The Distant Future: 2025 Expectations versus Reality
Dystopia Now
Is AGI right around the corner, again? How's the AI bubble doing? What happened to climate activism? We're closing out the year with a round up of the many predictions made about technology by 2025 and share some of our own guesses. Support the show on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow Further Reading Émile's rundown of 2025 predictions: NYT on the AI bubble: Book mentioned: The Discovery of the Future - H.G. Wells
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Epstein Part 2: Transhumanism & Eugenics with Keira Havens
Dystopia Now
This week, we're joined by Keira Havens, director of and former scientist to discuss Jeffery Epstein's transhumanist, eugenicist beliefs, their roots in hierarchy, and his influence in funding scientific research. Further reading: TBA
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Epstein Part 1: Chomsky Struggle Session
Dystopia Now
In a 2-part series on Jeffery Epstein, we'll explore Epstein's ties to the TESCREAL ideologies. This week though, we're talking about his ties to one of our intellectual heroes who really let us down. Further reading: Émile's article "Noam Chomsky is a Scumbag": Jeffrey Epstein Met With Harvard Professor Martin Nowak and Noam Chomsky in 2015 in Harvard Office: Lawrence Krauss and Epstein:
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Escaping Effective Altruism
Dystopia Now
Support the show on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/dystopianow How did Émile get involved in Effective Altruism and what was it like beginning to turn away? In this week’s episode, we touch on Palantir CEO Alex Karp’s political journey, a review of longtermism, and what first sounded the alarm bells on EA for Émile. Further reading: Emile's article "Against longtermism": Karp's swordsmanship:
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Algospeak, Vibes, and Post-Rats with Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd)
Dystopia Now
This week, we’re joined by Adam Aleksic, also known as @etymologynerd to discuss his new book . We talk everything from 67, slop, rationalists versus post-rationalists, teleology, vibes, and Silicon Valley slang. Further Reading Buy Adam’s book Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language at your local book store or online: Find Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd on Instagram and TikTok, and check out his Substack at More on slop: Adam’s website: Book recommendation: Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed (1998) by...
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Fan Fic at the End of the World
Dystopia Now
This week, we dive into the horrifying world of Eliezer Yudkowsky, AI Doomer, Rationalist, and Harry Potter fan fiction author in light of his recently published NYT bestseller with Nate Soares, "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies." Further reading:
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How Tech Billionaires Bought the Narrative with Eoin Higgins
Dystopia Now
In this episode, we talked to journalist Eoin Higgins about his book which examines how Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Elon Musk have used their wealth to shape media narratives, especially through journalists Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi. Eoin Higgins: Eoin’s Substack: Eoin’s book: Become a supporter of the show on Patreon!
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Is Saving Shrimps Effective Altruism? w/ Guest Comedian Josh Gondelman
Dystopia Now
In this episode, we explore the Shrimp Welfare Project, featured on the Daily Show several months ago: Comedian Josh Gondelman -- a former writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver -- joins us for laughs and some serious reflection on which types of beings should be included within our circles of moral concern. Info on the Shrimp Welfare Project can be found here: A critique of Effective Altruism (written by Émile Torres) is here: Find Josh's special Positive Reinforcement on YouTube and his newsletter at
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Peter Thiel's Antichrist Lectures
Dystopia Now
To become a supporter, go here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week we explored Peter Thiel's Antichrist Lectures. Other than trying to prove he's not the Antichrist, what is this guy up to? Newsletter piece on the topic, titled "The Political Power of Eschatological Thinking: This Is Why Peter Thiel Is Talking About the Antichrist": If people want to learn more about the "dispensationalist" view of the end of the world, see chapter 12 of Emile's book The End: Gil Duran on Thiel's Antichrist obsession: SF Chronicle article on protests outside the Thiel...
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Bryan Johnson, Mortal
Dystopia Now
This week, we explored the anti-aging obsession of Bryan Johnson. From erection measuring to NDA's, join us for a weird ride. Futher reading: How Bryan Johnson, Who Wants to Live Forever, Sought Control via Confidentiality Agreements – The New York Times Bryan Johnson and Matt Bruenig Are Fighting Over NDAs – New York Magazine Bryan Johnson Is Going to Die – WIRED How to Live Forever and Get Rich Doing It — The New Yorker Bryan Johnson Before and After: How Exec Became Antiaging-Obsessed — Business Insider Just being well is not enough at Bryan Johnson’s Don’t Die...
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This week we chatted with Dr. Alexander Thomas, author of The Politics and Ethics of Transhumanism: Techno-Human Evolution and Advanced Capitalism. Dr Alexander Thomas is a multi-award-winning film director and screenwriter. His academic research questions what it means to be human when cultural, cybernetic and biotechnological developments undermine the notion of the human as a cogent and eternal category.
This episode is a great pairing to last week's episode with Quinn Slobodian.
We mentioned a lot of texts and authors in this episode that we've included below. Inclusion does not mean agreement in all instances.
Critical Analyses of Transhumanism & Longtermism
University of East London: A Critical Look at the Rise and Risks of Transhumanism
Emile Torres in The Guardian: Pro-Extinctionists and the Longtermist Threat
Torres in Aeon: Why Longtermism Is the World’s Most Dangerous Secular Credo
Boston Review: The New Moral Mathematics
New Statesman: The Longtermist Threat to Humanity
Slate: Existential Risk vs Human Apathy
Economics Papers: Is Longtermism Dangerous?
Tyler Austin Harper thread on X: Post
Books & Research on Transhumanism
Posthuman Bliss? by Susan B. Levin: Oxford University Press
The Proactionary Imperative by Steve Fuller: Palgrave Macmillan
Citizen Cyborg by James Hughes: Westview Press
James Hughes lecture: What Is Transhumanism? (PDF)
Nietzschean Meditations by Stefan Lorenz Sorgner: Amazon
Future Superhuman by Elise Bohan: Amazon
Mind Children by Hans Moravec: CUNY Commentary
Research paper: Transhumanism: A Progressive Vision or Capitalism's Last Ideological Resort?
Transhumanism: The Future of Humanity (book): Hudson Booksellers
IAI Essay: The Irrationality of Transhumanists
Literal Magazine: Transhumanism: Bostrom and Pearce Interview
Futurism, Accelerationism & Up-Wingers
Wired (1994): The Extropians
The Breakthrough Institute: Rise of the Up-Wingers
AEI: Up-Wing America
Slate: Reframing Environmental Policy
Aeon: Up vs Down Politics
F. M. Esfandiary’s Manifesto: Up-Wingers (Book)
The Guardian: Accelerationism Explained
Philosophy, Politics & Theory
Achille Mbembe: Necropolitics (PDF)
MIT Press: Cybernetics by Norbert Wiener
Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism: Book
New Statesman: On K-Punk and Fisher
Dan Paul Zimmer website: Main | Research
Billionaires
NYT: Elon Musk, Trump, Drugs, and Children
Sam Altman: Moore’s Law for Everything