In an age of increasing uncertainties, wild cards have become tremendously important for futures studies. Even the official Finland Government Report on the Future, published in fall 2025, has taken up wild cards.

In two German language podcasts, Karlheinz Steinmüller has treated wild cards, scenarios and the utility of science fiction for futures studies. The first is a podcast in the series Leading figures of futures management of Wismar University of Applied Sciences of April 2026. Main message is that companies and governmental authorities need extreme scenarios for building effective strategies. Extreme scenarios no longer are an option, they are part of the core business of futures management: Zukunft gestalten statt verpassen – Warum Szenarien mehr sind als Science-Fiction.

The second podcast has been aired by Bayrischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting Network) in December 2025 within the series IQ (Science and Research): Die Zukunft vorhersagen? - Wie man bessere Prognosen treffen kann The first question was quite typical for interviews and related formats: Why do experts so often issue forecasts that are soon proven false?