Two people walking, with backpacks and walking sticks, through a swamp, with ominous trees and bright, disembodied eyes watching them from the dark background.

Critical Functions

A story by Troy L. Wiggins about what happens to abandoned technology after conflict.

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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.

Future Tense is a project of Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy and society.

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.

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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.