Lab at the Francis Crick Institute. Before that, he did his PhD at MIT. Sam also proposed the Focused Research Organizatio
Tom Kalil is the CEO of Renaissance Philanthropy. Tom served in the White House for two presidents (Obama and Clinton) and in collaboration with his team worked with the Senate to give every federal agency the authority to support incentive prizes for up to $50 million. Tom also designed and launched dozens of White Ho

Existential Hope Podcast: Steven Pinker On Why the Future Looks Better Than You Think
In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Steven Pinker explores why, despite massive gains in human progress, many people remain pessimistic about the future—and why that matters for shaping what comes next. Steven argues that while progress isn’t automatic, it is r
Jennifer Garrison, PhD, is Co-Founder and Director of the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (GCRLE) and an Assistant Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. She also holds appointments in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California, San Fr