Future Dimensions – what moves the world tomorrow?

When we think about energy these days, it is usually in terms of crisis, climate change and anxiety. Energy has become a hotly debated commodity. But energy is so much more than those concepts. Energy is always in flux. We can actively decide how much we use and where we get our energy from. Today’s conversation is an exploration of various ways in which we can obtain enough clean energy in the future and how we can transform our relationship to energy itself. For this last episode of Future Dimensions, host Ricardia talks to experts who paint a big energy picture. We learn about some of the most exciting new technologies, like using the power of ocean waves. We also drill deep into how to create energy with something as simple as friction with sustainability expert Marlen Voigt. Second guest Roberto Bocca shares the World Economic Forum’s ideas on what each and every human can and will do to create enough clean energy in the future, while still preserving the health of the planet.

In a world that’s changing at lightning speed, being sentimental about the past goes way beyond holding onto people and places in the past. Rather, it has become a powerful force, influencing pop culture, product design, and the entire trajectory of our lives. In our tenth episode, we're traveling back to our human love for all things retro – and finding out why nostalgia will inspire the next leaps in technology, design, and art. Together with existential psychologist Clay Routledge, our host Ricardia explores why our human desire to look back shapes how we look forward. She learns that our personal biography influences our personal experience of flavour, music or art – far more than expected – during her conversation with design professor Beth Altringer Eagle. And Ricardia is happy to hear that remembering those moments where we were brave in the past can even boost our courage to change the world today.

Millions of people around the globe play video games. Gaming has become an integral part of daily life, and already now, we’re seeing how games transform how we work, socialize, and learn. In our ninth episode, we’re going one step further – and see how the seamless merging of gaming and reality will change our view on the world and how we act in it. Our host Ricardia talks to gamer and entrepreneur Erin Ashley Simon who opens our eyes to a future where gaming will create greater equality and ground-breaking medical advancement. She invites Professor Thi Nguyen to challenge us to rethink the state of play and clear up the myth of playing being a waste of time. And she learns that the act of play or playing video games is no longer child’s play – but a very real way to stay healthy, to amplify our creativity and happiness, and to become effective problem solvers.

By the year 2100, an estimated 10 billion people will be living in cities. In an urban future where more than twice as many of us commute, go shopping, take kids to school, visit parents in the suburbs and have goods shipped to the doorstep, city planners might be driven to their limits. After all, all these activities will put increasing strain on our urban mobility systems. That’s why our episode 8 embraces the idea of moving in different ways and explores forward-looking city designs that encourage individual mobility – while still making the most of our public spaces. Looking at the future of our cityscapes, Ricardia draws inspiration from city planner Doug Voigt, who turns abstract ideas into plausible and workable realities that improve life in both today’s and tomorrow’s cities. She also talks to a professor and city innovator who advocates for urban labs in which we can prototype new technologies and ways of living. Overall, she learns that if we want to shape future urban mobility the right way, then automated electric cars could make all the difference.

The rise of tools powered by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence allows us to create texts, images, videos or ideas with just a few clicks, and the technology is making giant leaps forward every day. In our seventh episode, we explore how this rapid evolution might change our society – and whether creativity will remain something uniquely human or not. To get to the heart of these questions, Ricardia dives into the world of AI art and its implications for creative workflows with a digital artist who goes by the name BLAC.ai. She invites an actual AI model to reflect on itself and tell us more about the nature of both human and artificial intelligence. She also explores what it takes to turn today’s mostly single purpose AI tools into tomorrow’s all-knowing all-rounders.

Enjoying that vibrant feeling of a live concert … everywhere you go, even in your car? In our sixth episode, we tune in to the future of music – and to the sound innovations both we as listeners and the artists we love can look forward to. Ricardia meets a pianist who takes his classical pieces to new dimensions with a magic glove. With a neuroscientist, she ventures into the depths of the brain to find out about its vital role in creating lasting music moments. She asks a sound engineer what the future holds for immersive soundscapes inside our cars, and she learns from Grammy Award winner Derek Ali what makes the car our absolute happy place for enjoying music. Are you looking for additional insights into exciting visions? Explore our website: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/art-and-culture/zeitgeist/mercedes-benz-podcast Would you like to give feedback on the podcast, ask questions or make comments? Feel free to like and share your thoughts about “Future Dimensions” via podcasts@mercedes-benz.com.

All over the world, many people are increasingly dissatisfied with their jobs. They are quietly quitting. And they are actually quitting. But what if the future of work offered much more room for individual choice? What if it were full of opportunities? In the fifth episode of Future Dimensions, Ricardia Bramley explores what lies ahead for employees out there. Together with futurist Alexandra Levit and journalistic entrepreneur Felix Zeltner, she examines the possible cures for our ailing system of work. However, simply reducing the number of working hours, facilitating remote work arrangements or even working in the Metaverse won’t be enough. Fortunately, there is a silver lining. Tune in to find out what – or rather, who – will help change the world of work for the better. Are you looking for additional insights into exciting visions? Explore our website: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/art-and-culture/zeitgeist/mercedes-benz-podcast Would you like to give feedback on the podcast, ask questions or make comments? Feel free to like and share your thoughts about “Future Dimensions” via podcast@mercedes-benz.com.

This year, Ricardia has already embarked on a journey through the luxury universe, ventured a look into the future of travel, visited pioneers who showed her how we could build houses from mushrooms and learned how fiction and reality inspire one another. So far, so amazing – but what “Future Dimensions” will our host explore in 2023? We'll spare you the spoilers for now, but we promise that “Future Dimensions” will be back soon. We’ve got many more exciting looks into the future in store to inspire you - so stay tuned! For the time being – and to wrap up 2022 – Ricardia just wants to say “thank you” to all the futurists and forward-thinkers who have accompanied her first steps into more beautiful tomorrows. So, feel free to tell her what you loved (and didn't love!) most about our first four episodes. Are you looking for additional insights into exciting visions? Explore our website now: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/art-and-culture/zeitgeist/mercedes-benz-podcast Do you want to give feedback on the podcast, ask questions or make remarks? Feel free to like and share your thoughts about “Future Dimensions” via podcasts@mercedes-benz.com.

What came first – space stories from the 1990s or the smartphone? The fourth episode of the "Future Dimensions" feature podcast by Mercedes-Benz demonstrates how fiction and reality consistently inspire one another. Ricardia talks to architect and film director Liam Young about why fictional worlds are also a reflection of our society. She asks design professor Dennis Cheatham how sci-fi technology is shaping our everyday lives. Learns from science fiction professor Lisa Yaszek why we should all dream of a better world, even in challenging times. And takes a deep dive into the fascination, power and responsibility of fictional stories with Jon Landau – the legendary producer of the Avatar films. Are you looking for additional insights into exciting visions? Explore our website now: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/art-and-culture/zeitgeist/mercedes-benz-podcast

Houses made of mushrooms and textiles grown organically? The third episode of "Future Dimensions" focuses on how we can harness the power of innovative materials to change the way we deal with our resources. As part of the episode, Ricardia asks founder Caroline Till to tell her about the whole range of new materials. She visits a lab where a team of architects around Jonathan Dessi-Olive is using fungal cultures to create unexpected things. And talks to designer and entrepreneur Maurizio Montalti about how novel materials are driving innovation and enabling designers to think in entirely new dimensions. Are you looking for additional insights into exciting visions? Explore our website now: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/art-and-culture/zeitgeist/mercedes-benz-podcast

In the second episode of "Future Dimensions", everything revolves around the fascination of travel – and a future in which boarding a spaceship to start your holidays will be just as normal as taking a plane. To understand why humans have been travelling for millennia, our host Ricardia talks to philosopher Emily Thomas, who has dedicated her research to travel. However, as preferences differ from culture to culture, our host also looks at the trends and differences in travel that are currently moving Asia with Chinese expert Arnold Ma. Together with futurologist Bugge Holm Hansen, she also ventures a look into the distant future – and muses whether road trips could become space trips in a matter of decades. Are you looking for additional insights into our visions, guests and podcast? Explore our website now: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/art-and-culture/zeitgeist/mercedes-benz-podcast--future-dimensions

For our podcast’s premiere, our host Ricardia embarks on a journey through the luxury universe – and explores how the groundwork for a future in which luxury and sustainability become one is already in the making. Together with brand consultant Antonio Paraiso and marketing professor Dr Wided Batat, Ricardia discoversfinds out why luxury goods excite us so much and move us emotionally. She talks to designer Sofia Ilmonen and vintage fashion entrepreneur Dounia Wone about how the fashion industry is becoming more sustainable. To wrap up the episode, she is joined bydiscusses with futurologist Daria Krivonos and luxury researcher Dr Benjamin Berghaus to discuss how the consumption of luxury goods is already changing – and why every company will have to act sustainably in future.

Have you thought about the future lately? I mean... what if we took vacations in space, lived in houses grown from mushrooms, found ways to make luxury fully sustainable … and turn sci-fi into reality? With "Future Dimensions", we at Mercedes-Benz invite you to do just that – presenting you bold visions of the future that will move our society in the years to come: In each episode, our host Ricardia Bramley explores a utopia that seems beyond belief today. During her journey, she screens megatrends and reveals interesting facts. Above all, however, Ricardia lets forward thinkers from all over the world and across all disciplines have their say. Visionaries who are already working around the world today to make our future dimensions a reality– supported by diverse sound worlds and exciting storytelling. After all, shaping the future always starts with a vision.

Instantly recognisable, unforgettable, and highly performant – these are the generic attributes of Mercedes-Benz’ ever-popular SL. After a nearly 70-year-long history, the new AMG roadster is now set to square the circle of luxury, design, and performance once again. However, what is the intergenerational essence of an automotive icon that was once a pure racer, then turned into a unique roadster and now faces the era of electric mobility? To explore the many facets of this question, our host Yasmine Blair meets with Susie Wolff, former professional racing driver and Team Principal of Formula E’s Venturi Racing, and Robert Lešnik, Director of Exterior Design at Mercedes-Benz. In the latest episode of Let’s talk Mercedes – the Mercedes-Benz podcast – they discuss the essential traits of the reborn star’s exterior design, look back at its most legendary iterations, share their personal two cents about the electrified future of the SL, and explore what it takes to prevail as a woman in the still male-dominated domain that is motorsports. Visit us on Mercedes me Media: https://media.mercedes-benz.com/letstalkmercedes

Of all the science-fiction clichés, brain-computer-interfaces – or BCIs – might be among the most fascinating. In recent years, neuroscientists have taken the first steps towards letting external devices and the human brain communicate. While medical applications are surely the focus of making use of BCIs, research has also started at Mercedes-Benz. After all, the future of driving offers some mind-blowing areas for the application of this futuristic technology. The good news is: This leap won’t involve a chip under your skin. On the contrary: Someday, BCIs could free your body from having to physically interact with your car – and make driving safer than ever before. Until that time comes, Maxine Benz, Future Research expert at Mercedes-Benz, and Sid Kouider, neuroscientist and founder of NextMind, explain the fundamental technological hurdles that still need to be overcome – and why, with the right technical breakthroughs, mental symbiosis with your vehicle may not be decades away. In the latest episode of Let’s talk Mercedes – the Mercedes-Benz podcast – they talk with host Yasmine Blair about the technology’s different operating principles, its unique virtues for future mobility, and when we can expect to start our favorite podcast in the car simply with the power of our minds. Visit us on Mercedes me Media: https://media.mercedes-benz.com/letstalkmercedes

In times of progressive climate change, customers, investors, and politicians expect one thing above all from automotive players: building convincing products that can boost the breakthrough of electromobility. But the need for rare earths for electric cars puts the spotlight on an important ethical issue: the risk that the valuable raw materials are mined under questionable or sometimes even precarious working conditions in the countries of origin. This leaves many companies with a major challenge to address: how can they drive zero-emission mobility while ensuring that human rights are respected along the supply chain? Our moderator Yasmine Blair met two thought leaders who are decisively tackling this highly complex issue: Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for Integrity and Legal Affairs, and Phil Bloomer, Executive Director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. In the new episode of Let’s talk Mercedes – the Mercedes-Benz Podcast – they discuss strategies to overcome issues and act responsibly towards society and the environment. They also talk about alternatives to cobalt and lithium – and explain why companies and external experts need to work together to make a sustainable supply chain for the automotive industry a reality. Visit us on Mercedes me media: https://media.mercedes-benz.com/letstalkmercedes

For decades, experts have been racking their brains over autonomous driving and the extra comforts that it brings. Within the last few years, they have made tremendous progress and are busy developing the most advanced technologies and ever-smarter A.I. solutions for autonomous driving. But what about safety? Is today’s driverless technology really able to deliver what the is being promised? And if not, when will we then witness its breakthrough? To find answers, our host Yasmine Blair met two top experts in their fields: Sebastian Thrun, CEO of Kitty Hawk Corporation and chairman and co-founder of Udacity, and Martin Hart, Director Driver Assistance Systems & Active Safety a Mercedes-Benz. In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Mercedes – the Mercedes-Benz podcast – they’ll talk about the fine lines between the levels of automated driving and pinpoint the roadblocks to its practical introduction. They’ll also discuss their personal visions of an automated future and ponder how long it might take to convince someone to watch a movie behind the wheel. Visit us on Mercedes me Media: http://media.mercedes-benz.com/letstalkmercedes

Within the last 50 years, professional golf has seen a fundamental change in physicality, professionalism and technique. But are there ways to cope with this drastic development, perhaps by constantly reinventing yourself as an athlete and staying at the top of the scorecard over several decades? Our host, Yasmine Blair, asked a true legend who has proven that age doesn’t have to impact competitiveness: Bernhard Langer. The German golf star and Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador has witnessed first-hand his art’s evolution for more than 40 years. In the latest episode of “Let’s Talk Mercedes” – the Mercedes-Benz podcast – the gentleman athlete talks about his trophy-packed career, shares his personal secrets for how to keep pace with his younger rivals and reminisces about the exceptional story of how a now 63-year-old father of four remains under par in every sense. Visit us on Mercedes me Media: http://media.mercedes-benz.com/letstalkmercedes

When we hear the term aerodynamics, the first thing that might pop-up in our minds are airplanes. However, the science of moving air hitting solid objects is not only decisive for aerial vehicles but also for the ones on the road. So, for the latest episode of “Let’s Talk Mercedes” – the Mercedes-Benz podcast – our host, Yasmine Blair, gets to the heart of automotive aerodynamics with two renowned experts: Mercedes-Benz’ Head of Aerodynamics and Wind Tunnel, Teddy Woll, and Andreas Wagner, Chair of Automotive Engineering at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. During their enchanting discussion, Yasmine learnt about penguins as the paragons of aerodynamics, pushing the boundaries of the past and asking the pivotal question about streamlining cars: Do you prefer it fast or efficient? Visit us on Mercedes me Media: http://media.mercedes-benz.com/letstalkmercedes

The C-Class is a phenomenon. Originating from the “Baby Benz” 40 years ago, it has evolved to Mercedes-Benz’ most successful model of the last decades. In early 2021, the latest generation of the C-Class celebrated its digital world premiere – a special day for both Christian Früh, Chief Engineer C-Class, and Raziz Rehan, CEO of the YouTube car show “Remove Before Race”. For the latest episode of “Let’s Talk Mercedes” – the Mercedes-Benz podcast – our host Yasmine Blair invited them both to share their personal takes on the C-Class and gets to the bottom of what it takes to reimagine and develop a fresh iteration of an iconic series. Visit us on Mercedes me Media: http://media.mercedes-benz.com/letstalkmercedes