Future Discontinuous

Conversations on global trends, technology, economics and geopolitics AI summary

FALTER and IWM Visit website › Government · EN · 16 episodes · latest 2026-03-04

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What it is about

So many of us seem to be scrambling to understand where the world is heading. Decade-old certainties seem to crumble before our eyes. Perhaps we are reaching the moment that Karl Marx predicted when all that is solid melts into air. But don’t panic. In their brand-new podcast, Future Discontinuous, hosts Misha Glenny and Eva Konzett are seeking out some of the brightest minds on the planet to help you navigate your way through this uncharted ocean. We will learn whether technology really can prevent climate change, whether the current economic headwinds are temporary or structural, whether Russia and China are forever friends, and whether social media are turning us all into zombies. But unlike many podcasts, we will also be looking for answers. After almost a century of steady progress in health and prosperity, people no longer expect their lives to be an upgrade on that of their parents. Misha and Eva will be asking guests whether such trends can be reversed or whether we will sink into another period of conflict both within and between states. Things may look bleak on the surface, but around the globe, human ingenuity continues to draw on diverse traditions to create systems that will overcome or circumvent the political, social, and economic dangers that are all too visible. Our hosts: Misha Glenny is the Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences and one of the BBC’s most distinguished correspondents, as well as the presenter of the highly-praised podcast How to Invent a Country. Eva Konzett is a renowned editor and reporter for Vienna’s leading news magazine, Falter.About our show: Future Discontinuous: Smart Talk with Smart People is a co-production of Falter and the IWM Vienna. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
FALTER and IWM

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Latest episodes

Did Vienna Invent the Modern World, Richard Cockett?

2026-03-04 · 41 min · Season 3, episode 5

At the turn of the 20th century, Vienna was the capital of an empire in decline. Yet the city was a hotbed of intellectual cross-pollination, spawning new ideas and scientific innovations across fields ranging from…
What Can We Learn from Genghis Khan, Ayşe Zarakol?

2025-12-17 · 37 min · Season 3, episode 4

In this episode of Future Discontinuous, hosts Misha Glenny and Eva Konzett are joined by international relations scholar Ayşe Zarakol to rethink where global order comes from—and why it may now be coming apart. Drawing…
Can history explain Putin’s war, Sergey Radchenko?

2025-12-03 · 48 min · Season 3, episode 3

Few historians illuminate the inner workings of Soviet and Russian foreign policy with the clarity and archival depth of Sergey Radchenko. Drawing on unprecedented access to Communist Party documents, Radchenko has…
Can we resist the AI empire, Karen Hao?

2025-11-19 · 46 min · Season 3, episode 2

There is no shortage of critical commentary on the dizzying pace of developments in artificial intelligence. Yet, few do it as astutely as Karen Hao, whose award-winning book, Empire of AI, unveils the inner workings of…
What is the meaning of freedom, Timothy Snyder?

2025-11-05 · 57 min · Season 3, episode 1

Often considered ‘the value of values,’ freedom is increasingly interpreted in negative terms as the absence of interference, especially by prominent figures on the right. Historian and author Timothy Snyder argues that…
How new is the new world order, Margaret MacMillan?

2025-03-21 · 39 min · Season 2, episode 6

We are witnessing changes in the world order which many thought we would never live to see. The US, long a bedrock of democracy, appears to go heading down an anti-democratic path. Traditional alliances are falling…
Are the tech bros taking over the White House, Eoin Higgins?

2025-03-14 · 31 min · Season 2, episode 5

Tech billionaires are exerting an enormous influence on the current Trump administration. It is not just Elon Musk and DOGE who are reshaping the American state. Behind the scenes, figures like Peter Thiel, Marc…
What can we learn from the Peasants' War of 1525, Lyndal Roper?

2025-03-07 · 46 min · Season 2, episode 4

We are living through a time of immense upheaval, with geopolitical, social, and economic shifts reshaping our world every day. However, this is not the first time humanity has faced such dramatic changes. In this…
Is Trump preparing a constitutional coup, Mark Medish?

2025-02-28 · 41 min · Season 2, episode 3

In this episode of Future Discontinuous, we dive deep into the political turmoil following Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 46th President of the United States. From overhauls in US domestic policy to disruptions in…
Are Ultra-Processed Foods the New Silent Killers, Rosie Boycott?

2025-02-21 · 41 min · Season 2, episode 2

Ultra-Processed Foods lie at the heart of a global increase in a variety of chronic and fatal diseases from cancer to Type 2 Diabetes. The food industry has been pouring billions into convincing governments not to…

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Publisher details

Oldest episode in feed: 11/2024 · over a year
Typical length: 41 min
Format: Episodic Newest first, episodes stand alone

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