Why World’s Fairs Still Matter: Lessons from Osaka Expo 2025
Jamey Wetmore returns fresh from Osaka Expo 2025 to reveal how today’s World’s Fairs blend high-tech theater, geopolitical salesmanship and unexpected moments of awe—prompting a lively Modem Futura debate on what truly human-centered innovation looks like, and how that is shaping the future of science, technology, and society.
How relevant is a World’s Fair in 2025? Very, according to Dr. Jamey Wetmore, who just shepherded 17 Arizona State University students through ten exhilarating days at Osaka Expo 2025. In the latest Modem Futura episode, Jamey tells Andrew and me that today’s expos feel less like gadget bazaars and more like collaboration theme-parks where nations stage immersive stories about the futures they want to build. That subtle shift—from showing off products to showcasing partnerships and values—framed every pavilion we visited. Jordan invited visitors to sip cardamom coffee on real desert sand beneath a fiber-optic night-sky, urging “hospitality as technology.” Belgium’s AI-driven “digital-twin” ballet asked how personal data can dance alongside us. A three-torso android in the Future-of-Life pavilion provoked uncomfortable laughter—and deeper reflection—on transhumanist dreams. Even the U.S. pavilion’s rousing anthem “Together, Together” highlighted cooperation, though Jamey notes the message now feels out of step with recent geopolitical rhetoric.
The student experience was just as revealing. To tame sensory overload (20-25,000 steps a day is normal), they used bingo cards to track recurring buzzwords—sustainability, inclusivity, circularity—and morning debriefs to translate spectacle into critical insight. Their big takeaway? Grand visions only matter when paired with concrete pathways for everyday people. That insight crystallized during a lighthearted encounter with Kawasaki’s rideable four-legged “lion” robot: delightful, yes, but what problem does a robo-lion truly solve (not really sure, but 100% sure I want one)? Contrast that with Kubota’s autonomous farming systems, which demonstrate practical routes to food security under climate stress.
Jamey also reminded us that every expo sits on a historical continuum. Chicago 1893 electrified night-time. New York 1939 sold a “World of Tomorrow,” and the 1964 fair embedded a certain American exceptionalism in Disney’s It’s a Small World. Osaka 2025 inherits—and interrogates—that lineage, forcing visitors to ask: Who gets to define tomorrow? For our students, and for all of us, that question was as important as any hologram or robot on display.
Ultimately, the episode argues that expos retain power because they collapse culture, commerce, politics, and dreams into a single walkable space. They reveal not only what technologies we can build, but which stories about humanity we choose to elevate. As you listen, consider how your own work contributes to—or challenges—the futures on parade in Osaka. And if you’ve ever dismissed World’s Fairs as relics, this conversation might just change your mind.
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🎧 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3HDqx4S
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1cQjbMJaPejpfLJsldek0a?si=NSW0cDCwR_aOtT1jmSJtzA
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