By Margrét Helgadóttir
A story about climate chaos, rampant pollution, and life underground.
Future Tense is a partnership of New America and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy and society.
Future Tense is the citizen’s guide to the future.
The partnership provides insightful, timely, and unexpected analysis at the intersection of technology and society through written commentary, original fiction, and live events in Washington, D.C. and beyond.
Recent Events
How Can Science Fiction Help Design Better Science and Tech Policies?
Good science fiction does not dream up just the automobile, but the traffic jam, as writers Isaac Asimov and Frederik Pohl have argued. Putting the future in context—in its own imagined world—forces us to grapple with questions and consequences that could otherwise easily be glossed over (and often are). How we use fiction to fix our current “traffic jams”? Join Future Tense, Issues in Science and Technology for a conversation with leading science fiction authors, policymakers, and journalists about how imagining fictional worlds can inspire us to make better realities.
Fair Play and Technological Innovation in Sports
Competitive and recreational sports alike are changing faster than ever thanks to innovations ranging from helmets and footwear to ball tracking to adaptive wheelchairs. This accelerating pace of new technology is spurring debates about fairness, safety, and the importance of traditions. Join Future Tense, the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University, and the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation for a discussion that considers issues of competition and participation in sports, but also lessons for policymakers navigating technological change in other arenas.
Future Tense Fiction
A series of original science fiction stories crafted by leading authors, exploring how science and technology will change our lives in the future. Each story is paired with a response essay by an expert in a related field.
A story about AI, emergencies, information overload, and parenting.
By Gregory Mone
A story about standup comedy, AI, and the ethics of human enhancement.
A story about psychology, cloning, and violent catharsis.
Best of Future Tense
Future Tense publishes commentary by researchers and scholars at Arizona State University, alongside many other writers and thinkers from the fields of journalism, public policy, science and technology, and more.
