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The Foresight Institute Podcast
Foresight Institute
Recent Episodes
Zac Hatfield-Dodds is a member of the technical staff at Anthropic. In this episode he talks about Anthropic's responsible scaling policy.
About Foresight Institute
Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.
Get Involved with Foresight:
- Apply to our virtual technical seminars
- Join our in-person events and workshops
- Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!
Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, existential psychologist Clay Routledge explores how meaning and agency shape both individual well-being and societal progress.
While material conditions have improved, many people—especially younger generations—report growing pessimism and disconnection. Clay argues that a lack of meaning, not just external barriers, often holds us back. By understanding how humans derive purpose and motivation, we can unlock new paths to flourishing.
We discuss:
- Why agency—the belief that we can shape our future—is crucial for progress
- How nostalgia can fuel innovation rather than trap us in the past
- The difference between hope and optimism, and why hope drives action
- The psychology behind rising pessimism and how to counter it
- What a world that maximizes meaning and human potential could look like
If you’ve ever wondered how psychology can help us move from existential angst to existential hope, this episode is for you.
Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts
Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.
Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers
Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram
Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cate Hall is the CEO of Astera. She’s a former Supreme Court attorney and the ex-No. 1 female poker player in the world. Before joining Astera, she co-founded and served as COO and later co-CEO of Alvea, a pandemic medicine company that set the record for the fastest startup to take a drug candidate to Phase I clinical trial. She received a BS in biochemistry and BA in philosophy from the University of Arizona, and a law degree from Yale Law School.
About Foresight Institute
Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.
Get Involved with Foresight:
- Apply to our virtual technical seminars
- Join our in-person events and workshops
- Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!
Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sam Rodriques is an inventor and entrepreneur. In 2023, he launched FutureHouse, a new research lab in San Francisco focused on building an AI Scientist. He previously ran the Applied Biotechnology Lab at the Francis Crick Institute. Before that, he did his PhD at MIT. Sam also proposed the Focused Research Organization model, which is now being used by a number of philanthropic funders and governments to facilitate scientific moonshots.
About Foresight Institute
Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.
Get Involved with Foresight:
- Apply to our virtual technical seminars
- Join our in-person events and workshops
- Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!
Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tom Kalil is the CEO of Renaissance Philanthropy. Tom served in the White House for two presidents (Obama and Clinton) and in collaboration with his team worked with the Senate to give every federal agency the authority to support incentive prizes for up to $50 million. Tom also designed and launched dozens of White House science and technology initiatives, including the $40 billion National Nanotechnology Initiative, announced by President Clinton; The BRAIN Initiative, announced by President Obama; The Next Generation Internet initiative, announced by President Clinton and Vice President Gore; and initiatives in advanced materials, robotics, smallsats, data science, and EdTech.
About Foresight Institute
Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.
Allison Duettmann
The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".
Get Involved with Foresight:
- Apply to our virtual technical seminars
- Join our in-person events and workshops
- Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!
Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.