KE Lanning (@kelanningauthor) is an astrophysicist and sci-fi/speculative fiction author of The Melt Trilogy, a series of dystopian fiction novels set in in a world where climate came much faster than anticipated. She also interviews notable science fiction authors and futurists for FUTURISM magazine. In today’s episode we discuss: How sci-fi helps humanity cope and prepare for big societal changes What would happen if climate change happened in a generation Advantages of self-funding startups What would happen if Antarctica became a landgrab  Why this will be the century of synthetic biology How sci-fi futurists could help government anticipate unintended consequences What technology is Karen most worried about and why More about Matt’s post-gene-editing dystopian sci-fi (get the 1st five chapters FREE here) Why we need to build towards better harmony with the world fast The enormous potential of fusion power Why science and art are two sides of the same coin Are we headed towards robot riots