Episode 227: As the calendar turns and uncertainty once again shapes politics, technology and everyday life, The Ethical Life returns to a familiar exercise: looking ahead while holding the past accountable.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada are joined by Scott Milfred, Lee Enterprises’ national opinion editor, for a wide-ranging conversation about what the coming year may hold — and what last year’s confident calls reveal about the limits, temptations and value of prediction.

The episode spans politics, pro sports, technology and health care, with the hosts weighing which forces are likely to drive headlines and which may quietly fade. Along the way, they examine how incentives, public trust and unintended consequences shape outcomes long after predictions are made.

Before closing, the hosts revisit the six forecasts offered one year ago, assessing what proved prescient and what missed the mark.