10: NASA’s Research Ecosystem for Wicked Problems

At its core, NASA’s Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project is about collective collaboration; partnering across channels and disciplines to transform perspectives and address challenges and opportunities. 

On today’s Ecosystemic Futures podcast, our hosts sit down with Keith Wichman, leader of NASA’s CAS project, to discuss ways in which CAS is trying to connect to a broader ecosystem through looking deep into the horizon for expansive insights to help make a desirable future better for society.

The Ecosystemic Futures Podcast is provided by Shoshin Works in collaboration with NASA Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project to help explore and share broadly technological advances and structural patterns that will help us better innovate, operate, and navigate in our increasingly connected world.

Episode highlights:

“What we're learning in CAS is we don't know. We're serious about that humility and I think the courage to go out there and buck trends, even internal pressures at NASA. This is kind of different stuff that we're doing.” - Keith Wichman

“NASA's customer, why we exist really is to serve humanity, to serve all mankind. In particular for us, we're funded by the US taxpayers, so our main mission is to support societal good.” - Keith Wichman

“In CAS we believe to our core this doesn't work without that diversity of thought, diversity of experience and bringing these things together. It's not one brilliant individual sitting in a lab somewhere coming up with the way, it’s by doing the work as part of the ecosystem.” - Keith Wichman


Guest:
Keith Wichman, Leader, Convergent Aeronautics Solutions, NASA

Co-hosts:

Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

Vikram Shyam, PhD, Futurist, Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project, NASA

Project references relate to initiatives within NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD)

The views and opinions of authors expressed in this podcast or in materials available through download from this site do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government or NASA, and they may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.