The future is intangible. It fascinates us all. In this episode of atNickHodge, I interview Mark Pesce.

If we could get someone to read us our future, with certainty, we would certainly leap at the chance. It impacts the lowest base needs of our Maslowian needs of security and safety. Knowing the future provides a comfort to our present.

Ultimately, the future may be the only thing we humans cannot touch, cannot see, cannot measure; and for the masses, cannot directly effect.

The role of a futurist is a modern day equivalent of a celtic druid; an indian shaman. The gypsy fortune teller. Someone who sees the present through different glasses and extrapolates a non-Wolframic line of potentiality. Somewhere that is now known, in the present mind.

But by the sheer act of shining a light in one dim corner of a future; the cockroaches scuttle out; and there is a potential that the futurist has Heisenberg’d that reality.

A futurist has a challenging act. In a small way a court’s jester: not to be the clown: but rather the only one freely permitted to speak their mind. Call the present for what it is — and to determine the health of Schroedinger’s cat . In what dramatic ways will the present change a potential future.

Risk can be described as the myriad of things can happen, which is more than was eventually does happen. Knowing the future reduces risk, or detailing a future helps tickle out the potential futures. Good and bad.

Futurists, such as Mark, have this responsibility to shake up the people and power in the present. Ensure that a negative future is averted as we journey down the dirty path of now within the dark forest of reality.

Now available in video form, and textual form.

Watch and listen here:

Or read Mark’s post.