Century Lives: The Next 50
Half of Generation Z—people who are now between 10 and 25 years old—could live to be 100. Their extended futures are shrouded by climate change, pandemics, and racial and social disparities. But according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most optimistic generation yet. In “Century Lives: the Next 50,” host Ken Stern talks to inspirational leaders in their 20s and 30s about what they’ve learned from previous generations, how they’re working to improve the world they’ve inherited, and how they imagine their super-sized futures will unfold.
Century Lives: The Next 50
Episode 5
Do you own a smart device? You know: an Android, an Alexa, an Apple Watch? If you do, you’re a part of the Internet of Things—and you’re going to need computer scientist Bashima Islam. A 2022 recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science, she focuses on making batteries more energy efficient: crucial work as smart devices increasingly creep into our lives. In the final episode of Century Lives: the Next 50, Bashima sits down with host Ken Stern to discuss the trillion devices in our future, the state of women in science in her native Bangladesh, and, of course, what she’d bring into her afterlife.
Tune in to “Century Lives: the Next 50” to learn more!
Episode 5 is out now! Check it out on the Stanford Center for Longevity site, or listen on your favorite streaming platform.
Century Lives: The Next 50
Episode 4
In Episode 4, we meet water engineer and environmental justice advocate Siddhartha Roy. Now a research scientist at the University of North Carolina’s Water Institute, Siddhartha was an integral part of exposing the Flint water crisis in 2015. He chats with Ken about growing up in India, the future of water equity, and his real-life fight with the Hulk.
Tune in to “Century Lives: the Next 50” to learn more!
Episode 4 is out now! Check it out on the Stanford Center for Longevity site, or listen on your favorite streaming platform.
Century Lives: The Next 50
Episode 3
In Episode 3, we meet Sophie Beren: the founder of the online platform The Conversationalist. There, members of Gen Z with divergent opinions gather to discuss political and social issues. It’s a tall task but, as a self-described “unifier,” Sophie is up to it. She chats with host Ken Stern about growing up as an outsider in Kansas, finding common ground on paramount issues…and salad.
Tune in to “Century Lives: the Next 50” to learn more!
Episode 3 is out now! Check it out on the Stanford Center for Longevity site, or listen on your favorite streaming platform.
Century Lives: The Next 50
Episode 2
In Episode 2, we meet Dr. Raven Baxter, also known as “Dr. Raven the Science Maven.” She’s a molecular biologist and a science communicator. More specifically, she’s a science rapper. She chats with Ken about following in her grandparents’ footsteps to increase representation in science—and how she makes the field more accessible through her hip hop music videos.
Tune in to “Century Lives: the Next 50” to learn more!
Episode 2 is out now! Check it out on the Stanford Center for Longevity site, or listen on your favorite streaming platform.
Century Lives: The Next 50
Episode 1
In Episode 1, we meet Justin Brezhnev—also known as “Hacker Cat.” He’s the founder and executive director of Hacker Fund: a non-profit that connects underserved students with computer programmers, so kids can learn to code. Justin chats with Ken about how he’s broken down barriers to education, the drastic changes within his family over recent generations, and what it means to live a worthy life.
Tune in to “Century Lives: the Next 50” to learn more!
Episode 1 is out now! Check it out on the Stanford Center for Longevity site, or listen on your favorite streaming platform.