What Future with Joshua Topolsky

Latest Episodes:

October's Very Own Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

What Future's future is not the future any of us saw coming. Josh and the gang - Lyra, Jenna, special guest Jenna's husband Kyle, Jenna and Kyle's beautiful new baby Jude, and secretive podcast editor Adam - enjoy a strange, chaotic, frankly disturbing episode where they recap and recount the highs and lows of humanity, podcasts, and friendship. Like this description, none of it makes any sense. And that's what's really important in life. Oh also happy birthday Josh, you made it through one more year.
Discussed: Pelotons, William Wegman and human centipedes

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The Break Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

What Future is running a system update and will be back October 19th. Mark your calendar if you dare.

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Josh Solo Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

The new iPhone is out, but does anyone really care? Would you stand in line for it or are those days a thing of the past? Discussed: electric boats, chicken sandwiches, drinking

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Josh & Lyra Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Josh is on the road, sans microphone. Thankfully, producer Lyra records all her phone calls. This episode of What Future Is lo-fi and stressed for time. What could go wrong? Discussed: Karens, catcalling, Blackberry

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The Songs That Explain Rob Harvilla Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

Today's episode of What Future is an extreme delight. Not only does Josh speak to "60 Songs That Explain the 90's" host and absolute genius Rob Harvilla, but Zelda (Josh's daughter) joins in to ask the hard hitting questions all true Rob fans want the answers to. If you're a fan of music from any era (though particularly the completely radical decade of the 1990s), you will love, like, or totally hate this show. Discussed: 1989, getting cancelled, Killer Klowns From Outer Space.

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Baratunde Thurston Explains Our Pain [Rerelease] Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

[rerelease] On the show this week Josh is joined by the illuminating and hilarious Baratunde Thurston (host of the PBS show America Outdoors, Puck News writer, and all-around genius) to discuss... the total breakdown of information in the world. Baratunde and Josh take the listener on a sprawling conversational ride, revealing unexpected truths about the future of all life on Earth. Discussed: Original conspiracy theories, the diversity of TikTok haters, Tim Cook's sense of well-being, deep breathing, being who you are.

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Disgraced Threads Editor Katie Notopoulos Dishes the Dirt Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Josh gets a rare chance to sit down with the former Editor-in-Chief of Meta's Threads app, Katie Notopoulos. As an internet denizen known to be controversial and divisive, Katie wasted no time stirring the pot on the Instagram-adjacent social app. On today's episode, the two discuss what went wrong — and right — in the early days of Zuckerberg's would-be Twitter killer, and Katie sets the record straight on what the Facebook founder really thinks about moderation on his platforms. This is a whirlwind of an episode you won't want to miss. Discussed: The Nazi lifestyle, drinking at the park, the joy of posting.

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Oppenheimerverse with Nick Rutherford Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Today on the show, Josh is joined by the Emmy Award winning actor, writer, comedian, producer, and patriot Nick Rutherford. As executive producer of Rick and Morty, Rutherford has gazed into the dark heart of extreme comedy and lived to tell the tale. As a writer on Saturday Night Live, he's braved the wrath of the great and terrible Lorne Michaels. And as a man, he has bared his soul on this week's What Future. Tune in and vibe with Josh and Nick, who definitely have nothing to talk about. Discussed: Post-credit scenes, neighborhood politics, drugs, and adding Oppenheimer to the MCU.

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How Computers Dream with David Holz [Rerelease] Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

[rerelease] What you’re reading right now was written by an artificially intelligent — though not sentient — neural network designed to write descriptions for podcasts. Or was it? You don’t know, and that’s what makes AI so fascinating, cool, and scary. Since Josh loves all of those feelings, he sat down with the founder of controversial AI-generated art startup Midjourney, David Holz, to unpack the future of creativity. Discussed: Porn, therapy, families, Hitler. This one’s a doozy!

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Payne Lindsey and the American Aliens Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

In this barnstormer of an episode, Josh invites true crime legend Payne Lindsey onto the show to explore his latest obsession: aliens. ETs have recently catapulted from conspiracy theory websites into the mainstream thanks to a series of videos recently revealed, which seem to depict flying objects that move in otherworldly ways. On his show ‘High Strange,’ Payne digs deep into the myths, facts, and possible truth about aliens, abductions, and just what is going on in the skies above us. Today, Josh probes Payne for answers. Discussed: new dimensions, the infinite universe, what Biden knows.

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