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": https://www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/noam-chomsky-is-a-scumbag Jeffrey Epstein Met With Harvard Professor Martin Nowak and Noam Chomsky in 2015 in Harvard Office: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/5/3/epstein-nowak-chomsky-meeting-2015/ Lawrence Krauss and Epstein: https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/jeffrey-epstein-science-eugenics-sexual-abuse-researchers.html

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": https://aeon.co/essays/why-longtermism-is-the-worlds-most-dangerous-secular-credo Karp's swordsmanship: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/alex-karp-wielding-a-sword  

This week, we're joined by Adam Aleksic, also known as @etymologynerd to discuss his new book Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language. 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: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776856/algospeak-by-adam-aleksic/ Find Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd on Instagram and TikTok, and check out his Substack at https://etymology.substack.com/. More on slop: https://etymology.substack.com/p/notes-on-slop Adam's website: etymologynerd.com Book recommendation: Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed (1998) by James C. Scott

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: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-eliezer-yudkowsky.html https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/461680/if-anyone-builds-it-yudkowsky-soares-ai-risk https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/30/ai-debate-culture-clash-dc-silicon-valley-00133323 https://www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/eliezer-yudkowskys-long-history-of

In this episode, we talked to journalist Eoin Higgins about his book "Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left" 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: https://x.com/eoinhiggins_?lang=en Eoin's Substack: https://eoinhiggins.substack.com/ Eoin's book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/eoin-higgins/owned/9781645030461/   Become a supporter of the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow

In this episode, we explore the Shrimp Welfare Project, featured on the Daily Show several months ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNbIKtGMoaA&t. 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: https://www.shrimpwelfareproject.org/ A critique of Effective Altruism (written by Émile Torres) is here: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/effective-altruism-is-a-welter-of-fraud-lies-exploitation-and-eugenic-fantasies/ Find Josh's special Positive Reinforcement on YouTube and his newsletter at https://www.thatsmarvelousnewsletter.com/.  

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": https://www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/the-political-power-of-eschatological-82b 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: https://c8df8822-f112-4676-8332-ad89713358e3.filesusr.com/ugd/d9aaad_c1777d7f673d4926a275be8ad78f16f2.pdf Gil Duran on Thiel's Antichrist obsession: https://newrepublic.com/article/200471/peter-thiel-obsession-antichrist-religion SF Chronicle article on protests outside the Thiel talks: https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/peter-thiel-antichrist-lecture-sparks-s-f-21049962.php

https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow 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 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/technology/bryan-johnson-nda-employees.html @mathrubhumi+3WIRED+3mint+3 Bryan Johnson and Matt Bruenig Are Fighting Over NDAs – New York Magazine https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/bryan-johnson-matt-bruenig-nda-fight.html New York Magazine Bryan Johnson Is Going to Die – WIRED https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-bryan-johnson/ How to Live Forever and Get Rich Doing It — The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/11/how-to-live-forever-and-get-rich-doing-it The New Yorker Bryan Johnson Before and After: How Exec Became Antiaging-Obsessed — Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/bryan-johnson-before-and-after-anti-aging-longevity-supplements-2023-8 Business Insider Just being well is not enough at Bryan Johnson's Don't Die Summit — The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/25/just-being-well-is-not-enough-bryan-johnsons-dont-die-summit/

To help us keep the show going become a subscriber here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the tech billionaire-backed astroturf campaigns that flooded his district with money and disinformation. We dig into how tech barons are reshaping local politics through alleged "grassroots" groups, what it means for democracy when dark money drives housing and policing policy, and how Preston sees the fight for tenants' rights and progressive politics moving forward.  The Guardian — Inside tech billionaires' push to reshape San Francisco politics: "a hostile takeover" (Feb 12, 2024): www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/12/san-francisco-tech-billionaires-political-influence The "moderate" political takeover of San Francisco https://newrepublic.com/article/189303/san-francisco-moderate-politics-millionaire-tech-donors The Phoenix Project — How Dean Preston Lost (Dec 5, 2024): www.phoenixprojectnow.com/phoenix-review/blog/how-dean-preston-lost KQED — In San Francisco's Local Elections, It's Big Money Against Progressive Incumbents (Nov 4, 2024): www.kqed.org/news/12012416/san-franciscos-elections-big-money-against-progressive-incumbents SFGATE — "'Fake news' site publishes more false stories about San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston" (Oct 18, 2023): www.sfgate.com/politics/article/bnn-posts-more-false-stories-about-dean-preston-18429261.php Dean's Housing Record https://www.deanshousingrecord.com/

To become a sponsor and get an extra episode each week, visit us at https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow, This week, we talked about what AI is doing to our emotions and our relationships. From AI Psychosis to AI Boyfriends, AI is breaking our brains and our hearts.  Further reading: https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2025/aug/28/ai-psychosis-could-chatbots-fuel-delusional-thinking-podcast https://futurism.com/paper-ai-psychosis-schizophrenia https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/19/ai-psychosis-chatgpt-explained-mental-health/ https://www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/why-you-should-never-use-ai-under https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-enshittification-of-generative-ai/ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/technology/chatgpt-openai-suicide.html https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-spiritual-delusions-destroying-human-relationships-1235330175/ https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-chatbot-god-religion-answers-1235347023/ https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-chatbots-concerns-kendra-tiktok-saga-rcna224185   https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/

To hear the rest of the episode and become a supporter visit us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow We are entirely listener supported and we appreciate your contributions so much! This week, we were joined by Rachel Adjogah, of the brilliant Polemics.md blog. discussed The Argument, a new publication funded in part by Open Philanthropy. We also discussed Vox's Future Perfect, and the general problems of having EA/Rationalist aligned reporters cover...themselves. 

This week we are off, so thought I'd unlock one of our Patreon eps from the series we did about the Zizians. We discuss the origins of the Zizian ideology in the Rationalism community, MIRI, CFAR, Roko's Basilisk and Doom Circles. To hear parts 2 and 3 become a subscriber on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow We'll be back on our regular schedule next week. 

This week we answered questions from our Patreon supporters about the Bay Area cyberdelic scene, Church of the Subgenius, the persistence of eugenics, anarcho-primitivism, TESCREAL boardgames and what our personal tech (or tech free?) utopias would be.  To hear the rest of the episode become a sponsor at https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow. We use your $ to edit the podcast.    Further reading:   https://www.thetonearm.com/rhymes-against-reality-with-r-u-sirius-and-his-musical-mindfuckery-2/   https://www.wired.com/2015/07/tech-time-warp-week-wired-eccentric-mondo-2000/   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_SubGenius   https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/opinion/genetics-children-noor-siddiqui.html   https://www.vice.com/en/article/john-zerzan-wants-us-to-give-up-all-of-our-technology/   Organizations Mentioned:   https://www.stopai.info/   https://www.stopspying.org/   https://www.eff.org/   https://www.dsausa.org/   https://dair.ai/   Board game:   https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/257732/pax-transhumanity

Become a supporter at https://www.patreon.com/DystopiaNow This week we interviewed astrophysicist and science journalist Adam Becker, author of More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity. Becker contends that Silicon Valley's grandiose fantasies cloak a hunger for control, often rooted in pseudoscience and elitism rather than real science or ethics Adam cuts through the bullshit of Mars colonization, sentient AI and digital immortality to bring us all back down to earth. Where we live. And are going to stay forever. Futher Reading:  More Everything Forever:  https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/adam-becker/more-everything-forever/9781541619593/

To hear the full ep sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow In the 1990s, at the height of the Grunge Era, a small but ambitious group calling themselves the Extropians dreamed of transcending the limits of the human body and mind, through technology, radical life extension, and an unapologetically libertarian vision of the future. In this episode, we trace their journey from obscure online mailing lists to their outsized influence on today's transhumanist movement, Silicon Valley techno-utopianism, and AI ideology. We'll unpack their proactionary principle, ties to effective altruism and longtermism, and the Network State movement.  

To become a Patreon subscriber go here: https://www.patreon.com/DystopiaNow This week we go on a dark journey of TESCREAL parenting with Simone and Malcolm Collins, the rationalist pro-natalism advocates who are raising their kids on an all AI diet. Strap in as we explore their secular religion, their runs for office, and "Future Day." By the end of this episode you may never want to have 10 kids.  We also covered Jim Acosta's interview with an AI Parkland survivor, Elon's sex chatbot, and Èmile's new newsletter, Real Time Techpocalypse.    Further reading Intro https://x.com/jeremyjudkins_/status/1944894110420148723 https://www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/ https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/parents-parkland-shooting-victim-ai-version-son-joaquin-1235400053/   Ritchie Torres https://fortune.com/crypto/2023/01/26/ritchie-torres-cryptocurrency-blockchain-web3-financial-inclusion/ https://ritchietorres.house.gov/posts/led-by-rep-ritchie-torres-20-members-of-congress-urge-congressional-leadership-to-fully-fund-pandemic-preparedness https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/28/cryptocurrency-democratic-party Simone and Malcolm Collins https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/may/25/american-pronatalists-malcolm-and-simone-collins https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/of-interest/2025/02/01/malcolm-and-simone-collins-pronatalism/ https://secondvoice.substack.com/p/why-were-surrounding-our-kids-with Birth Rates and Fertility https://jacobin.com/2020/01/full-surrogacy-now-sophie-lewis-review https://jacobin.com/2025/07/socialism-birth-rates-fertility-future https://jacobin.com/2022/08/capitalism-low-birth-rate-labor-abortion-contraceptives-childcare https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/birth-rate-population-decline/683333/ https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/09/5-facts-about-how-the-worlds-population-is-expected-to-change-by-2100/ https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/world-population-prospects-2024 https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/apr/20/pro-natalism-babies-global-population-genetics Eugenics https://ksqd.org/predatory-data-eugenics-in-big-tech-interview-with-anita-chan/#gsc.tab=0 https://hardea.org/  

This is the final installment of our series on the Rationalist Death Cult, the Zizians. This three part series unpacks the twisted story of the Zizians, a fringe group born out of the Bay Area rationalist and effective altruism subcultures that descended into violence and murder. Blending a belief in  utilitarianism with extreme accelerationist ideology, the Zizians started with an AI Doom fixation and ended up justifying a string of brutal killings in the name of a supposed greater good.  To hear the series, become a member here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow In Part 1 "A Cult Within a Cult" We discuss the origins of the Zizian ideology in the Rationalism community, MIRI, CFAR, Roko's Basilisk and Effective Altruism Doom Circles. How did TESCREALism, Bay Area housing costs, and the Human Potential Movement set the stage for a series of horrors?  In part 2 "The Murders Begin," we look at how a group of rationalists becomes a murder cult. This episode takes us from the MIRI/CFAR protest aftermath to the first attack on Curtis Lind and Ziz's faked death. We also cover Timeless Decision Theory, Expected Value Calculations, and Pascal's Mugging. Finally, in Part 3 "The Murder Spree" we discuss how a fringe subculture became a national news story through the killing of a Border Patrol Agent. 

To become a supporter, visit us at https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow   This week we explore the weird world of Mark Zuckerberg and billionaire bunkers. FURTHER READING: Meta, Zuckerberg, and AI Meta Q2 earnings beat forecasts, pushes toward AI "personal superintelligence" deadline.com/2025/07/meta-q2-earnings-beat-forecasts-ai-personal-superintelligence-1236474506/ Inside Meta's plans for a new AI lab focused on superintelligence nytimes.com/2025/06/10/technology/meta-new-ai-lab-superintelligence.html Meta's growing dominance in AI bbc.com/news/technology-64075067 Zuckerberg responds to Cambridge Analytica scandal theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/21/mark-zuckerberg-response-facebook-cambridge-analytica How Facebook contributed to genocide in Myanmar systemicjustice.org/article/facebook-and-genocide-how-facebook-contributed-to-genocide-in-myanmar-and-why-it-will-not-be-held-accountable/ Zuckerberg grilled in Congress on Facebook's origins washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/04/11/channeling-the-social-network-lawmaker-grills-zuckerberg-on-his-notorious-beginnings/ Zuckerberg's Hawaii Estate and Land Development Mark Zuckerberg's Hawaii compound includes burial grounds and escape hatch wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-secretive-hawaii-compound-burial-ground/ What we know about Zuckerberg's Hawaii estate wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-inside-hawaii-compound/ Zuckerberg's land deals in Hawaii raise questions ft.com/content/851e7707-1ca3-4fa9-9719-05b66ad5c5cc Hawaii Governor's housing and development strategy governor.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Housing-2.pdf East Solano and YIMBY California Forever's East Solano city plan faces delay nytimes.com/2024/07/22/business/economy/california-forever-solano-county-city-on-hold.html YIMBY group's support for the East Solano Plan cayimby.org/news-events/statement-in-support-of-the-east-solano-plan/ Tech and Trump Big Tech to work with Trump administration on digital health ecosystem techcrunch.com/2025/07/30/big-tech-to-work-with-trump-administration-to-build-digital-health-ecosystem/ Trump, RFK Jr., and tech companies' digital health ambitions apnews.com/article/trump-ai-rfk-jr-health-tech-fa73703bd1fd557c787ef0b590e151f1 Migrant surveillance expands under new Trump plan theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/27/migrant-surveillance-trump Palantir and Trump plan to centralize Americans' data nytimes.com/2025/05/30/technology/trump-palantir-data-americans.html Trump administration shared IRS data with ICE propublica.org/article/trump-irs-share-tax-records-ice-dhs-deportations Gaza and Media Accountability Claims of no starvation in Gaza disputed by data and witnesses pbs.org/newshour/world/israels-leader-claims-no-one-in-gaza-is-starving-data-and-witnesses-disagree New York Times coverage of Gaza starvation nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/middleeast/gaza-starvation.html NYT public relations statement on Gaza coverage x.com/NYTimesPR/status/1950311365756817690 NYT walks back Gaza baby starvation story after pushback truthout.org/articles/nyt-walks-back-story-on-gaza-baby-starved-by-israel-after-zionist-pushback/ Climate Who is hastening the apocalypse and why bbc.com/future/article/20211014-agents-of-doom-who-is-hastening-the-apocalypse-and-why Limiting global warming to 1.5°C could save billions from extreme heat news.exeter.ac.uk/research/limiting-global-warming-to-1-5c-would-save-billions-from-dangerously-hot-climate/

To become a supporter and keep the show going, visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week we were joined by Keira Havens of Citizen's Impeachment and Nicholas Rodelo, a staff researcher at Dropsite News to discuss how tech has assisted propaganda campaigns to further the genocide in Gaza.  Articles and Media Mentioned:  https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/google-acquisition-tech-wiz-israel-gaza-8200 https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/18/politics/cnn-poll-israel-support https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/opinion/no-israel-is-not-committing-genocide-in-gaza.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/opinion/israel-gaza-genocide-scholar-response.html https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/leaked-data-israeli-censorship-meta https://medium.com/@Keira_Havens/box-of-rocks-b8aec0c8710e

Become a subscriber and join our listener chat: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week, we explored the tech billionaire fixation with cryonics, mind uploading and life extension. We're just a couple of decel deathists! (You'll see what we mean) In the intro this week, we talked about Superman's critique of tech billionaires, Mountainhead, and we read a very special poem.  Plus, a Meta AI data center in Georgia leads to rationing of water for local residents. Who needs a shower when you can have a bad search engine?  FURTHER READING: Billionaire Immortality and Cryonics How Billionaires Are Freezing Themselves to Cheat Death https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jul/10/billionaires-freezing-cryopreservation-riches-lawyers-life The Quest to Reverse Aging Among the Ultra-Rich https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/feb/17/if-they-could-turn-back-time-how-tech-billionaires-are-trying-to-reverse-the-ageing-process Inside the Billionaire-Led Race for Immortality https://theweek.com/science/the-billionaire-led-quest-for-immortality Deathism  https://transhumanism.fandom.com/wiki/Deathism Wikipedia: Alcor Life Extension Foundation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcor_Life_Extension_Foundation AI and Tech Power Jaron Lanier on the Cult-Like Belief in AI https://www.vox.com/the-gray-area/407154/jaron-lanier-ai-religion-progress-criticism Let's Think About Slowing Down AI by Katja Grace https://worldspiritsockpuppet.substack.com/p/lets-think-about-slowing-down-ai AI Hallucinations and the Fragility of Tech Trust https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/technology/ai-hallucinations-chatgpt-google.html Chat GPT is Bullshit https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-024-09775-5 Elon Musk's Grok AI and U.S. Defense Links https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/14/elon-musk-grok-defense-department/ Climate and Water The AI Boom's Growing Carbon Footprint https://www.npr.org/2024/07/12/g-s1-9545/ai-brings-soaring-emissions-for-google-and-microsoft-a-major-contributor-to-climate-change Meta's AI and the Fight Over Water https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/technology/meta-data-center-water.html Poetry https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/world/middleeast/04stext.html