Paleontologist-Futurist Michael Garfield's work helps people navigate our age of accelerating weirdness and cultivate the curiosity and playfulness we'll need to thrive in it. A boundless generalist and super-connector of people and ideas, he bridges siloed disciplines to deepen public understanding of our complex world and foster pluralistic thinking.

As the host of Future Fossils Podcast (2016-Present) and The Santa Fe Institute's Complexity Podcast (2019-2023), Michael has conducted over 350 interviews on systems thinking, innovation, and transition as the nexus of a worldwide network of artists, scientists, philosophers, and technologists.

His work as a "knowledge artist" draws on over twenty years of exploration as a prolific artist, public speaker, author, musician, scientific illustrator, editor, social media manager, research analyst, and teacher. Michael has inspired and provoked people everywhere from MAPS to Mozilla to Meow Wolf, The Long Now Foundation to SXSW to The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. Along the way, he has published hundreds of essays, paintings, songs, and videos while touring four continents, contributing to award-winning documentaries and peer-reviewed publications, moderating large online communities, hosting long-running improv monthlies, and raising sassy kids.

His latest project, the OSV-funded discussion series Humans On The Loop, explores the nature of agency, power, responsibility, and wisdom in the age of automation. It’s time to graduate from asking if our dreams are possible to asking how we can dream better — to harness our attention and steer toward the best adjacent futures!