1:30 p.m., King Library
Please note this is a book discussion without the authors present.
The future was once seen as full of promise with progress, innovation, and possibility at the center. People imagined flying cars, scientific advances that eased conflict, and a world of opportunity. That outlook feels different now. Climate change, inequality, democratic instability, nuclear risk, and artificial intelligence shape a more uncertain picture.
This book group looks at that shift. We will explore hope and fear, idealism and collapse, and the excitement of new ideas alongside their consequences. Participants will select a category and read one or more titles that offer different perspectives on what kind of future we believe is still possible.
Registered attendees will receive a full list of book options and can choose the titles that speak to the version of the future they want to explore.
- If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies by Eliezer Yudkowsky & Nate Soares
- AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Kai-Fu Lee
- Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
- American War by Omar El Akkad
- Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
- The Sirens’ Call by Chris Hayes
Facilitator: Matthew Kiernan
Biography: Matthew Kiernan studied International Relations at the University of Central Florida, where he received his bachelor’s in political science. He currently teaches U.S. History at Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School in Palm Beach County. He is a comic book enthusiast, a news-junkie, a prolific user of Microsoft Excel, and most importantly, a husband and father.