Recombination Nation

Fred Pearce is a prolific author and environmental journalist with fifteen extraordinary books under his belt, including the one which transformed my own perspective on invasive species "The New Wild".In this conversation we discuss the numerous topics he has investigated, and probe the state of science journalism today.Check out Fred's latest book "Despite it All" that finds hope among the chorus of climate catastrophism : https://www.amazon.com/Despite-All-Handbook-Climate-Hopefuls-ebook/dp/B0FT6GFTFPMy personal favourite "The New Wild" : https://www.amazon.com/New-Wild-Invasive-Species-Salvation-ebook/dp/B00N6PB69A/And all his other titles here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001HMRS9QSign up to Recombination Nation for free weekly articles: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Bunya Halasz is a permaculturalist and syntropic practitioner from the lush hinterland of northern New South Wales. This in depth conversation explores his winding journey through the roots of permaculture in Australia, his experience in reuniting the ongoing selection of crops in the context of spaces that produce an economic yield.You can sign up for Bunya's course on Dynamic Agroforestry beginning April 30- https://www.growingrootspermaculture.com/events/p/dynamic-agroforestry-refining-food-forests-incorporating-fungi-animals-and-community-dynamics-into-agroforestry-systems-march-26-29And check out all the other work he does with Growing Roots Permaculture: https://www.growingrootspermaculture.com/aboutSign up to Shane's Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Sam runs the brilliant Youtube channel, documenting his adventures exploring the traditional agriculture of the Andes, Papua New Guinea and the natural world in his own back yard in the chilly plains of North America. You can watch Sam's many wonderful videos here:https://www.youtube.com/@AmblingwithSam/featuredI recommend starting with this impressive documentary about Andean agriculture: https://youtu.be/CWYAWX9rOPE?si=hPZINZO4qsrGlUmgSign up to Shane's Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Stetson is a medical geneticist who writes about his extensive interests on Substack, dipping into a wide range of topics including genetics, neuroscience, human behaviour, psychology, history, literature, culture, politics, and much more.Check out his writing: https://stetson.substack.comSign up to Shane's Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Nate is a long term experimental crop breeder who has also invested heavily in building community to bring other growers together, most notably with the Experimental Farm Network which is developing a wide range of perennial crops.You can follow Nate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/experimentalfarmnetwork/Join the Experimental Farm Network: https://citsci.org/organizations/experimental-farm-network/Buy seeds from the EFN: https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.orgSign up to Shane's Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Jonathan Harris is the spark behind the Church of Burn, a UK group which burn money to reimagine our relationship to this mysterious substance which follows us everywhere. In this conversation we talk about money, sex, privacy and death along with countless other aspects of society which are up for renegotiation during these turbulent times.Read more about the Church of Burn:https://churchofburn.orgAnd find more of John's writings at the Vestry:https://churchofburn.substack.comSign up to Shane's Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Mark Christensen transitioned from a career in accounting to a passion for quantifying the astonishing health benefits of select heritage crops through the power of modern chemistry. He founded the Heritage Foods Crops Research Trust in New Zealand and created a potent organisation to spread his work into the wider community.Check out his organisation: https://www.heritagefoodcrops.org.nzTheir Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/heritagefoodcropsAnd their superstar apple : https://www.heritagefoodcrops.org.nz/montys-surprise-apple/Find more of Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Stephen Skolnick is a human microbiome researcher exploring the outer fringes of this rapidly expanding field. His theories on the microbiological origins of a host of significant and baffling diseases like schizophrenia and type 1 diabetes can be found on his substack.Stephen's Substack Eat Shit and Prosper: https://stephenskolnick.substack.comAnother episode about the power of microbiology with Bacterium: https://rss.com/podcasts/zeroinputagriculture/2198945/https://youtu.be/I30ZJcklA3Q?si=HWKM6yL-GB-ywtGhFind more of Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Professor Jiang brought deep historical, economic and cultural analysis to the masses through his popular YouTube lectures.In this interview Shane digs deeper into his perspective on the east/west divide as we navigate the unfolding end of the industrial era.Find all of Professor Jiang's videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@PredictiveHistoryAnd sign up to read his substack articles: https://predictivehistory.substack.comFind more of Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Professor David Shields is most often known for his work restoring Carolina Golden Rice to prominence in his native South Carolina, but this conversation goes further to explore parallel projects returning a wide range of preindustrial crops to the local food system. We also explore the culture impact of food, and its essential role as a touchstone for identity and belonging.Read more of David's work at his blog: https://davidsanfordshields.substack.comCheck out his many books starting here:https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Provisions-Creation-Revival-Cuisine/dp/022614111Xhttps://www.amazon.com/Ark-Taste-Delicious-Distinctive-Define/dp/031647732XHe can be reached through his university: https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/english_language_and_literature/our_people/directory/shields_david.phpFind more of Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

The Honest Sorcerer is an engineer from Eastern Europe with a passion for studying the resource limits squeezing our global industrial economy. We talk about the intersections between advancing technology, eroding resources, deflating demographics and scrambling politics along with many other topics usually considered in isolation. The discussion peaks with a survey of the geopolitics of all the major regions of the planet.Read more of The Honest Sorcerer on Substack: https://thehonestsorcerer.substack.comFind more of Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Bruce Steele works with resilient, low input staple crops (including oaks for flour) and breeds heritage mangalitsa pigs in Southern California. Check out Bruce's substack: https://steeleb.substack.comLearn more about Bruce's farm: https://www.winfieldfarm.usRead Shane's weekly blog for free, or support his work with a paid subscription to get access to his audiobook and archive of past posts: https://recombinationnation.substack.com

John Michael Greer is a historian of religion, the occult, and every aspect of history that typical historians overlook. In this conversation we explore the cultural impact of industrialisation and deindustrialization, and the many ways the future will be weirder and more wonderful than expected.Read John's weekly blog posts: https://www.ecosophia.netJohn's dreamwidth journal: https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.orgAll of Johns many and varied books can be found here and at other distributors: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001IOFELWFind more of Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Mandy operates a fantastic nursery in England specialising in a mind blowing diversity of perennial vegetables. Shane interviews her about her collecting and breeding projects, the challenges of running a commercial nursery, the advantages of buying rural land as a collective and loads of other topics.Learn more about Mandy's nursery : https://incrediblevegetables.co.uk/about-us/Find more of Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Shane talks to Sebastian Coccioba about his obsession with plant biotechnology, and how his determination to build his own home laboratory (including a gun that shoots genes into plants) paid off. Also includes a survey of all the techniques an independent scientist could consider mastering.Read more of Sebastian's work at his open lab book : https://binomicalabs.notion.site/?v=cc508bd627a64aa7bf84512445e87e8eFollow Sebastian's updates : https://x.com/ATinyGreenCellFind more of Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/Hide

Shane grills Simon Michaux on the key resource limits preventing the promised renewable energy transition and his comprehensive plans to develop a thorium powered alternative. Read more about Simon's work at:The complex systems limits threatening industrial civilisation: https://www.simonmichaux.comThe plan to build an alternative civilisation: https://www.promethean-nexus.comThe plan to develop sustainable thorium energy: https://www.vulcancatalyst.comFollow Shane's work at Substack: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

Thomas Picard is a landrace cucurbit breeder from France who works with melons, watermelon, pumpkin and kiwano.You can read more about his work at the Going to Seed forum- https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/thomaspicard/summaryLinks to the Going to Seed conference will be added once they are available.Follow Shane's work at his Substack blog: https://recombinationnation.substack.comRead his book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/

In this final episode of season 1, I outline plans for the podcast, Substack and planned YouTube channel in the coming year, then answer a stack of questions from followers of my work.The podcast will be relaunching in November as Recombination Nation, so stay subscribed while I take a break and prepare for a stellar second season.Find more of Shane’s work at:Zero Input Agriculture blogTaming the Apocalypse audiobook Our Vitreous Womb

Shane talks with Harriet Mella, an independent soil scientist from Austria about the complexity and resilience of the life beneath our feet and its critical role in supporting crop health (in parallel with crop breeding).Check out Harriet's soil science web course launching soon: http://agricurls.com/Find more of Shane’s work at:Zero Input Agriculture blog: https://zeroinputagriculture.substack.comTaming the Apocalypse audiobook - https://www.kobo.com/au/en/audiobook/taming-the-apocalypse-2Our Vitreous Womb - https://www.amazon.com/Our-Vitreous-Womb-Book-1-4-ebook/dp/B0C7H9N1K3/

Shane and Cimbri resume their conversation, pivoting back to the all too common challenge of young people living in urban or suburban environments who want to escape to less crowded places, plus all the things they can do with their energy in the meantime.Subscribe to Cimbri's substack- https://iwritetoyoufrombabylon.substack.comYou can check out Cimbri's activity on Reddit- https://www.reddit.com/user/Cimbri/Find more of Shane’s work at:Zero Input Agriculture blog: https://zeroinputagriculture.substack.comTaming the Apocalypse audiobook - https://www.kobo.com/au/en/audiobook/taming-the-apocalypse-2Our Vitreous Womb - https://www.amazon.com/Our-Vitreous-Womb-Book-1-4-ebook/dp/B0C7H9N1K3/