How Storytelling & Comedy Expose Corruption & Depict Climate Collapse - Adam McKay | #73

How to Live Fully in the Face of Collapse - Sarah Wilson | Rapid Response #27

A lot of writing about collapse ends up feeling abstract—like the authors are writing from a remove about an alien species. But today's guest, Sarah Wilson, has written a collapse book that does something incredibly rare. Listen on to find out, and of course: Grab your copy of I Eat The Stars now! [https://amzn.to/4uPY8vS] Support the show by checking out: ProtonVPN [https://go.getproton.me/SH1yt] (gold-standard VPN—fast and safe. Click the link to get 55% off VPN Plus: $4.49/mo). ZBiotics [https://zbiotics.com/?sca_ref=4926056.YlP8s92iYP] (Decrease impact of hangovers. Code: JESSEDAMIANI for 10% off), MUD\WTR [http://mudwtr.pxf.io/Urgent] (43% off starter kits), 1Password [https://1password.partnerlinks.io/UrgentFutures] (simplify your life and increase digital safety), Mission Farms CBD [https://mission-farms-cbd.sjv.io/Urgent] (healthy, effective CBD for relief, sleep, and wellbeing—25% off with email). BIO: Sarah Wilson is a multi-New York Times and Amazon best-selling author, podcaster [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wild-with-sarah-wilson], social philosopher, international keynote speaker [https://sarahwilson.com/speaking-events/], philanthropist and climate change advisor. Sarah is known globally for founding the I Quit Sugar movement – a digital wellness program with 13 award-winning books [https://sarahwilson.com/my-books/] that sell in 52 countries – which saw millions around the world transform their health. In 2022 Sarah sold the business and gave everything to charity [https://sarahwilson.substack.com/p/news-ive-100-quit-i-quit-sugar]. Sarah is an experienced journalist and broadcaster. She was previously the editor of Cosmopolitan Australia at age 29; host of MasterChef Australia; was a News Corp journalist and columnist; and has hosted ABC’s Compass, Ten’s The Project and has been a regular panelist and news commentator on Australian, UK and US screens for two decades. Her New York Times bestseller First, We Make the Beast Beautiful [https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/240832/sarah-wilson] is described by bestselling author (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k) Mark Manson as, “The best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read,” and was featured as the book of the year on NBC’s Today Show. It’s published in 27 countries. Sarah’s book, This One Wild & Precious Life [https://www.booktopia.com.au/this-one-wild-and-precious-life-sarah-wilson], won the 2021 US Gold Nautilus Prize. Sarah is the host of the thought-leading podcast Wild with Sarah Wilson [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1548626341] and writes the popular Substack newsletter This is Precious [https://sarahwilson.substack.com/], which has an engaged community of 60,000 subscribers. Most recently, she serialized her book I Eat The Stars [https://amzn.to/3SkwLvu] on Substack – an exploration of system collapse and how we navigate it, which was acquired by Penguin US and will be released globally across May and June. CREDITS: This podcast is produced & edited by Adam Labrie & me, Jesse Damiani. Adam Labrie also edited the video version, which is available on YouTube. Find more episodes of Urgent Futures at: youtube.com/@UrgentFutures [https://www.youtube.com/@UrgentFutures]. Get full access to Reality Studies at www.realitystudies.co/subscribe [https://www.realitystudies.co/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Decoding Systems of Power & Meaning: Military AI, Epstein, Necropolitics...& Backrooms - Cy Canterel | Rapid Response #26

I was lucky to meet today's guest, Cy Canterel, a few years ago during the downslope of hype around NFTs and web3—a moment we actually dive into during the episode—fully aware of the ways many people will hear those terms an instantly tune out. My hope here isn’t to valorize the aforementioned (though we do discuss how there were seeds of something meaningful that were drowned out by all the grift and greed); I bring it up because it highlights the intellectual curiosity and expansiveness that threads all of Cy’s work across tech, art, culture, power, and philosophy. More than most people I’ve met, Cy trusts her intuition to lead her to new ways of thinking and perceiving, and her intense research practice then creates the scaffolding and texture to give her ideas weight. Support the show by checking out: ProtonVPN [https://go.getproton.me/SH1yt] (gold-standard VPN—fast and safe. Click the link to get 55% off VPN Plus: $4.49/mo). ZBiotics [https://zbiotics.com/?sca_ref=4926056.YlP8s92iYP] (Decrease impact of hangovers. Code: JESSEDAMIANI for 10% off), MUD\WTR [http://mudwtr.pxf.io/Urgent] (43% off starter kits), 1Password [https://1password.partnerlinks.io/UrgentFutures] (simplify your life and increase digital safety), Mission Farms CBD [https://mission-farms-cbd.sjv.io/Urgent] (healthy, effective CBD for relief, sleep, and wellbeing—25% off with email). All of which is why it’s especially fun for me that Cy has emerged as a leading media theorist and communicator on Substack, with a particular eye toward decoding systems of power and meaning. As you can gather from the title, that includes a whole lot of contemporary concerns as well as more evergreen ones. When I say this conversation is free-wheeling, I mean it; but I’ll let you experience it for yourself. BIO: Cy Canterel, in her own words: Artist. Feral scholar. Raised by computers. Ex-tech (infrastructure, IoT, AI/ML). Alumna: Institute for the Future of the Book. Fmr. visiting scholar @NYU. Decoding systems of power and meaning. Big time crayon fan. CREDITS: This podcast is produced & edited by Adam Labrie & me, Jesse Damiani. Adam Labrie also edited the video version, which is available on YouTube. Find more episodes of Urgent Futures at: youtube.com/@UrgentFutures [https://www.youtube.com/@UrgentFutures]. Get full access to Reality Studies at www.realitystudies.co/subscribe [https://www.realitystudies.co/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Apocalypse Early Warning System? Track the Oligarchs. Creative Tech as Crisis Intervention - Kyle McDonald | Rapid Response #25

How can art—especially new media art—be used to intervene in polycrisis? Across projects like Apocalypse Early Warning System, ICEspy, & more, artist Kyle McDonald charts a path. Support the show by checking out: ProtonVPN [https://go.getproton.me/SH1yt] (gold-standard VPN—fast and safe. Click the link to get 55% off VPN Plus: $4.49/mo). ZBiotics [https://zbiotics.com/?sca_ref=4926056.YlP8s92iYP] (Decrease impact of hangovers. Code: JESSEDAMIANI for 10% off), MUD\WTR [http://mudwtr.pxf.io/Urgent] (43% off starter kits), 1Password [https://1password.partnerlinks.io/UrgentFutures] (simplify your life and increase digital safety), Mission Farms CBD [https://mission-farms-cbd.sjv.io/Urgent] (healthy, effective CBD for relief, sleep, and wellbeing—25% off with email). BIO: Kyle McDonald is an artist working with code. He crafts interactive installations, sneaky interventions, playful websites, workshops, andtoolkits for other artists working with code. Exploring possibilities of new technologies: to understand how they affect society, to misuse them, and build alternative futures; aiming to share a laugh, spark curiosity, create confusion, and share spaces with magical vibes. Working with machine learning, computer vision, social and surveillance tech spanning commercial and arts spaces. Previously adjunct professor at NYU’s ITP, member of F.A.T. Lab, community manager for openFrameworks, and artist in residence at STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at CMU, and YCAM in Japan. Work commissioned and shown around the world, including: the V&A, NTT ICC, Ars Electronica, Sonar, Todays Art, and Eyebeam. CREDITS: This podcast is produced & edited by Adam Labrie & me, Jesse Damiani. Adam Labrie also edited the video version, which is available on YouTube. Find more episodes of Urgent Futures at: youtube.com/@UrgentFutures [https://www.youtube.com/@UrgentFutures]. Get full access to Reality Studies at www.realitystudies.co/subscribe [https://www.realitystudies.co/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

How Storytelling & Comedy Expose Corruption & Depict Climate Collapse - Adam McKay | #73

From comedies like Anchorman and Step Brothers to The Big Short, Vice, and 2C—a forthcoming film about climate apocalypse—Adam McKay's evolution as a storyteller and public figure epitomizes the journey we will need many other creative folks to undertake if we're going to survive what's coming. We get into all of it (including teasers about forthcoming projects). Support the show by checking out: ProtonVPN [https://go.getproton.me/SH1yt] (gold-standard VPN—fast and safe. Click the link to get 55% off VPN Plus: $4.49/mo). ZBiotics [https://zbiotics.com/?sca_ref=4926056.YlP8s92iYP] (Decrease impact of hangovers. Code: JESSEDAMIANI for 10% off), MUD\WTR [http://mudwtr.pxf.io/Urgent] (43% off starter kits), 1Password [https://1password.partnerlinks.io/UrgentFutures] (simplify your life and increase digital safety), Mission Farms CBD [https://mission-farms-cbd.sjv.io/Urgent] (healthy, effective CBD for relief, sleep, and wellbeing—25% off with email). BIO: Adam McKay is an Academy Award-winning writer, director, and producer whose work spans comedy, film, television, documentaries, and podcasting. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Big Short and earned additional Academy Award nominations for Vice and Netflix’s global hit Don’t Look Up. His producing credits also include The Menu, Booksmart, Hustlers, The Chair Company, and HBO’s acclaimed series Succession, for which he directed the pilot and won a Directors Guild Award. Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most influential filmmakers, McKay made his name in the comedy world as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade. In 1995, McKay and Will Ferrell happened to start on the same day at Saturday Night Live, where he became Head Writer. McKay and Ferrell’s time at SNL led to collaborations that established their unique absurdist style on Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) followed by Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Step Brothers (2008), The Other Guys (2010) and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013). Beyond film and television, McKay is also an active producer of documentaries and podcasts focused on politics, culture, sports, and social issues. In 2023, he founded Yellow Dot Studios, a nonprofit media organization dedicated to combating climate misinformation through comedy and storytelling. In 2016, McKay joined the Creative Council of Represent Us, the largest grassroots anti-corruption campaign in the US to pass laws that stop political bribery, end secret money and give voters a stronger voice. He is passionate about the climate crisis and is affiliated with numerous climate organizations, including the Climate Emergency Fund to whom he donated $4M in 2022. In addition to aiding the movement General Strike for Resignations (GS4R), a group that helps finance strike-support platforms across labor unions, climate organizations and social justice groups, McKay supports DSA LA, Homeless Health Care LA and Amnesty International. CREDITS: This podcast is produced & edited by Adam Labrie & me, Jesse Damiani. Adam Labrie also edited the video version, which is available on YouTube. Find more episodes of Urgent Futures at: youtube.com/@UrgentFutures [https://www.youtube.com/@UrgentFutures]. Get full access to Reality Studies at www.realitystudies.co/subscribe [https://www.realitystudies.co/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

From Palantir Employee to Digital Rights Advocacy: Starting a People’s Movement Against AI Risks - Juan Sebastián Pinto | Rapid Response #24

By now, the company Palantir has probably entered your field of view—but many still don’t quite get the scope and scale of what they’re building and why. Juan, today's guest, formerly worked at Palantir and other AI companies, and has now emerged as leading advocate for a people’s movement to regulate AI and promote liberatory futures. So listen/watch on to understand into the invisible dangers of Palantir’s tools and what we can do to keep them (and other harmful aspects of AI rollout) in check. Support the show by checking out: ProtonVPN [https://go.getproton.me/SH1yt] (gold-standard VPN—fast and safe. Click the link to get 55% off VPN Plus: $4.49/mo). ZBiotics [https://zbiotics.com/?sca_ref=4926056.YlP8s92iYP] (Decrease impact of hangovers. Code: JESSEDAMIANI for 10% off), MUD\WTR [http://mudwtr.pxf.io/Urgent] (43% off starter kits), 1Password [https://1password.partnerlinks.io/UrgentFutures] (simplify your life and increase digital safety), Mission Farms CBD [https://mission-farms-cbd.sjv.io/Urgent] (healthy, effective CBD for relief, sleep, and wellbeing—25% off with email). BIO: Juan Sebastián Pinto [https://substack.com/profile/2532338-juan-sebastian-pinto] is a designer and writer currently working at the intersection of civil rights and technology. His writing appears in The Guardian, Forbes, Dwell Magazine, and Substack. His work and advocacy has been featured in WIRED, NPR, The Washington Post, Democracy Now!, and the BBC.In the past Juan led content/creative for various leading AI startups and worked and collaborated with many architecture firms as a strategist, writer, and graphic designer. He completed his BA and MA in English at the University of Pennsylvania. Juan also runs Ziggurat [https://open.substack.com/pub/zigguratmag] on Substack—be sure to subscribe! CREDITS: This podcast is produced & edited by Adam Labrie & me, Jesse Damiani. Adam Labrie also edited the video version, which is available on YouTube. Find more episodes of Urgent Futures at: youtube.com/@UrgentFutures [https://www.youtube.com/@UrgentFutures]. Get full access to Reality Studies at www.realitystudies.co/subscribe [https://www.realitystudies.co/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]