Why Tech Needs More Whimsy, with Guest Dr. AnnMarie Thomas

About this episode

The episode explores the importance of whimsy and play in technology and education through a conversation with Dr. AnnMarie Thomas.

What if joy, whimsy, and surprise weren’t distractions—but design principles? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan sit down with educator, engineer, and deep sea explorer Dr. AnnMarie Thomas to talk about the power of play —and why we all need more of it. AnnMarie has helped LEGO invent new tools for learning, collaborated with the band OK Go to create STEM curriculum, and taught college students how to build circuses to teach physics. She's also a recovering professor who walked away from tenure to rethink how we learn, create, and live. In this episode, we unpack: 🎈 What real play looks like (hint: it’s not pizza parties and ping pong tables) 🧠 Why Minecraft might be the best teamwork training Gen Alpha ever gets 🎭 How surprise rewires our brains—and why we need more of it in tech 📚 What even counts as “technology,” and why our definition is way too narrow 🤖 Whether innovation is actually being crushed by productivity culture This conversation had us rethinking everything from AI to ice cream. If you’ve ever wondered how to stay creative in a hyper-optimized world, or why whimsy still matters, this one's for you. 🪄 It’s not about being silly for the sake of it. It’s about…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jenny Swan, Greg Swan

Guest: Dr. AnnMarie Thomas

Topics covered

• whimsy in technology
• power of play
• creativity
• innovation
• education
• teamwork
• productivity culture

Keywords

• whimsy
• play
• technology
• creativity
• education
• innovation
• productivity
• teamwork
• STEM

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: LEGO, OK Go

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