The Skeptics' Guide to the Future: What Yesterday's Science and Science Fiction Tell Us About the World of Tomorrow

by Dr. Steven Novella, Bob Novella, Jay Novella Narrated by Dr. Steven Novella

Overview

From the bestselling authors and hosts of "The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe," a high-tech roadmap of the future in their beloved voice, cracking open the follies of futurists past and how technology will profoundly change our world, redefining what it means to be human.

Our predictions of the future are a wild fantasy, inextricably linked to our present hopes and fears, biases and ignorance. Whether they be the outlandish leaps predicted in the 1920s, like multi-purpose utility belts with climate control capabilities and planes the size of luxury cruise ships, or the forecasts of the `60s, which didn't anticipate the sexual revolution or women's liberation, the path to the present is littered with failed predictions and incorrect estimations. The best we can do is try to absorb the lessons from futurism's checkered past, perhaps learning to do a little better.

In THE SKEPTICS' GUIDE TO THE FUTURE, Steven Novella and his co-authors build upon the work of futurists of the past by examining what they got right, what they got wrong, and how they came to those conclusions. By exploring the pitfalls of each era, they give their own speculations about the distant future, transformed by unbelievable technology ranging from genetic manipulation to artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Applying their trademark skepticism, they carefully extrapolate upon each scientific development, leaving no stone unturned as they lay out a vision for the future.

Editorial Reviews

FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile

The voice behind the long-running podcast “The Skeptics' Guide” to the Universe” is back with this fascinating look at the future of science and technology. Dr. Novella is thoroughly comfortable with the subject matter and technical language, and his welcoming New England-tinged voice is inviting for the nonscientist. With humility and just the right amount of detail, he examines technology we know from science fiction and explains which is already being developed (quantum computing, energy from nuclear fusion) and which will probably remain fantasy (time travel, crewed space missions to the stars). Listeners are treated to a bonus at the end of the production when he is joined by his brothers and coauthors, Bob and Jay, in an entertaining roundtable. D.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile

The voice behind the long-running podcast “The Skeptics' Guide” to the Universe” is back with this fascinating look at the future of science and technology. Dr. Novella is thoroughly comfortable with the subject matter and technical language, and his welcoming New England-tinged voice is inviting for the nonscientist. With humility and just the right amount of detail, he examines technology we know from science fiction and explains which is already being developed (quantum computing, energy from nuclear fusion) and which will probably remain fantasy (time travel, crewed space missions to the stars). Listeners are treated to a bonus at the end of the production when he is joined by his brothers and coauthors, Bob and Jay, in an entertaining roundtable. D.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178723944
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	09/27/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

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