Introduction
When people find out I’m a technology journalist, they always ask me: what’s up with self-driving cars? Or drones, or AI, or augmented reality, or the new iPhone, or whatever. They’ve read the news, and they know that these new technologies could change the way the world operates in the near future. But they feel powerless, as if all of this progress were happening outside their control.
I don’t believe that’s true. Technological change isn’t something that happens to us. It’s like every other kind of historical change. When you look closely, you see that it often starts with a disruptive idea from a scientist or an inventor or a company. But as that idea settles into daily life, it’s shaped and guided by thousands of big and small choices made by individuals like you and me.
So it’s important to understand where technology really comes from, and how we decide to start using it or stop using it. Once we grasp that, we can see that we each have some choice in the matter. And then we can be a little more intentional about the kind of future we’re building together.
And that’s what the show is about.
The Stories
In each episode of Soonish, I venture to places where the future is crossing into the present, and I talk with experts who can help us understand how technological advances are changing our lives in tangible ways. I try to make the show both entertaining and useful. The more we understand about how innovation works, and how we decide to adopt or abandon new technologies, the smarter we can be as citizens and consumers.
Season 1 featured shows about
what happens when movie directors try to get the future right, but fail
why monorails are a neglected but still promising form of urban transit
how entrepreneurs are working to create skilled factory jobs in an age of automation
who's working to develop and market tasty meat substitutes
why the next phase of space exploration is being led by private companies
how productivity tools can and can't help us manage our personal futures
why it can be hard for cities like Boston with lots of history to plan for tomorrow
how a lesson from the Apollo 13 moon mission helps us understand Donald Trump.
Season 2 included shows about
my road trip to see the Great American Solar Eclipse of August 2017
the debut of our new collective of independent, story-driven podcasts, Hub & Spoke
why tech guru and investor Tim O'Reilly thinks Silicon Valley could flub the future
how authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith use humor to explore the future in their book "Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything."
why it's time to start thinking about virtual reality literacy
why glass is such a unique and important material for the future
how Star Wars killed serious science fiction, and what we can do to bring it back
how software is transforming the way music gets made, for better or worse.
Season 3 looked at
brain-machine interfaces and how we can use them to control the worlds outside—and inside—our heads.
how Boston almost became a steampunk utopia with the world’s first practical monorail system
why I closed my Facebook account, and how other people are coping with their own concerns about the company
how the art of Chesley Bonestell and Arthur Radebaugh helped bring the space age to life
ways to repair some of the damage Facebook and other social media services are doing to our democracy
how Apple’s new desktop display could change our expectations about digital images and video
how a college prank put an end to the world’s longest continuous climate monitoring experiment
why the voting technology used by many U.S. counties is still vulnerable to hackers, and how we can make voting safer
how a Washington Post reporter created the year’s best podcast about the Apollo moon program
Season 4 took a detour into the realm of political futurism, with shows about
how the coronavirus pandemic has tipped us into a condition futurist Jamais Cascio calls brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible
the warning signs that the U.S. presidential election in November would devolve into chaos, thanks to a variety of flaws in the Electoral College
how Donald Trump both excited and exploited populist anger to gain power, and how the next administration could go about defusing that anger
how American democracy devolved into such a tattered and fragile state prior to the 2020 election
what kinds of reforms would be needed to end our era of toxic polarization
why Joe Biden’s election, by itself, won’t be enough to end the pandemic or preserve democracy (a followup conversation with Jamais Cascio)
plus a profile of Martin Cooper, the man who changed everything by inventing the mobile phone, and why he’s an incurable optimist,
a look at how the pandemic is forcing a reassessment of remote learning and what’s really important in education,
a profile of N-Lorem, a new foundation aiming to provide free customized antisense drugs to people with ultra-rare diseases,
and a look at The Engine, an MIT-based venture capital firm making big bets on hard-to-fund “tough tech” companies.
Season 5 explored
how we ended up with the accepted definitions of standard time and time zones; how those conventions box us in as individuals; and how some people believe we could change those conventions,
the factors that make four famous companies—Apple, Disney, LEGO, and Novartis—so consistently innovative
why a pair of murals in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, became a flash point in the battle for the future of the city’s soul
how my friend and colleague Graham Gordon Ramsay transformed his pandemic nightmares into a hanging musical composition
the making of Newts, a six-part musical sci-fi audio drama from PRX
the publication Tasting Light, an anthology of hard science fiction stories for young-adult audiences that I co-edited with SFF author A. R. Capetta
How to Support the Show
The most direct and helpful way to help Soonish grow is to set up a recurring credit card donation via Hub & Spoke’s fiscal sponsor, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston.
If you're not into supporting the show via credit card, that's okay! You can also send Soonish a one-time or repeating donation through PayPal.
At the Future Force Hall of Fame you can check out the list of Patreon supporters who helped me reach my initial goal of $250 in pledges per episode. I couldn't be more grateful to this stellar group.
If you like the show, please rate and review it at Apple Podcasts. Apple ranks shows based partly on user ratings and reviews, and prospective fans decide whether to listen based on the number of reviews and the average show ratings. So rating the show is absolutely one of the most important things you can do to help us reach more listeners. Here's a helpful article on how to post a podcast review.
You can follow posts from Soonish on Mastodon, and we can always use your help spreading the word about the show on social media—or just by telling a friend. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of audience-building!
You can also sign up for the Soonish e-mail newsletter, which goes out twice a month and includes news about the show and reminders about new episodes.
Your comments on past shows and suggestions for new ones are always welcome! Please get in touch.
What People Are Saying about Soonish
Our favorite episodes: “A Tale of Two Bridges” and “Looking Virtual Reality in the Eye." Another Boston-area podcast, Soonish takes its listeners “places where the future is crossing into the present,” investigating how emerging technologies and trends are impacting our lives today — very up our alley. Our two fave episodes show the diversity of topics that the host, tech writer Wade Roush, covers. The first tackles the tensions between the past and present by way of two major Boston landmarks — the Longfellow and Zakim bridges. The second takes a hard look at the future of virtual reality, from its use as an “empathy machine” to a potential tool of propaganda.—HUBweek
I began your glass episode on my bike ride in to work this morning, and was immediately transfixed. By the time I reached my first large intersection I had actually exclaimed "this is awesome!" into the wind. Your introduction, your music, the mixing—all very compelling. But it was the content that really got me going: a focus on materials engineering in an ostensibly uninteresting area that actually touches billions of us every day. Beyond this, a historical focus that gives the topic context and establishes its gravity...It's a staple for me!—Matt Beane, Technology Management Program, UC Santa Barbara
It's like This American Life, except I'm not depressed at the end of it. —Chris Revill, @letschatpodcast
More than a week later and I'm still thinking about this podcast :) Great communication, I don't usually make it through any podcast. Yours kept my attention and I'm still thinking about the VR exhibit you exposed me to without me even experiencing it. Thanks! —@SteveAtTheMac
Soonish é um podcast de tecnologia que é extremamenta poético. Ouçam! (Soonish is a podast about technology that's extremely poetic. Listen!)—Júlia Rosa aka @ihateonionrings
I really love your show. Like any good thing, it scratches an itch I didn’t even realize I’ve had and I’m excited for the next season.—Evan Blanch
Wade’s storytelling is so precise and thoughtful that you can just tell the guy has a PhD from MIT. I love his ambitious approach to the show, which is remarkably produced by a team of one. It truly feels like he’s on an epic quest to discover the future and I’m along for the ride. You will literally be smarter just by listening!—Alex Braunstein, Community Manager, PRX Podcast Garage, Five Local Podcasts To Try for #Trypod
I listened to all your episodes so far over the past few days and I just finished "Meat Without the Moo." I'm so impressed! The stories you're telling are fascinating, production quality is super high and I find the optimistic tone extremely refreshing.—Daniel Imrie-Situnayake, founder and CEO, Tiny Farms
Soonish explores important, provocative issues in an accessible, layman-friendly style. The production is first-rate and Wade's host persona is warm and likable and most of all credible...Underlying it all is his optimistic view of the future, the notion that life can and will be improved.—Steve Marantz
Wade Roush is on to something really big in this podcast. The juxtaposition of what we imagine the future to be and the reality makes for a wide-reaching, limitlessly fascinating kind of storytelling. It's intelligent, well-produced, and a quirky blend of intellect and pop culture that lends itself of a really diverse audience.—Faceupandsing, a reviewer at the Apple iTunes Store
Such a fan of the newish @soonishpodcast, by a Boston-area audiophile and friend. Listen, love it, etc.—@nicktheandersen
Great podcast! Technology cannot replace seeing art or artefacts in person, but can help entice ppl in the door. #GLAM—@nenieb
Awesome podcast about tech and the soonish future—@TechCompassion
Discover Soonish—a transporting podcast program about the future, created by @MITPSTS alum @wroush—@MIT_SHASS
Soonish is a terrific combination of great science knowledge, well edited interviews with engaging subjects, and great sound design. Not at all surprising given Wade's journalism background but all the more delightful because of his obvious passion for the subject and the medium.—Badger08
@soonishpodcast Love your work - so looking forward to new episodes. A great recommendation from @RadioPublic!—@bmason
Just discovered the crisp, freshly new @soonishpodcast by @wroush, who I've been eagerly following for several years now. Stoked!—@kelltrill
Interested in the future? Check out the terrific new @soonishpodcast from @wroush—@ClammrApp
What's better, the joy of conversation with @wroush, or being a part of this great episode? Why not both?—@thelonelypalette
Fascinating episode on advanced manufacturing, jobs, and America's place in the world.—@gthuang
Ordinarily, shows about the future of factories involve drone delivery services and a spike in unemployment. This episode addresses the positive potentials of reimagining manufacturing—a world in which skilled workers create customized products using high-tech tools that are increasingly available to the average individual. In short, robotizing the assembly line could actually be a good thing.—Bello Collective #28, February 27, 2017
Soonish in the Media
Meet Tech-Science Journalist and Podcasting Entrepreneur Wade Roush, BostInno, July 8, 2019
Big money is flowing into podcasting. Here’s what that could mean for Boston, The Boston Globe, March 8, 2019. Tech reporter Andy Rosen quotes me on the looming corporatization of podcasting: “Netflix is great, but thank God we also have Showtime, and AMC, and HBO, and the TV networks, because no one should have a lock on creativity. It would be horrifying if one single company became the arbiter of all podcasting.”
HUBweek Recommends: Podcasts. "Our 8 favorite art, science, and tech podcasts for your morning commute. Happy listening!"—HUBweek, July 27, 2018
Meet Wade Roush of Soonish in Cambridge—BostonVoyager, July 3, 2018
In January 2018 Soonish was a featured podcast on the NPR One app.
Stride & Saunter—I was the guest on "The Great American Eclipse," Episode 163 of Kip Clark's fine podcast about humanity, our world, and how we think about both.
Public Works Projects Can Get Done Without Drama and Paralysis. Who Knew?—This Boston Globe essay by columnist Dante Ramos sent readers to Soonish Episode 1.09, "A Tale of Two Bridges," for the tale behind the cost overruns on the project to restore Boston's historic Longfellow Bridge.
‘2001’ Came and Went, But the Movie’s Ideas Still Resonate—for this segment of WHYY’s health and science show The Pulse, I adapted the pilot episode of Soonish, How 2001 Got the Future So Wrong.
Fair Observer—Since July 2017 this multimedia journal of global news and commentary has been republishing Soonish episodes. Get the full story here.
Let's Chat with Chris Revill and Friends—I was the guest on the April 4, 2017 edition of this talk show hosted by Providence, RI-based podcaster Chris Revill. The conversation stretched from space to AI to the business of podcasting and newspaper journalism.
Pod Nods for January 16, 2017—Soonish won a ribbon for "Most Creative Editing" in this new, weekly column of shout-outs from the Canadian podcasting studio & community Sounds Like an Earful.
What's Gimlet co-founder Matt Lieber listening to?—My own future-themed podcast playlist, News from the Future, was one of five lists featured by RadioPublic, makers of a great app for finding and following podcasts. More details here.
Lowenstein's Lens on Wireless—Mark Lowenstein of the consulting firm Mobile Ecosystem plugged Soonish in a February 2017 issue of his newsletter. He called me "one of the foremost science/tech journalists, and a true thought leader." Geez, thanks Mark!
Hub & Spoke
Soonish is a proud founding member of Hub & Spoke, a collective of high-quality, independent, idea-driven podcasts that also includes The Briny, Iconography, The Lonely Palette, Mementos, Ministry of Ideas, Nocturne, Open Source, Out There, Rumble Strip, and Subtitle. Our mission is to carve out a broader niche for independent nonfiction podcasts. We support one another professionally, and we help each show in the collective find new listeners through cross-promotion. Our center of gravity is in Boston (the Hub), but we count members around the nation (the Spokes). To learn more visit hubspokeaudio.org.
The Future Force Hall of Fame
The fine folks listed here helped us to reach our initial Patreon fundraising goal of $250 per episode, and are therefore the Pioneer Members of the Soonish Future Force Hall of Fame. We could not be more grateful for their early and faithful support!
Paul and Patricia Roush
Celia Ramsay
Kent Rasmussen
Christine Brail
Victor and Ruth McElheny
Mark Pelofsky
Graham Ramsay
Jean-Jaques DeGroof
John Diniz
Gregory Huang
Julianne Zimmerman
Deborah Rossum
Daniel Imrie-Situnayake
Tamar Avishai
Kiran Wagle
Lynn Rozental
Jamie Roush
Andy Hrycyna
Bob Mason
For Press / Media / Reviewers
Are you a reviewer, reporter, writer, blogger, podcaster, advertiser, or potential partner looking for more information about Soonish? This section packages up all the introductory facts you might need.
Host Bio
I’m Wade Roush and I make audio and write stories about the interplay between people and technology. I live in Cambridge, MA. I do a mix of nonprofit work (for Soonish, Hub & Spoke, and The Harvard Independent) and paid freelance writing and audio production. I’m the author of the MIT Press book Extraterrestrials, about the history and science behind the idea of life on other worlds. In 2019-2020 I wrote a monthly column for Scientific American magazine called “Ventures,” and I’ve been a staff reporter and/or editor at Science magazine, NASA Ames Research Center, MIT Technology Review magazine, and the tech news site Xconomy. I’m the former acting director of MIT’s Knight Science Journalism Program. In 2018 I edited Twelve Tomorrows, an anthology of hard science fiction stories from MIT Technology Review and the MIT Press, and in 2022 I co-edited Tasting Light, another hard science fiction anthology, this time aimed at young-adult readers. I earned a PhD in the history of technology from MIT, and before that, a BA in history and science from Harvard.
What the Show Is About
Soonish is about the world that’s just around the corner. It chronicles the technologies that will shape the near future, and the people who are shaping those technologies.
Each episode explores a new area of technology—from artifical meat to microsatelltes to neural interfaces—and assembles sound-rich narratives about the people who are pushing the boundaries of innovation and/or the people figuring out how these new technologies should be used. I act as a friendly guide and narrator and introduce listeners to the compelling characters I’ve found through my in-the-field reporting.
For example, the Season 3 opener, “When Minds and Machines Converge,” looks at the coming wave of brain-machine interfaces, technologies that will allow us to communicate more directly with computers. It focuses on Ariel Garten, the co-founder of Toronto-based Interaxon, developer of a wearable EEG sensor called Muse. Ariel explains how Muse evolved from a tool for “thought-controlling” various devices into a meditation aid, and what she’s doing to ensure that brainwave-sensing technologies are used responsibly.
Why I Created the Show
Rapid-fire advances in technology are the signature of our age. And while technological change can be hugely beneficial, it can also be uncomfortable, disorienting, and occasionally dangerous.
Understandably, many people feel powerless before technology, as if it were an impersonal, unstoppable force. But what they don’t realize is that 1) all technologies are designed and built by real humans with very human motivations, and 2) new technologies don’t catch on without active consumer input and participation.
In short, we have far more control over which technologies get adopted, and what form they take, than we think. But before that reality can sink in, people need to hear it illustrated over and over, in many different contexts. And that’s what Soonish tries to do: tell stories demonstrating the humanity of the innovators designing new technologies and the agency of the people adopting, adapting, or rejecting them.
Who Is the Show For?
Soonish listeners are actively seeking deeper information about technology and its effects on society, and vice versa. It’s for people who wonder how the technological systems around them came to be, and how they can make better choices about the systems that will define the future.
Length and Frequency
Episodes are 35 to 55 minutes long. The show is published roughly monthly, with one season per year and 8 to 10 episodes per season.
Launch Date
I released the first episode of Soonish on January 13, 2017. Season 2 began in September 2017, Season 3 began in October 2018, Season 4 launched in May 2020, and Season 5 commenced in November 2021.
About Hub & Spoke
In the fall of 2017 I worked with a group of fellow independent audio producers to create Hub & Spoke, a collective of high-quality, nonfiction podcasts. As of late 2022 there are eleven Hub & Spoke shows: The Briny, Iconography, The Lonely Palette, Mementos, Ministry of Ideas, Nocturne, Open Source, Out There, Rumble Strip, Soonish, and Subtitle. We collaborate to cross-promote one other’s shows and provide mutual professional support. We’re tied together both by geography (many of the shows in the network are produced in the Boston area) and by our common commitment to storytelling that’s entertaining, educational, and informed by the sciences and the humanities. Read our Indie Audio Maker’s Manifesto at Transom.org.
Comments on Soonish
Wade’s storytelling is so precise and thoughtful that you can just tell the guy has a PhD from MIT. I love his ambitious approach to the show, which is remarkably produced by a team of one. It truly feels like he’s on an epic quest to discover the future and I’m along for the ride. You will literally be smarter just by listening!—Alex Braunstein, Community Manager, PRX Podcast Garage, Five Local Podcasts To Try for #Trypod
I listened to all your episodes so far over the past few days and I just finished "Meat Without the Moo." I'm so impressed! The stories you're telling are fascinating, production quality is super high and I find the optimistic tone extremely refreshing.—Daniel Imrie-Situnayake, founder and CEO, Tiny Farms
Wow! This is like an NPR show. It's like This American Life, except I'm not depressed at the end of it. —Chris Revill, @letschatpodcast
Such a fan of the newish @soonishpodcast, by a Boston-area audiophile and friend. Listen, love it, etc.—@nicktheandersen
Great podcast! Technology cannot replace seeing art or artefacts in person, but can help entice ppl in the door. #GLAM—@nenieb
Awesome podcast about tech and the soonish future—@TechCompassion
Discover Soonish—a transporting podcast program about the future, created by @MITPSTS alum @wroush—@MIT_SHASS
@soonishpodcast Love your work - so looking forward to new episodes. A great recommendation from @RadioPublic!—@bmason
Just discovered the crisp, freshly new @soonishpodcast by @wroush, who I've been eagerly following for several years now. Stoked!—@kelltrill
Interested in the future? Check out the terrific new @soonishpodcast from @wroush—@ClammrApp
What's better, the joy of conversation with @wroush, or being a part of this great episode? Why not both?—@thelonelypalette
Fascinating episode on advanced manufacturing, jobs, and America's place in the world.—@gthuang
Ordinarily, shows about the future of factories involve drone delivery services and a spike in unemployment. This episode addresses the positive potentials of reimagining manufacturing—a world in which skilled workers create customized products using high-tech tools that are increasingly available to the average individual. In short, robotizing the assembly line could actually be a good thing.—Bello Collective #28, February 27, 2017
Useful Links
Website: http://www.soonishpodcast.org
Twitter: @soonishpodcast, http://www.twitter.com/soonishpodcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soonish/id1185234753
Google Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ideuihd4fi7hk47igy3x5b5srqy?t=Soonish
Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=126025&refid=stpr
TuneIn: http://tunein.com/radio/Soonish-p942635/
RSS: https://feeds.simplecast.com/ZuVSG2j8
Archive of all episodes: https://www.soonishpodcast.org/episodes
Hub & Spoke: http://www.hubspokeaudio.org
Wade Roush’s website: http://www.waderoush.com
Show artwork and logos and host photos are available on request.
Contact Information
Other Podcasts You Should Follow
I've been inspired and amazed by dozens of great shows from other podcasters, including many relating to technology, culture, science, healthcare, and the future. Here’s just part of my podcast superhero gallery right now:
