Photo by Graham Gordon Ramsay
Hi, I'm Wade Roush.
I've been covering technology and science for almost 30 years, and I believe we have a lot more power to shape the future than we think.
On balance, science and technology are the biggest forces shaping our lives on this planet—but like any force, they can seem a bit impersonal. My view is that we can be a lot more intentional and proactive about how the process plays out. I'm always searching for new insights about the workings of science and technology in society, and I love to share those insights through audio storytelling.
As for my background: I've written a lot for print magazines, notably Science, MIT Technology Review, and Scientific American, as well as online publications, especially Xconomy. In 2014-15 I was acting director of MIT's Knight Science Journalism fellowship program. I've also done stints at NASA and an early e-book startup called NuvoMedia.
I'm trained as a historian of science and technology. I have a BA in that field from Harvard College and a PhD from the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT. I live in Cambridge, Massachusetts with my dog, Gryphon.
As a longform narrative writer, I appreciate the power of text. But for years I envied the way radio and podcast producers can use voice, sound, and music to tell gripping stories. So in 2015 I decided to learn radio. I've done a few feature stories for public radio, like this story and this story for WBUR and this story for WHYY. Soonish was my first big solo adventure in audio.
In addition to producing the podcast, I write freelance articles and do consulting work for startups. I was the editor of the 2018 edition of Twelve Tomorrows, MIT Technology Review's annual anthology of hard science fiction stories. In 2019 I helped Technology Review start an interview podcast called Business Lab, and in 2020 I produced and hosted a twice-monthly show for the magazine called Deep Tech. In April 2020 the MIT Press published my book about the search for extraterrestrial life and extraterrestrial intelligence; logically enough, it was called Extraterrestrials. In 2022, I co-edited another hard science fiction anthology called Tasting Light: 10 Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions, this one aimed at young adult readers.
To check out some of my other work, visit my personal site, waderoush.com.
If you have comments about Soonish or suggestions for future shows, I'd love to hear from you.
