Rune Soup

This week, we speak to James Sullivan. James is a fellow podcaster and -more importantly- a fellow fan of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series. So these books form the through-line for a wide ranging discussion on the state of modern philosophy, theories of mind, the role of fantasy fiction and what might be called subversive, anarcho-pacifist self-transformation. Great stuff.   Show Notes James the Giant Podcast James on Twitter James on Facebook 

This week, we are speaking with Kenric McDowell. Kenric is a musician, public speaker, and AI curator for Google Research. We discuss AI, inevitably, but not from either a lurid ‘the world is ending’ way or from a 'techno-utopian jibber jabber' way. Instead we look at what the implications of AI are for personhood, a theory of technology and its appropriateness, and whether we’re teaching AI to think or AI is teaching us to. Very, very good times. Show Notes Kenric's website Kenric on Twitter Google's Artists and Machine Intelligence Programme Kenric's Gray Area presentation

As promised, and just in time, here's the July solo show. It was gonna be too annoying to have dropped a week for mere illness after 136 episodes delivered rain, hail, or shine in five countries, on boats, in hotel rooms, and so on. So! The broken run has been mended with a Mars Retrograde ghost story. Enjoy.

This week, we welcome the one and only Richard Dolan to the show. As you’re very likely aware, Richard is the author and publisher of many books in the UFO field, as well as a radio host, trained historian and gifted public speaker. We actually met out in the central Australian desert in May of this year and had the opportunity to chat about what’s right and what’s wrong with the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH). For those of you who are unaware, ETH is the model for UFO phenomena that asserts that a majority or possibly all cases -credible ones, at least- are best explained as encounters with beings from other planets… rather than, say, extra dimensional, demonic, spiritual, earth-based or under-earth entities that predate mankind and all the other non-ETH hypotheses. Anyway, splendid stuff.   Show Notes Richard Dolan Press Richard Dolan Members Richard on Youtube Richard on Twitter

Another solo show this week, inspired in part by Douglas Rushkoff's recent article on the grimness of the billionaire future. We play around with notions of technology and personhood and agency and morality and AI. Also hobbits. Enjoy.

This week, we welcome back to the show my good friend, Conner Habib. Writer, sex worker, activist, Anthroposophist and host of Against Everyone with Conner Habib. And the topics under discussion are how desire destroys materialism and what a cosmic or fully haunted activism might look like. Show Notes Against Everyone with Conner Habib. AEWCH Episode exploring how desire destroys materialism. Conner on Twitter.

This week we have one of my favourite discussions of the entire year. Joining us is Dr Diana Walsh Pasulka. Diana is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion. She is a specialist in Catholic history with a particular emphasis on the saints. Her current research sits in that really compelling intersection between psi, UFOs, technology and religion. We talk saintly powers, Marian apparitions, UFOs, Vatican archives, Jacques Vallée and all that top shelf stuff. So, so good. Show Notes Diana's website and Blog, American Cosmic American Cosmic on Facebook Diana's Academia Page Diana's interview with Jacques Vallée

In honour of a very special anniversary and in light of a new biographical series, Paul Weston returns to the show to regale us with his strange angelic blend of history, synchromystic analysis and personal adventure. Rockets, redheads, dianetics, Beat poets and the Babalon Working. It's all in this week's episode.  Show Notes Paul's website and blog Paul's Babalon Working presentation

This week sees the return of one of the show's most popular and only recurring episodes, our half-yearly catch-up with Austin Coppock. Yes, we are halfway through 2018 but is the dumpster halfway through burning or is it just about to hit some highly flammable medical waste? Let's find out. SHOW NOTES Austin's website. Austin's latest book, The Celestial Art. Austin on Twitter. Austin on Facebook.

This week we welcome to the show Sinéad Spearing. Sinéad is the author of the recently released Old English Medical Remedies. She joins us to talk about extracting ravens' eyes, the myriad uses of gall, hag attacks, the Nine Herbs Charm and many more of our favourite things. Great stuff. Show Notes Old English Medical Remedies. (US.) (UK.) Sinéad's website. Sinéad on Twitter.