RUSHKOFF Adam McKay: We've Already Left the Holocene
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Jul 1, 2026 
Adam McKay, Academy Award–winning filmmaker and cultural critic, offers a big-picture diagnosis of our era. He links human social limits, the end of the Holocene, and media-driven illusions. Short, sharp takes cover climate tipping points, geoengineering Hail Marys, the role of comedy and local social networks, and why unplugging from digital abstraction matters.
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We're Living Post‑Holocene Climate Reality
- We have exited the Holocene: current warming (~1.5–2°C and rising) means climate regimes that enabled agriculture are collapsing.
- McKay warns at ~2.3°C organized agriculture risks collapse, forcing societal re-adaptation.
Media Exploits Tribal Brain For Control
- Modern marketing and politics exploit pre‑Holocene tribal instincts, triggering fear of outsiders and resource scarcity.
- McKay shows anti‑immigrant rhetoric leverages hunter‑gatherer threat responses tied to Dunbar dynamics.
Make Politics Look More Fun Than Theirs
- Use culture, humor, and visible joy to counter authoritarian narratives and win hearts.
- Douglas Rushkoff advises left‑leaning movements to host barbecues, raves, and social events that look more fun than the opposition.