Listen "Is Civilization on the Verge of Collapse?"
Episode Synopsis
Twenty-first century visions of the future now seem drawn from Hollywood horror films. Runaway climate change portends the wholesale destruction of economies and species. Scientists fear new mass epidemics. Old technologies are breaking down and new technologies are used for oppression and social control. The deluge of digital information makes it hard to separate truth from fiction. What are the risks of human society of entering a darker, less civilized age? Do the rise of authoritarians and political extremists portend greater barbarity in how our societies are governed? Even if we all agreed that we’re close to the apocalypse, do humans have the capacity to save themselves? University of New South Wales global biosecurity scholar Raina MacIntyre, SCI-Arc speculative architect and futurist Liam Young, and RAND Corporation defense policy researcher and former U.S. Marine Jonathan P. Wong visited Zócalo to examine whether the future will take us backwards. Moderated by Edan Lepucki, novelist and author of California, this Zócalo/Getty event took place in Los Angeles at the Getty Center.
More episodes of the podcast Zócalo Public Square
Is Hip-Hop America's Biggest Success Story?
22/10/2025
What Is the Language of Taste?
10/10/2025
Will California's Future Be Exceptional?
25/09/2025
Can Music Change Minds?
15/09/2025
How Is Migration Woven Into America?
18/08/2025
Can Hip-Hop Be the Soundtrack for Change?
22/07/2025
How Do We See Ourselves In Each Other?
09/05/2025
What Alliances Do We Need In Perilous Times?
14/03/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.