Dystopia Now

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/

San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston joins the discussion, known for his advocacy on tenant's rights and opposition to tech billionaires. He delves into how these tech-rich elites manipulate local politics through deceitful campaigns. Preston highlights the clash between progressive policies and dark money's influence on housing issues. He discusses challenges facing low-income communities and critiques zoning laws that favor market-driven solutions. The conversation reveals the ongoing struggle for genuine progressive values amid the tech-driven political landscape.

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. 

Delve into the cult-like aspects of the Zizians within the rationalist community. Explore their alarming ideologies tied to Effective Altruism and AI safety. Discover the psychological impact of the unsettling thought experiment, Roko's Basilisk, and its ethical dilemmas. Learn how doom circles echo manipulative cult techniques, culminating in tensions among rationalists living life on sailboats. The discussion warns of the dangerous convictions held by apocalyptic movements, shedding light on the consequences of their extreme beliefs.

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

In this discussion, Adam Becker, an astrophysicist and science journalist behind 'More Everything Forever,' challenges the grand narratives pushed by Silicon Valley. He critiques the fantasies of Mars colonization, AI sentience, and digital immortality as veils for control rather than science. With humor, Becker dismantles the elitist ideologies of tech billionaires, urging us to confront earthly realities over distant dreams. His insights on artificial intelligence and the human condition remind us of the limits imposed by nature and the folly of our technological arrogance.

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.  

Dive into the unconventional world of pro-natalist parenting with Simone and Malcolm Collins, who raise their kids on an AI diet. They discuss controversial topics like AI resurrection ethics, including an AI version of Parkland victim Joaquin Oliver. The couple shares insights on declining birth rates and the push for larger families, while also critiquing tech's influence on parenting. Expect thought-provoking debates on AI's role, dystopian ideologies, and the necessity of human interaction alongside cutting-edge technology.

Dive into the disturbing world of the Zizians, a fringe group that spiraled into violence from the rationalist community. Discover how a blend of utilitarianism and accelerationist ideology led them to justify brutal acts in pursuit of a supposed greater good. Hear about their unsettling fixation on AI doom and the bizarre tactics employed to evade justice, including one individual's attempt to feign unconsciousness. This chilling tale unveils how a cult within a cult turned into a national news sensation.