My new book came out in November 2021 with Quarto!
Welcome to the Future: Robot Friends, Fusion Energy, Pet Dinosaurs, and More!
Order now from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Indiebound
What’s the book about?
Have you ever wondered what the future may look like? In this book, you’ll explore 10 ways technology could alter our way of life. The challenge for you is to decide which changes you want for yourself and the world.
In the future, will we teleport from place to place, keep dinosaurs as pets, or 3D-print our dinner? Will we live on Mars or upload our brains to computers? Could we solve climate change by making all our energy from mini stars we build here on earth? In this book, you’ll meet the scientists working to bring science fiction to life and learn how soon we might have amazing new technology. You’ll also delve deep into questions about right and wrong. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. How can we build the best possible future for everyone on Earth?
The Interviews
Any book project involves research. Lots of research. I conducted over fifty interviews while working on this book! I talked to scientists, engineers, and ethicists. I am publishing many of these interviews on my website. Here is the first one, a conversation with roboticist Ayanna Howard.
Reviews
“Welcome to the Future is an exciting journey through the technologies of tomorrow, tackling fun questions like ‘will we live on Mars in homes made of fungus?’ The book lays out the possible promises and perils of future tech, encouraging the next generation to consider what is at stake and the role they play in how technologies will impact us in the future.”
— Kelly Weinersmith, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller, Soonish
“It’s not often you find a children’s dialogue that brings both techno-optimist and ethical considerations together, and certainly not with such a thoughtful consideration to technical accuracy and beautiful layout. Kathryn introduces all of the most active areas of today’s advances from bionics to fusion to climate, plant proteins, biotech and beyond. ”
— Matt Carney, PhD, biomechatronics engineer
“Welcome to the Future is an entertaining exploration of what lies ahead. It’s a cool visit to tomorrow from where you are today!”
— E. Paul Zehr, PhD, author of Chasing Captain America & Project Superhero
“It is more important now than ever before to enlighten the young generation about science and technology at an early stage in their life so that they will have better aptitude for understanding, using and dreaming about the wonderful world of science and technology and to effectively contribute to advancements in these human endeavors in the course of their careers.”
— Berok Khoshnevis, PhD, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Edit: The release date was originally October 5, 2021. The date was changed to November 9, 2021 and then to November 30, 2021.