Skip to main content
Skip to main content
Stories

A podcast from Microsoft and Gimlet Creative about making the future happen.

Subscribe to .future now:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify RSS

Episodes

Episode 6: Work in the Future

In the final episode of this season of .future, we explore how our jobs continue to evolve in the modern workplace. Many of us still spend 40 plus hours in a physical office, but the internet and new digital communication tools are changing how we collaborate and communicate.

This story brings you voices that explore work philosophies of the past, job practices of the present, and the digital office spaces of the future.

Read episode transcript.

Episode 5: Design for All

Inclusive design is a widely-used concept in the design world. The idea is that when you create products, you actively choose to design that product for everyone.

This is particularly important for technology companies like Microsoft. As more and more of our lives become digital, we rely on tech for our livelihoods, our social lives, keeping in touch with our families… everything.

But unlike in the physical world, where buildings with stairs instead of elevators might pre-date our current understanding of inclusivity, new technology has no excuse. And that’s the choice we’re talking about today. The choice to widen your world, and design from a perspective that allows everyone to participate.

Read episode transcript.

Episode 4: Minecraft: Beyond Just Building

With over 122 million copies sold, Minecraft is one of the most popular computer games of all time. Minecraft’s game play is designed to be completely open-ended. Now, people are using the game itself as a tool to change the world around them.

This episode brings you stories of how people around the world have used Minecraft to reinvent themselves, help others heal, say goodbye to a loved one, and empower their communities.

Read episode transcript.

Episode 3: Gaming the System

Last year, the gaming industry made roughly $90 billion in sales worldwide. That’s more than double what movies made at the box office last year.

And here’s why that comparison to Hollywood is relevant. Because, like with films, the most popular video games are HUGE. They have great graphics, popular characters and the franchises keep getting repeated over and over again. Unfortunately, blockbuster games and movies can be as thin on diversity as they are on plot.

In this episode, we’re talking about the ‘Moonlights’ and ‘Napoleon Dynamites’ – the indie games that are breaking out, changing paradigms and making a case for independence in gaming.

Read episode transcript.

Episode 2: My Data, My Health, My Self

We’re constantly collecting data about our health with brand new tools and methods. But how does this new data affect us individually and globally?

From a mindful cyborg to the creator of a smart tampon, we meet those who are collecting and analyzing health data with brand new technology. This episode explores how data may be the key in solving health problems all around the world.

Read episode transcript.

Episode 1: Securing a Digital Battlefield

In this episode, we examine a new battlefield: The cloud. The information we store in the cloud makes it especially vulnerable to attack. So, what it takes to create a safeguard against bad actors? We explore how a digital Geneva Convention could be the solution.

Read episode transcript.

Series Trailer

A new series from Microsoft Story Labs and Gimlet Creative.

About .future

The future isn’t random. It’s the result of the choices that we make now. We’ll be talking about technologies and industries that will define the next decade and beyond.

Join our host Cristina Quinn, a science and technology reporter, as she dives into everything from Minecraft to cyber warfare.

You can wait for the future to happen to you or engage with it right now and ahead of the curve on .future– a podcast from Microsoft Story Labs, produced in partnership with Gimlet Creative.