Techtonic with Mark Hurst | WFMU

A show from WFMU about our shift to a digital future. Mark Hurst interviews creators and thinkers about technology, community, videogames, and whatever else is next.

Aram Sinnreich, co-author, "The Secret Life of Data" from Nov 3, 2025

Aram Sinnreich, co-author, "The Secret Life of Data" Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Aram Sinnreich" [0:03:41] - "Mark's comments" [0:45:35] Les Bibliothécaires (Various) - "High Score" [0:56:00] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/157671

11-04
01:06:17

Widening inequality and Big Tech surveillance, feat. Dan Currell from Oct 27, 2025

Widening inequality and Big Tech surveillance, feat. Dan Currell Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Dan Currell" [0:04:54] - "Mark's comments" [0:32:15] Joel Chapman - "From the Bedroom to the Bathroom" [via The Dannys] [0:55:48] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/157597

10-27
01:06:10

Filmmaker Amanda Hanna-McLeer on the Luddite renaissance from Oct 20, 2025

Filmmaker Amanda Hanna-McLeer on the Luddite renaissance Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Interview with Amanda Hanna-McLeer" The Microbes - "Computer" [0:54:22] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/157354

10-20
01:05:14

The protest against smartphones, with Logan Lane from Oct 13, 2025

The protest against smartphones, with Logan Lane Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "The protest" [0:07:15] - "Mark's comments" [0:37:04] Rude Mechanical Orchestra - "We Shall Overcome" [Image from Cat and Girl] [0:55:34] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/157126

10-14
01:06:37

AI and surveillance keep spreading from Oct 6, 2025

AI and surveillance keep spreading Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's comments" The Layoffs - "We're All In Formation" [0:55:06] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/156829

10-06
01:05:37

Megan Greenwell, author, "Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream" from Sep 29, 2025

Megan Greenwell, author, "Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream" Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - n/a - "Mark's intro" Kirk Pearson - "Modem of Home" - n/a [0:03:32] - "Interview with Megan Greenwell" [0:03:40] Kirk Pearson - "Haptic Workshop" - n/a [0:27:41] - "Interview with Megan Greenwell" [0:29:21] Kirk Pearson - "Bio Magnification" - n/a [0:47:00] - "Mark's comments" [0:47:08] KILN - "Ptarmigan" - Lemon Borealis [0:54:45] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/156556

09-30
01:05:32

Glenn Adamson, author, "A Century of Tomorrows" from Sep 22, 2025

Glenn Adamson, author, "A Century of Tomorrows: How Imagining the Future Shapes the Present" Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Glenn Adamson" [0:05:23] - "Mark's comments" [0:46:04] Hot 8 Brass Band - "Remember the Time" [0:55:03] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/156259

09-23
01:06:16

Joseph Weizenbaum warned us about AI 50 years ago (feat. Faine Greenwood) from Sep 15, 2025

Joseph Weizenbaum warned us about AI 50 years ago (feat. Faine Greenwood) Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Faine Greenwood" [0:05:42] - "Mark's comments" [0:41:13] Posthuman - "The Screens Of Our Lives" [0:54:49] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/155999

09-15
01:05:20

Milestones for Big Tech... and Techtonic from Sep 8, 2025

Milestones for Big Tech... and Techtonic Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's comments" Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - "Thank You" [0:53:38] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/155884

09-08
01:04:54

Cory Doctorow, author and journalist from Sep 1, 2025

Cory Doctorow, author and journalist Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Cory Doctorow" [0:02:28] - "Mark's comments" [0:45:51] Michael Hearst with Claudia Gonson - "Eyes Without A Face" [0:56:24] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/155658

09-01
01:06:40

Webb Keane, author, "Animals, Robots, Gods" from Aug 25, 2025

Webb Keane, author, “Animals, Robots, Gods: Adventures in the Moral Imagination” Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Webb Keane" [0:03:17] - "Mark's comments" [0:43:18] Timothy Clover - "Trolley Car Line" [0:55:30] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/155425

08-27
01:05:53

If/Then/Else - Sara Clemens and Stu Horvath fill in, with guest Brendan Keogh from Aug 18, 2025

Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" [0:00:00] Brendan Keogh - "Interview with Sara and Stu Pt. 1" - Techtonic [0:02:17] GLaDOS from Portal (Ellen McLain) - "Still Alive" - Portal 2: Songs to Test By [0:29:40] Brendan Keogh - "Interview with Sara and Stu Pt. 2" - Techtonic [0:32:22] The Sound - "New Dark Age" - From the Lions Mouth [0:56:41] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/155264

08-18
01:08:02

Adam Becker, author, "More Everything Forever" from Aug 11, 2025

Adam Becker, author, "More Everything Forever" Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Adam Becker" [0:03:49] - "Mark's comments" [0:45:18] The Flaming Ember - "Robot in a Robot's World" [0:53:47] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/154965

08-11
01:05:06

Three emerging dystopias: money, water, and truth from Jul 28, 2025

Three emerging dystopias: money, water, and truth Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - n/a - "Mark's comments" Kirk Pearson - "Bio Magnification" - n/a [0:21:33] - "Mark's comments" [0:22:30] Kirk Pearson - "Bio Magnification" - n/a [0:33:46] - "Mark's comments" [0:35:33] Casey & Strick - "Read A Book" - n/a [0:53:02] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/154555

08-10
01:05:12

Duncan Moench on "soylent screens" and producerism from Jul 14, 2025

Duncan Moench on "soylent screens" and producerism Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Duncan Moench" [0:04:36] - "Mark's comments" [0:46:15] Posthuman - "The Screens Of Our Lives" [0:55:10] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/153977

08-10
01:05:20

Ed Park, author, "An Oral History of Atlantis" from Aug 4, 2025

Ed Park, author, "An Oral History of Atlantis" Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - n/a - "Interview with Ed Park" Donovan - "Atlantis" - single [0:53:44] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/154814

08-09
01:05:38

Daniel Solove, author, "On Privacy and Technology" from Jul 21, 2025

Daniel Solove, author, "On Privacy and Technology" Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" [0:00:04] - "Mark's intro" - "Interview with Daniel Solove" [0:03:11] - "Mark's comments" [0:44:53] The Metronomes - "A Circuit Like Me" [0:54:31] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/154339

07-21
01:06:03

Burn Hollywood Burn - Will AI save the movies? Dan Morfitt fills in with guest John Ashbrook from Jul 7, 2025

Music behind DJ: An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn - "Audio from the motion picture trailer" [0:00:00] Music behind DJ: Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" [0:00:48] Music behind DJ: Dan Morfitt with guest John Ashbrook - "Pt 1" [0:01:25] David Bowie - "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" [0:23:17] Music behind DJ: Dan Morfitt with guest John Ashbrook - "Pt 2" [0:29:36] Leftfield feat John Lydon - "Open Up" [0:51:38] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/153771

07-07
01:08:26

Compulsory surveillance and other threats from Jun 30, 2025

Compulsory surveillance and other threats Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's comments" 8X8 (Lane Steinberg & Alex Khodchenko) - "Are You Gaslighting Me, Alexa?" [0:53:33] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/153625

06-30
01:04:38

Lori Emerson, author, "Other Networks" from Jun 23, 2025

Lori Emerson, author, "Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook" Kirk Pearson - "Theme from Techtonic" - "Mark's intro" [0:03:34] - "Interview with Lori Emerson" [0:07:27] - "Mark's comments" [0:44:22] Kirk Pearson - "Modem of Home" [0:57:29] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/153378

06-23
01:08:48

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