Peter Diamandis and Peter Zeihan Debate the Future, November 1 from Open to Debate
Will tomorrow be better than today? From the start of agriculture to the Industrial Revolution and beyond, humanity has changed and thrived at a level previously unseen in history. Globally, we are more prosperous than ever, mortality rates are dropping while living standards and access to resources are increasing, and we’re taking necessary steps to mitigate the beginning effects of climate change. Some, however, worry that the abundant present we live in now will change for the worse, due to environmental challenges and a shifting geopolitical landscape alongside widening socio-economic disparities. On November 1, award-winning debate series Open to Debate (formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S.) will tape a virtual debate on the question: “Will the Future Be Abundant?”
Arguing “YES” is X Price Foundation founder and Singularity University co-founder Peter Diamandis, co-author of the best-seller Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think and a forthcoming sequel Scaling Abundance. Arguing “NO” is geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan, author of the best-seller The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization. Nayeema Raza, co-host of Vox Media’s "On with Kara Swisher" podcast, will serve as guest moderator.
While the debate will not be released widely until December via public radio, video and the Open to Debate podcast, press are invited to attend and ask questions at the live virtual taping on Wednesday, November 1 at 11:00 AM ET. Media can email raypadgett@shorefire.com for virtual access.
PARTICIPANT BIOS
* Peter Diamandis: Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation
Peter Diamandis is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions. He is also the executive founder of Singularity University, a graduate-level Silicon Valley institution that counsels the world's leaders on exponentially growing technologies. Named by Fortune as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders”, he has started over twenty companies in the areas of longevity, space, venture capital, and education. Diamandis is a New York Times bestselling author of “Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think,” “BOLD: How to Go Big, Create Wealth & Impact the World,” and “The Future is Faster Than You Think.”
* Peter Zeihan: Geopolitical Strategist
Peter Zeihan is a geopolitical strategist who has lived in the world of international affairs throughout his career. After stints with the Center for Political Strategic Studies under Susan Eisenhower and the State Department in Australia, Zeihan was part of the core team that built Stratfor into a geopolitical consultancy and publishing house, ultimately serving as the firm’s vice president of analysis. He launched his own firm, Zeihan on Geopolitics, in 2012 to specialize in customized executive briefings. With a mix of insight and irreverence, he helps his audience see their businesses and industries from a new point of view to prepare for a now-more-understandable future. Zeihan’s books, “The Accidental Superpower,” “The Absent Superpower,” “Disunited Nations”, and “The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization” have been recommended by Mitt Romney, Fareed Zakaria, and Ian Bremmer and named as New York Times bestsellers.
* Guest Moderator Nayeema Raza: journalist and executive producer and co-host of Vox Media’s "On with Kara Swisher" podcast
Nayeema Raza is a journalist and filmmaker whose work has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and the Tribeca Film Festival. She is currently the Executive Producer of the Vox Media podcast, "On with Kara Swisher,” and is on-air every Monday and Thursday. Raza was previously a Senior Editor at The New York Times where she spent two years running "Sway," an Opinion podcast that frequently featured news-making interviews with leaders in media, politics, and technology. Prior to this, she was a Senior Producer in the Opinion Section of the Times, where she developed video op-eds on topics from immigration and internet privacy. She has also penned essays on modern culture for The New York Times and The Cut. Her film and TV credits include writing and producing the documentary feature "Sublime," which premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, as well as executive producing the CBS All Access documentary series, "That Animal Rescue Series.” She is a member of the Writers Guild of America, a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and is on the Young Patrons Leadership Committee of PEN America.
ABOUT OPEN TO DEBATE
Open to Debate addresses a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. We are the nation's only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues. We know debate works to find common ground: On average, 32% of the Open to Debate audience changes their mind on contentious topics after hearing a debate. That’s the power of debate done right, and at scale, it can change the direction we’re headed in America. Open to Debate is broadcast as a weekly public radio program, carried on NPR stations including WNYC (#1 in the nation). Open to Debate is made available as a podcast, video series, and digital platform, and records episodes with live audiences nationwide. Visit opentodebate.org to become a member, access an archive of more than 220 debates, and attend live events.
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For more information on Open to Debate, contact Ray Padgett (raypadgett@shorefire.com) or Mark Satlof (msatlof@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.