Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts

Hosted by Keep It Light Media

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Comedian Jon Richardson finds ways to make sense of, and find hope in the future - accompanied by ‘futurenauts’ Ed Gillespie and Mark Stevenson. Praised for its rare combination of revealing insight and plenty of laughs, it’s the show that digs underneath the headlines to help you find your own confident relationship with an uncertain future… “This show is the most useful thing I do, for myself and my audience,” says Jon. Get in touch with the show - hello@jonandthefuturenauts.com

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60 recent

October 23, 202655 min

S6 E11: Askmaster - your questions, our answers!

In the penultimate episode of Series 6 the boys tear open the mailbag (& turn up the volume on the voicenotes) to dig into burning questions from YOU - our lovely listeners! Resulting in the usual quixotic cocktail of AI, wine, a pub designed by a 6 year old boy and DIY ‘back to the land’ hand-carved wooden sex toys. Tune in to find out how to complete the sentence ‘Anything’s a dildo if…’, whether there’s a listeners coup against Mark fomenting in the ether, and a special celebrity guest query on why trillionaires don’t like wealth taxes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 3, 20261 hr 8 min

S06 EP10 The Future of Feedback

What does the formation of the stars have in common with your own emerging personality? What does the relationship between wonderful orchids and weird looking moths tell us about evolution? Can a snake bite give you herpes? Answers to all these questions and much more are contained in this perfectly formed episode with Professor(s) Tom Crowther of https://restor.eco as we dig into the fertile regenerative soil of positive feedback loops and their potential to rejuvenate the natural world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 2, 20261 hr 14 min

S06 EP9: The Future of Life After Oil

E9: The Future of Life After Oil Conflict rages in the Gulf, fossil fuel enthusiasts demand more drilling in the North Sea, and oil companies make billions whilst everyone else gets bled financially dry…surely there must be life after oil? The boys are joined by Jo Alexander and Samantha Cooper, both ex-BP to talk about their experiences in the heart of big oil, what made them finally leave (in Jo’s case twice!) and their message to former colleagues and friends. There is life after oil and we all need to realise that sooner rather than later. https://lifeafteroil.net/ And for tickets to the next live show here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 8, 20261 hr 2 min

S06 EP8: The Future of Juries

Jon, Ed & Mark are joined by Flora Page KC, a leading barrister who represented wrongly accused subpostmasters in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal to talk about the future of juries - the beating heart of the UK criminal justice system, that the Government seems hellbent on destroying, deliberately. A challenge beyond politics, the right to a trial by a diverse group of your peers is an eight hundred year old tradition going back to Magna Carta, and provides the last defence against State-led authoritarianism and tyranny. An essential listen for anyone who cares about justice, we explore why axing juries won't cut the scandalous 80,000 cases court backlog, whether Labour MPs who are lawyers and supporting the legislation should be charged with professional malpractice and why the absence of a 'sunset clause' in the legislation reveals the Government's true malintent. Listen and get involved! thejuryalliance.uk 1. Write to your MP: https://www.criminalbar.com/resources/news/the-right-to-trial-by-jury/ 2. Not only a right, but a duty: https://www.thejusticegap.com/not-only-a-right-but-a-duty-a-history-of-perverse-verdicts/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 20, 202633 min

S06 EP7: Future of Ecocide featuring Jojo Mehta

Deliberately killing the environment at an ecosystem level should really be a crime against humanity, as well as against nature. And in the future it might well be, and that will be thanks to leaders like Jojo who heads up ‘Stop Ecocide International’ and is pioneering a revolution in the law internationally. Join us for the usual uplifting and inspiring conversation as we explore the legal origins of ecocide and where next. Also includes the normal irresponsible humour and hijinks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March 13, 202652 min

S06 EP6: The Future of Uncertainty

Joined by ‘Uncertainty experts’ Katherine Templar-Lewis & Sam Conniff the boys dig into one of the root causes of all our terrible decision-making - our inability to tolerate uncertainty. We will literally do almost anything to avoid it! So join us for one of the most powerful episodes we’ve ever recorded and get better at embracing the unknown in order to thrive differently! https://www.uncertaintyexperts.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March 3, 202651 min

S06 EP5: Climate truth-bombs & unburnable carbon’ with special guest Mark Campanale

Doubling the number of ‘Marks’ in the podcast (again) the boys discuss declining male fertility, why markets still value fossil fuels we can’t burn (and why your investments are probably still in them), and why the oil industry is like the terrible computer printer company that just wants to sell you more ink, forever! Seriously important systemic stuff, plus the usual banter…. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

December 23, 202546 min

S06 EP4: The Most Wonderful Tim of the Year

Jon and the Futurenauts slide sideways into their festive final show of 2025 with pioneering space bubble greenhouse gardener and optimistic curmudgeon Sir Tim Smit and some suitably seasonal silliness to end the year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

December 16, 202533 min

S06 EP3: Laying down some firehose - with Kresse Wesling

Jon and the Futurenauts get into some serious upcycling adventures with the phenomenal Moose-inspired Kresse, self-declared ‘waste addict, co-founder of fire-hose-to-designer-luxury-goods brand ‘Elvis & Kresse’ and now also a regenerative farmer. In the process we learn about backward design, money as lubricant, and the earthy joys of ‘humanure’. And… is Mark coming round to Ed’s poetry? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 28, 202540 min

S06 EP2: They think it’s all Clover!

This episode features special guest and literal ‘force of nature’ activist Clover Hogan, with passionate thoughts on how it feels, and what to do in response, to burgeoning ecological threats (plus how to be trolled by the richest man in the world). We also welcome back ‘Pointless Futures’ for a satirical look at the latest consumer nonsense. Plus! Jon’s agonising about the school run, Mark’s learning to edit on the job, and Ed reads a poem. What could possibly go wrong? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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