Thinking Ahead with Carter Phipps Carter Phipps

Have you ever had a dream that seemed to come true? You are not alone. Some of the most famous people in history have reported having precognitive dreams. Are they just imagining it? Or is there something more interesting going on? In this episode of Thinking Ahead, Carter interviews Eric Wargo, author of the book, Time Loops. Wargo has deeply studied the nature of time and precognition and has come to some fascinating, unconventional conclusions. Is it possible that much supposedly psychic phenomena are actually misinterpreted precognitions? Together, they explore the physics of time, the history of precognition, and how to get in touch with the latent capabilities of our “long self.”

Energy and power is fundamental to the information age, and few people bring as much insight and knowledge to the table as Robert Bryce, author of A Question of Power and creator of the new documentary Juice: How Electricity Explains the World. They discuss the future of energy, the role of new technology, Climate Change challenges, and the increasing global demand for electricity. Beginning with a discussion of America’s own efforts to bring energy to rural communities in the 30s, they discuss the developing world. How do we meet the demands of human growth over the next decades without pouring unacceptable amounts of carbon into the air? How do we balance the desire to decarbonize our electricity sector with the need to reduce “energy poverty” and increase opportunity? Will the future of energy be determined by solar? Natural gas? Nuclear? Is green energy a grand illusion or can it address the needs of our future energy demands?

Have you ever looked at the world through the lens of “deep time”? Carter speaks to Marcia Bjornerud, author of Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World. They discuss why the title of her new book is a play on “mindfulness,” and the importance of being able to appreciate the perspective of geological time. Bjornerud suggests that our species tends to have a “temporal illiteracy.” By embracing a more profound view of Earth’s history, we can better understand our own lives and the timescales on which planetary change happens. They discuss the history of geology and the emergence of a new science of “catastrophic events” like the meteor that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Sometimes bad things happen to good planets. Bjornerud brings her “geo-evangelical” perspective to the discussion, her rich sense of the natural world, and her deep knowledge of the Earth’s history. She suggests that by appreciating the dynamic history of the biosphere, and our intrinsic relationship to the planet, we will be better stewards of Earth’s future.