This week on TF we go to the cradle of civilization with Futurist, Economist and Professor Adrian Saville. Adrian, based in South Africa, is the Founder of Boundless World, a Professor of Economics, Finance and Strategy at GIBS (Gordon Institute of Business Science) and the founding director of the Centre for African Management and Markets (CAMM). We discuss how Africa’s nascent economy and infrastructure gives it incredible opportunities to leapfrog the rest of the world in adapting to climate changes in particular.

Brett and Rob unpack the result of the 2024 US national election. President-elect Donald Trump has announced candidates for his next Administration. The verdict? His picks are a clown car of unqualified candidates who intend to dismantle the apparatus of the federal government of the United States. What might this wrecking ball achieve…or destroy? Who benefits from the chaos? Join us for a lively future-focused discussion about geopolitics, BRICs, global trade, technology, isolationism, the viability of NATO, the fate of small nations. Plus, the immense power of billionaires who have stepped forward to demand their share of the spoils. And one wildcard: will Donald Trump be the instrument of humanity’s survival? Absurd?. But if the Trump Administration green-lights a SpaceX mission to Mars, there’s a non-zero probability that Elon Musk’s long term plan for human colonization of another planet might actually occur.

This week The Futurists examine the much-ballyhooed claims that extreme weather events are growing more intense and more frequent. Surprise! It’s not what you think. Brett and Rob unpack the economic impact of extreme weather, the growing perception of risk, and the political gridlock that thwarts practical proactive measures. Topics include: FEMA, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Helene, how the insurance companies cope with the increase in damages and losses, and the broader societal and political impact of extreme weather events.

We’re back this week with the final part of the amazing interview with world-leading futurist and science fiction legend Kim Stanley Robinson. We delve into generational thinking around economics and why the Martians of KSR’s space opera series have largely abandoned capitalism and traditional 20th century industrial thinking. We return to the topic of climate adaptation, and generally discuss the future of human society. Our favorite episode of the year with Brett, Katie and Rob hosting.

In this weeks episode of The Futurists we talk to author Gunjan Bagla, a leading figure in India-US trade relationships and commerce. Bagla argues that while China is seen as a massive threat to the US, India is a natural ally of the west having supported outsourcing over the last 4 decades, and being more aligned on policy. But like China, India has big ambitions and will overtake China as the most populous nation this decade. Will that translate into economic growth or does India need infrastructure investment to level up as a global economic powerhouse?

The future is complicated! Brett King and Rob Tercek trace the trajectory of several major economic, political, and technology trends, including: the rising cost of home ownership, price-fixing scams that crank up apartment rent, the rising cost of insurance due to climate change, the dramatic increase in populist movements, the politics of resentment in democracies worldwide, and the advent of quantum computing. At the point where these trends intersect, the world becomes more complicated and interesting. It’s not all gloom and doom. Brett and Rob talk about opportunities and the expanding cone of possibility, too.

In this weeks show Robert Tercek joins Brett King and Richard Petty, the authors of a new book titled The Rise of Technosocialism, to discuss how 21st century economics will be reframed by inequality, automation and climate change. Right now inflation is a massive issue, but its just the start of some seismic changes to core economics set to hit humanity over the next few decades. Which future scenario is likely? Luddistan, Failedistan, Technosocialism or the US’ Neo-Feudalism?

This week Brett and Robert are joined by Futurist, Founder and Author Terence Mauri as he gets ready to launch his new book, The UPside of DisrUPtion. We talk long term disruptive potential of AI, how it will impact employment, economies and corporations. But we also get into future proofing strategies for businesses and individuals alike. One thing is for sure, you’re going to want to be as adaptable as possible for the future that is coming! Terence's Bio - https://www.terencemauri.com/#Bio

Jim Rutt solves complex future problems by taking action. When we say complex, we mean very complex!. A pioneer of networked society since 1980, Jim launched the world’s first online community, and later led Network Solutions and the Santa Fe Institute. In this episode of the Futurists, the discussion moves fluidly from theory to practice as Jim explains his Game B initiative with colorful language and fresh insight. Topics include: complexity science, applied artificial intelligence, the importance of the number zero, the failures of governance mechanisms, the doom loop of money-on-money return, and why we need a system that is focused on optimizing human wellbeing within planetary limits.

Capitalism is dead, according to Yanis Varoufakis, the author of Technofeudalism. This week on The Futurists you’ll learn about the dramatic reconfiguration of the global economy, whereby profit has been replaced by rents and a flood of central bank money, leading to bigger bubbles and worse crises than ever before! Yanis calls this new system Cloud Capitalism. Find Yanis Varoufakis on the Web: Yanis Varoufakis home page: https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu/ Follow Yanis on X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/yanisvaroufakis?lang=en Read Yanis’s Articles on The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/yanis-varoufakis