Mind the Future

Katherine Brodsky

MIND THE FUTURE is a podcast series that asks guests from the world of art, science, and technology to predict how what they do and love will look like as we fast forward into the future. The podcast is hosted by Katherine Brodsky. As a journalist, she has served as a correspondent for VARIETY since 2011, and have also covered primarily film/TV, tech, and travel for publications like THE WASHINGTON POST, THE GUARDIAN, ESQUIRE, MASHABLE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, VULTURE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, CNN, USA TODAY, THE INDEPENDENT — and even PLAYBOY MAGAZINE (which you definitely read for the stories)!

Episodes

  1. Jeff Gomez on transmedia and immersive storytelling

    06/07/2021

    Jeff Gomez on transmedia and immersive storytelling

    My guest today is Jeff Gomez, CEO of Starlight Runner and leading expert in the fields of brand narrative, story world development, creative franchise design, and transmedia storytelling. In this episode we talk about the evolution of transmedia, the use of audio in storytelling, the emergence of virtual production, trends in immersive storytelling and much more. Gomez has been involved in developing the story worlds of films, TV shows, videogames, toys, books, comics, apps, virtual reality projects, and theme park attractions. His work has impacted blockbuster properties as Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, James Cameron’s Avatar, Hasbro’s Transformers, Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man and Men in Black, Microsoft’s Halo, and Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He has also developed highly successful transmedia campaigns and participative brand narratives for Coca-Cola (Happiness Factory), Pepperidge Farm (Goldfish) and Spartan Race. Other current clients include Electronic Arts, Sesame Workshop, Disney Parks & Resorts, and World Vision Canada. Further, Gomez's transmedia methods have also been applied to educational and geo-political causes, accelerating positive self-organized social movements and increasing resistance to crime, violence, and corruption. Jeff has helped optimize communications for large NGOs, and address crises in Mexico, Colombia, Australia, and the Middle East North Africa region.

    1h 5m
  2. Dr. Andy Howell on future of astronomy

    10/12/2020

    Dr. Andy Howell on future of astronomy

    Our guest today is Dr Andrew Howell who leads the supernova group at the Las Cumbres Observatory and is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  In other words, he’s an astrophysicist. As a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, he helped to confirm the acceleration of the universe, for which his mentor, Saul Perlmutter was  awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. After that he moved to the University of Toronto, where he helped make the best measurements of the Dark Energy driving the acceleration of the universe. Andy is also the Principal Investigator of the Global Supernova Project, a worldwide collaboration to observe 1000 supernovae more intensely than has ever before been achieved.  He's also been named to the list of the highest cited researchers in the world for the past two years.  He is a co-author on more than 200 scientific papers, and has been instrumental in the discovery of several new classes of supernovae, including explosions brighter and dimmer than previously thought possible. His group co-discovered the first kilonova, a merger of two neutron stars, and helped to determine that they are the source of the heaviest elements in the universe like gold and platinum. This was widely heralded as the biggest scientific discovery of 2017, and Andy was selected by the National Science Foundation as one of a handful of scientists to make the official announcement in Washington, D.C. Andy also appears on and hosts radio and television shows about science for outlets such as National Geographic, The History Channel, and the BBC. Perhaps more surprisingly, he's also an accredited film critic who has written for sites such as Film Threat and Ain't It Cool News.  His love of cinema inspired him to co-create the show Science Vs. Cinema, which he hosts. On the show he talks to both scientists and the cast and crew of films about the science portrayed in them.  He's been a scientific consultant for books, comic books, and TV shows.   He regularly gives public talks about science or the science in film all over the world. Learn more about Andy:  http://www.dahowell.com/ Follow him on Twitter: @d_a_howell http://ScienceVsCinema.com

    57 min
  3. Pulitzer-winner Ellis Henican on Future of Journalism

    08/23/2020

    Pulitzer-winner Ellis Henican on Future of Journalism

    For this episode that's all about the future of journalism, we have Ellis Henican joining us.  Ellis is a New York Times bestselling author, Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper columnist, and a popular TV news pundit that you would have seen on networks ranging from CNN, MSNBC, to Fox News. He is particularly known for his lively analysis of national politics. For 20 years, Ellis wrote a column in New York’s Newsday, sharing his unique take on the news and leading the paper to a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Union Square train wreck.  A native of New Orleans, Ellis now makes New York his home and is an alumni of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he won the top student prize, the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship.   Amongst his books is  How to Catch a Russian Spy, written with American double-agent Naveed Jamali, which was optioned for a feature film by FOX. He’s also authored the ground-breaking Vigilance with longtime New York City police commissioner Ray Kelly,  Worth Dying For with Navy SEAL commander Rorke Denver, Home Team with New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, and In the Blink of an Eye with NASCAR legend Michael Waltrip amongst others.   Aside from his prolific career as a writer, Ellis is also happens to be the voice of Stormy on the hit Cartoon Network series Sealab 2021.  --------------------------------  MIND THE FUTURE is a podcast series that asks guests from the world of art, science, and technology to predict how what they do and love will look like as we fast forward into the future.

    40 min
  4. Peter Shankman on PR, branding, customer service, AI & ADHD

    08/09/2020

    Peter Shankman on PR, branding, customer service, AI & ADHD

    In this episode, we discuss how brands are finding ways to connect with consumers authentically, using AI technology as customer service, the future of PR and social media, the state of journalism & possible antidotes, turning ADHD into a super-power, and what all the technology we have in the palm of our hands means for society as fast forward into the future.   My guest today is Peter Shankman, an entrepreneur, best selling author, and thought-after keynote speaker.  Previously, he ran Geek Factory PR and is the founder of Help a Reporter Out (HARO), an incredibly successful resource that connects journalists with sources.   Shankman currently leads the ShankMinds Breakthrough Network, which is an online mastermind of thought leaders and business experts, and he hosts a popular podcast on ADHD called Faster Than Normal. The podcast focuses on how ADHD can be used as a gift or superpower rather than a hinderance.   Some of Peter’s Customer Service and Social Media clients have included  Walt Disney World, Sheraton, American Express, Sprint, United Airlines, The US Department of Defense, Snapple, and even NASA.  VIDEO VERSION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU72Qf6lbyc About the Podcast: MIND THE FUTURE is a podcast series that asks guests from the world of art, science, and technology to predict how what they do and love will look like as we fast forward into the future. The podcast is hosted by Katherine Brodsky. As a journalist, she has served as a correspondent for VARIETY since 2011, and have also covered primarily film/TV, tech, and travel for publications like THE WASHINGTON POST, THE GUARDIAN, ESQUIRE, MASHABLE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, VULTURE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, CNN, USA TODAY, THE INDEPENDENT — and even PLAYBOY MAGAZINE (which you definitely read for the stories)! She has conducted hundreds of interviews with some of the most fascinating subjects including Oscar, Emmy, Pulitzer, Tony, Nobel prize winner—and even spies! Follow her on Twitter @mysteriouskat

    38 min
  5. Futurist Nikolas Badminton on Optimizing Humans

    08/07/2020

    Futurist Nikolas Badminton on Optimizing Humans

    Should humans strive to optimize themselves via biohacking? What can 'smart drugs' do for us? What are the ethics of gene modification? Is there such a thing as going too far in improving ourselves? With gene editing in the mix, what does it mean to be human? Our guest today is NIKOLAS BADMINTON, a futurist, a world-renowned keynote speaker, consultant, and media producer who shows you the future trends that shape impactful organizations, trillion-dollar companies, progressive governments, and 200+ billion dollar investment funds. Nikolas will shift your mindset from WHAT IS to ‘WHAT IF..?’ and (hopefully) into brighter futures. He also advised Robert Downey Jr.’s team for the ‘Age of A.I.’ documentary series, and was featured in ‘SMART DRUGS – a Futurist’s journey into biohacking’, a topic we’ll be tackling today. His  research and opinion was also featured on BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Techcrunch, Business Insider, Forbes, and other media outlets.  He’s also the founder of “Dark Futures” - a popular series of TED-style talks in Vancouver, Toronto, and San Francisco that focuses on the darker side of the future and hidden systems that affect our lives.  Learn more: https://nikolasbadminton.com & follow on Twitter @NikolasFuturist VIDEO VERSION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH3c3NJOy1E About the Podcast: MIND THE FUTURE is a podcast series that asks guests from the world of art, science, and technology to predict how what they do and love will look like as we fast forward into the future. The podcast is hosted by Katherine Brodsky. As a journalist, she has served as a correspondent for VARIETY since 2011, and have also covered primarily film/TV, tech, and travel for publications like THE WASHINGTON POST, THE GUARDIAN, ESQUIRE, MASHABLE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, VULTURE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, CNN, USA TODAY, THE INDEPENDENT — and even PLAYBOY MAGAZINE (which you definitely read for the stories)! She has conducted hundreds of interviews with some of the most fascinating subjects including Oscar, Emmy, Pulitzer, Tony, Nobel prize winner—and even spies! Follow her on Twitter @mysteriouskat

    48 min

Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

MIND THE FUTURE is a podcast series that asks guests from the world of art, science, and technology to predict how what they do and love will look like as we fast forward into the future. The podcast is hosted by Katherine Brodsky. As a journalist, she has served as a correspondent for VARIETY since 2011, and have also covered primarily film/TV, tech, and travel for publications like THE WASHINGTON POST, THE GUARDIAN, ESQUIRE, MASHABLE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, VULTURE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, CNN, USA TODAY, THE INDEPENDENT — and even PLAYBOY MAGAZINE (which you definitely read for the stories)!