Guests like James Fox, Bryce Zabel, and Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka discuss interesting topics such as the evolution of humans and close encounters, the complicated relationship between UFO experiences and media portrayal, and coincidences and synchronicities in UFO research. The speakers also reflect on the impact of COVID-19 and share their excitement for meeting someone at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Eric Wargo, an author exploring art's connection to precognition, joins J.F. Martel, who delves into symbolism and the uncanny. They discuss how art can predict the future, intertwining personal experiences with cultural narratives. The conversation covers the role of shamanism in creativity, the impact of cinematic techniques on our perception of time, and even the link between art and UFO phenomena. Their insights on intuition and artistic expression reveal a transformative view of how we navigate reality and human consciousness.

Exploring Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Masque of the Red Death' with guests from Weird Studies podcast, they discuss weird fiction's allure and mood creation. The hosts also delve into a data-driven birthday orgy and explore the concept of modern sex symbols. From decadence in fiction to societal collapse, the podcast covers a wide range of intriguing topics.

Jim talks with Michael Garfield and J.F. Martel about the intersection of AI and art... Jim talks with Michael Garfield and J.F. Martel about the intersection of AI and art. They discuss DALL-E & Midjourney, whether conscious agency is necessary for art, artifice vs discernment, Jung's synchronicity, AI art as dreaming, discernment & consecration, the modern vs the algorithmic self, the CIA's role in funding abstract expressionism, the imaginal aspect & Walter Benjamin's historicity, Borges's Library of Babel & problems with infinity, biological reproduction as the central technological issue, the tension between prediction and understanding, art's inherent unpredictability, garage bands, noise & play in artistic creativity, returning to the analog world, and much more. Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice, by J.F. Martel Weird Studies (podcast) Future Fossils (podcast) "AI Art Isn't Art," by Erik Hoel "An Oral History of The End of 'Reality'," by Michael Garfield "The Work of Art in the Age of Biocybernetic Reproduction," by W.J.T. Mitchell Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now, by Douglas Rushkoff "The Future Is Noisy," by Michael Garfield JRS EP130 - Ken Stanley on Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned "Harnessing Chaos and Predicting the Unpredictable with A.I." (video lecture), Michelle Girvan @ SFI Artist and philosopher Michael Garfield helps people navigate our age of accelerating weirdness and cultivate the curiosity and play we'll need to thrive in it. As host and producer of both Future Fossils Podcast & The Santa Fe Institute's Complexity Podcast, Michael acts as interlocutor for a worldwide community of artists, scientists, and philosophers — a practice fed by and and feeding back into his fifteen years of synthetic and transdisciplinary "mind-jazz" performances in the form of essay, avant-guitar, and live painting. Bearing the standard for a new generation of mystic-scholars and refusing to be enslaved by a single perspective, creative medium, or intellectual community, Michael walks through the walls between academia and festival culture, theory and practice — speaking and performing everywhere from Moogfest to Burning Man, SXSW to Boom Festival, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia to Long Now's Ignite Talks to The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors while raising two kids. J.F. Martel is a Canadian writer, filmmaker, and podcaster. He is the author of Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice, published in 2015 by Evolver Editions. In addition to making several dramatic short films, he has worked as screenwriter and director on numerous television documentary programs for French and English broadcasters, in Canada and abroad. With musicologist Phil Ford, Martel co-hosts Weird Studies, an arts and philosophy podcast. His Twitter handle is @jf_martel.

The podcast explores the disappearance of rituals in modern society, focusing on community, closure, death, authenticity, and nostalgia for the 1980s. It delves into the significance of rituals in fostering meaning, the impact of authenticity on individualism and community, and the evolving societal emphasis on internal emotional experiences. The discussion also highlights the need to engage with diverse experiences for personal growth and reflects on societal shifts from the analog era to the digital age.