Eugene Thacker

Dominic Pettman and Eugene Thacker discuss the sadness of the universe and the implications of climate change. They explore the concept of sadness beyond human emotion, the influence of social media on emotions, and the portrayal of sadness in modern media. The conversation touches on philosophical and political concepts related to the general economy of sadness and global surplus distribution.

Horror, fashion, and the end of the world … In this episode, first aired in 2014, but maybe even more relevant today, things get weird as we explore the undercurrents of thought that link nihilists, beard-stroking philosophers, Jay-Z, and True Detective. Today on Radiolab, a puzzle. Jad’s brother-in-law wrote a book called 'In The Dust of This Planet'. It’s an academic treatise about the horror humanity feels as we realize that we are nothing but a speck in the universe. For a few years nobody read it. But then … It seemed to show up on True Detective.   Then in a fashion magazine.   And then on Jay-Z's back. How?  We talk nihilism with Eugene Thacker & Simon Critchley, leather jackets with June Ambrose, climate change with David Victor, and hope with the father of Transcendental Black Metal - Hunter Hunt Hendrix of the band Liturgy. Also, check out WNYC Studio's On the Media episode Staring into the Abyss, in it Brooke Gladstone and Jad Abumrad continue their discussion of nihilism and its place in history. You can find Eugene Thacker's 'In The Dust Of the Planet' at Zero Books Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today.     Radiolab is on YouTube! Catch up with new episodes and hear classics from our archive. Plus, find other cool things we did in the past — like miniseries, music videos, short films and animations, behind-the-scenes features, Radiolab live shows, and more. Take a look, explore and subscribe!

Eugene Thacker, author of the Horror of Philosophy series, discusses the relationship between philosophy and supernatural horror. Topics explored include unhuman thinking, creative misreadings, contradictions in philosophy, decomposition in the horror genre, upcoming book on cosmic pessimism, and musical inspirations.