Conversations

A conversation with Meta-Modern Homesteader, Jason Snyder— Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers! Last month we traveled to the outskirts of Boone, NC to sit down with Jason Snyder. Jason is yet another Twitter mutual that we had the pleasure of finally meeting in person. We also were joined by previous podcast guest Ashley Colby, who was visiting the US from Uruguay. Not only did we travel to record this podcast with Jason, but also to film what it is like to be a budding homesteader and a “Dommer Optimist.” We are in the midst of creating a short film based on both of those embodied ways of life, but below is a little preview. More to come by the end of the year! Both Jason and Ashley have helped open our eyes to some of the folly of techno-optimism, and its discontents, but both have also been humble enough to not completely fall down the slippery slope of the worst kinds of techno-pessimism. There is a tension there that needs to be explored, discussed, and experimented with. Enter Wendell Berry and Doomer Optimism. Doomer + Optimism = Navigating civilizational collapse (literally & metaphorically) Our conversation with Jason was as wide-ranging as the colors of fall leaves in the Appalachian mountains. We talked about regenerative food systems, bioregionalism, and teaching at Appalachian State University, amongst other topics. We thank Jason for his time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra! -- Timestamps: Who, or what, influenced your curiosity growing up? (02:58) Questioning neo-classical economic models  (13:12) Publishing papers, academic publishing, and development issues (23:07) Technopoly, Techno-Optimism, Techno-Pessimism, and Techno-Realism (40:37) Energy use, bioregionalism, and collective decision making, (49:03) Life as a budding homesteader (58:22) What is Doomer Optimism? (01:07:42) Doomer Optimism Vocabulary: Cosmopolitan Localism, Solar Punk, and Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth  (01:10:27) The Doomer Optimist Collective (01:16:47) Jason’s answer to The Overview Effect questions (01:22:02) -- More on Jason Snyder: Twitter: @cognazor Teacher Profile: https://sd.appstate.edu/directory/jason-snyder-phd Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vlhs0XQAAAAJ&hl=en -- More on Eclectic Spacewalk: Subscribe to Substack Newsletter https://eclecticspacewalk.substack.com/ Listen to all podcasts on Anchor https://anchor.fm/eclecticspacewal Watch all podcasts on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Follow Eclectic Spacewalk on Twitter https://twitter.com/ESpacewalk Eclectic Spacewalk Website https://www.eclecticspacewalk.com/

A conversation with CEO of Loyal, Celine Halioua— Celine is the founder and CEO of Loyal for Dogs. Loyal is a company working to develop therapies that treat the underlying causes of aging in dogs. All in hopes of coming at the “human longevity” problem from a different, albeit furrier, angle. Celine has a background in venture capital, neuroscience, and was once chief of staff to Laura Deming at the Longevity Fund before founding her own startup. Our conversation was as wide-ranging as the difference between a Golden Retriever and a Chihuahua. We discussed what biotech is, how to build a biotech company, and what the benefits of increased funding in biotech would mean for the future of not just dogs, but humans. Loyal recently completed its first clinical study and announced a $27 mil funding round. We also talked about preventative and curative medicine, along with one of Celine’s main reasons why she is playing a part in spearheading the longevity fight, as well as the question of the importance and benefits of socialized healthcare. We thank Celine for her time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra! -- Timestamps: Celine’s eclectic and cosmopolitan international upbringing (02:44) Celine’s growth through academia, hardships, and hierarchies (07:44) Celine’s journey as Laura Deming’s Chief of Staff to founding a company of her own and looking for her own right-hand person (16:50) The difference between biotechnology and pharma (25:44) How I raised an $11M seed as a first-time, female, solo founder for a biotech moonshot (34:44) What is the goal and thesis of Loyal? (40:44) Help build a playbook for scientists becoming operators/startup founders, and become a 99th percentile operator myself (47:17) Celine’s philosophy on the relationship between animals & humans (56:14) Celine’s experience with different healthcare systems (59:04) Celine’s answer to the Overview Effect (01:04:06) -- More on Celine Halioua: Celine’s Website: https://www.celinehh.com/ Celine’s Twitter: @celinehalioua Loyal’s Website: https://loyalfordogs.com/ Loyal’s Twitter: @loyalfordogs -- More on Eclectic Spacewalk: Subscribe to Substack Newsletter https://eclecticspacewalk.substack.com/ Listen to all podcasts on Anchor https://anchor.fm/eclecticspacewal Watch all podcasts on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Follow Eclectic Spacewalk on Twitter https://twitter.com/ESpacewalk Eclectic Spacewalk Website https://www.eclecticspacewalk.com/

A conversation with Researcher, Speaker, and Writer, Samo Burja— Last month we sat down with Samo Burja. Samo is a researcher, speaker, and writer. He is also the founder of Bismarck Analysis, a research fellow at the Long Now Foundation, and a senior research fellow in political science at the Foresight Institute. Samo has previous bylines in City Journal, Palladium Magazine, and The National Interest. It is refreshing, and desperately needed, in today’s filter bubbled world to see a unique blend of historical synthesis that is both academic and respected while being critical from a nuanced contrarian position. Samo’s expertise on institutional and societal decline will only become handier as we march headlong into the Anthropocene epoch. Our conversation was wide-ranging as we discussed Samo’s unique journey, the explosion of knowledge transfer through YouTube, and how different cultures have different relationships with their technologies. We riffed on writing as part of public discourse, the difference between live vs. dead players, and how we can really learn from history, our past, and our ancestors. We also discussed his consulting firm Bismarck Analysis, and “building long-term partnerships with select clients who aim to make a difference in the world.” We thank Samo for his time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra! -- Timestamps: Samo’s European travels helped foster his intellectual journey (05:29) Samo’s research fellowships at the Long Now Foundation & the Foresight Institute (10:42) YouTube’s role in the revolution of knowledge transfer (16:20) History as a discipline, and how different cultures see & shape society (23:38) Are we at the End of History as Francis Fukuyama posited? (33:39) How does travel and tourism, like going to Göbekli Tepe, influence how we interact with history? (39:49) Samo’s essay on how civilization is much older than we thought and his “Long Now” bet (50:29) Samo’s thesis & manuscript The Great Founder Theory (1:03:18) Founding Bismarck Analysis (01:11:33) Samo’s answer to the Overview Effect question (01:17:15) -- More on Samo Burja: Website: https://samoburja.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamoBurja Great Founder Theory: https://samoburja.com/gft/ Bismarck Analysis Website: https://www.bismarckanalysis.com/#/ Palladium Mag article on Göbekli Tepe: ​​https://palladiummag.com/2021/05/17/why-civilization-is-older-than-we-thought/ The YouTube Revolution in Knowledge Transfer: https://samoburja.com/the-youtube-revolution-in-knowledge-transfer/ Foresight Institute talk: Civilization: Institutions, Knowledge and the Future: https://youtu.be/OiNmTVThNEY -- More on Eclectic Spacewalk: Subscribe to Substack Newsletter https://eclecticspacewalk.substack.com/ Listen to all podcasts on Anchor https://anchor.fm/eclecticspacewal Watch all podcasts on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Follow Eclectic Spacewalk on Twitter https://twitter.com/ESpacewalk Eclectic Spacewalk Website https://www.eclecticspacewalk.com/

A conversation with Writer, Carey Baraka— This past month, I sat down with Carey Baraka. Carey is a writer from Kisumu, Kenya. Carey has bylines in publications such as Popula, Lithub, Foreign Policy, and Johannesburg Review of books. He also sings for a ‘secret choir’ in Nairobi. We came across Carey’s writing in his essay The failed promise of Kenya’s smart city. It is a thought-provoking article that draws from history, economics & political theory, along with connecting details only available to someone on the ground. “African governments keep burning money planning smart cities by following a McKinsey blueprint. But will any actually be completed?…" Our conversation was wide-ranging, illuminating, and a great example of us tripping over our own truths. We discussed Kenya’s geography and colonial past, along with how Carey grew up with many western influences, like Harry Potter.    Below are timestamps of the conversation to skip around (or just clear your mind and press play to hear a thoughtful conversation). We thank Carey for his time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra! -- Timestamps: “I am alive because my Kenyan great-grandfather quarantined 100 years ago and here we go again” (02:16) “Growing up in Kisumu, we were always aware of the train, but only in the back of our minds.” (06:09) Carey’s experience growing up in Kenya (14:09) Carey’s influences on his curiosity and learning development (20:29) Carey talks about roots, place, silence, memory, and identity (28:14) Carey’s writing & editing process, and how he channels his experiences & ‘the muse’ during flow states (41:14) Carey’s essay on Konza, Africa’s failed smart city (47:29) Carey’s push to highlight women African writers (57:29) Carey’s answer to ‘The Overview Effect’ question (01:06:31) -- More on Carey Baraka: Website: https://careybaraka.com/ Twitter: @CareyBaraka -- More on Eclectic Spacewalk: Subscribe to Substack Newsletter https://eclecticspacewalk.substack.com/ Listen to all podcasts on Anchor https://anchor.fm/eclecticspacewalk Watch all podcasts on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Follow Eclectic Spacewalk on Twitter https://twitter.com/ESpacewalk Eclectic Spacewalk Website https://www.eclecticspacewalk.com/

A conversation with Co-Founder of Rizoma School, Ashley Colby—   Last month we had the pleasure of sitting down with Ashley Colby. Ashley is an environmental sociologist, homesteader, and author. She is also the co-founder of Rizoma School and Executive Director at Rizoma Foundation and Loconomy Project.   After months of digital exchanges on Twitter, Ashley is yet another mutual from the digital sphere to come on the podcast to tell her unique story. We had such a good time riffing on a number of subjects that are parallel and intersecting with Eclectic Spacewalk’s interests. Our conversation was far-reaching, thought-provoking, and just all-around a fun time. We discussed energy sources, scales, agriculture, aggregate data, the power of myth & story, along with co-coining the term “Doomer Optimism,” amongst a number of other interesting topics. We thank Ashley for her time, research, and eclectic mind. We hope you enjoy the conversation! -- Timestamps: Cultural differences between the north & south sides of Chicago (04:54) Global supply chains, regenerative agricultural, grassroots movements, and intellectual humility by turning ‘Theory into Practice’ (11:52) Globalism, localism, and scales - ‘Local Practices & Global Principles’ (21:44) Transparency, economic structures, systems thinking, problem-solving, and continuing to push towards optimism (28:50) “Helping people move along the curve before they are forced to by doing a little bit each day” (38:29) Wendell Berry, Dr. Vandana Shiva, technological realism, and the fallacy of the Enlightenment (40:24) Technopoly, scientism, savior complexes, and the holy grail of fusion energy; the needed shift from recycling & renewables to regeneration in all areas (48:04) Her book: Subsistence Agriculture, running a homestead, school, and foundation based in Colonia, Uruguay (57:52) Doomer Optimism (Terms: Anthropocene, Cosmo-Localism, Updated Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, Managed Retreat, Solar Punk, Retroactive Public Goods Funding) (01:10:39) The power of mythmaking, creating impact through storytelling, ‘changing the narrative’ and finding meaning and belonging (01:22:14) “My only goal in doing digital media is to get people to integrate that experience and ask themselves: What is my thing that I love? What is the thing I can move toward? Who also loves the things that I love?” Ashley’s response to what she would say if she was experiencing the “Overview Effect” (01:30:44) -- More on Ashley Colby: Rizoma Foundation Loconomy Project Rizoma Field School Ashley’s book: Subsistence Agriculture in the US Twitter @RizomaSchool @RizomaFound @LoconomyNow

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers! Last month we had the pleasure of having a conversation with Jeremy Johnson. Jeremy is a scholar, writer, publisher (Revelore Press), editor (Integral Leadership Review), integral philosopher, and the founder of Nura Learning. Jeremy is also the host of the mutations podcast and is the author of Seeing Through the World: Jean Gebser and Integral Consciousness. Jeremy came to our attention, like most nowadays, through Twitter. Jeremy was a guest on late journalist Michael Brooks’ show and introduced us to the idea of Integral Consciousness. More recently, Jeremy wrote a chapter “Becoming the Planetary” in the newly printed Metamodernity: Dispatches from a Time Between Worlds: Crisis and emergence in metamodernity. In the episode, we talk to Jeremy about his academic and writing journey, including the above essay and his book Seeing Through the World. We discussed ‘The Overview Effect,’ planetary consciousness surrounding ‘the noosphere,’ ‘living during the Anthropocene,’ the need for some type of species/planetary level myth-making to navigate the troubling and unforgiving waters of metamodernity, amongst a number of other interesting topics. We thank Jeremy for his time, research, and eclectic mind. We hope you enjoy the conversation! -- Timestamps: Who were Jeremy’s earliest influences? (03:25) Catalytic Readings: “The key, I think, is a reading that provokes; a move from an observer of distant mental categories to participant in lived realities.” (12:01) What is meta-modernism? What does it mean to live in the "Anthropocene?” (33:25) Kim Stanley Robinson’s Ministry for the Future, Timothy Morton’s ‘Hyperobjects” like COVID, Climate Crisis, Military Industrial Complex, etc... (41:30) Living in a technological culture yet most do not get a sufficient enough education or tool kit to prosper within it, Globalization vs. Planetization, and ‘Doomer Optimism’ (51:00) Writing Seeing Through the World and Jean Gebser’s influence (60:21) “Kultuphilosophie: wherein he describes a “phenomenology of becoming consciousness” (01:11:40) Marshall Mcluhan, Neil Postman, and Jean Gebser’s ‘Structures’ (1:23:05) Parting Overview Effect Answer: (01:40:25) -- More on Jeremy Johnson: Seeing Through the World: Jean Gebser and Integral Consciousness Patreon ‘Mutations’ Blog Twitter NURA Learning

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers! Last week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Brent Cooper. Brent is an independent political sociologist, filmmaker, and the Founder and Executive Director of The Abs-Tract Organization. We came across Brent like most of the people that have come on ‘Conversations’ - through Twitter. Brent’s writing was our first introduction to him, as he lucidly and ruthlessly critiqued the Intellectual Dark Web, Game B, the meta/hyper modernism movements, and a lot of what was and is happening in our current political discourse. Brent's background includes growing up in Vancouver, a unique journey to and from academia and back again, starting the Abs-Tract Organization, as well as making a film of a - shall we say - “satirical” nature (check it out below). The Abs-Tract Organization ("TATO") is a meta-think tank formed to provide global solutions to systemic problems, specializing in "abstraction", an advanced thinking process and social critique with wide ranging applications. Our conversation was far-reaching, thought-provoking, and interesting to say the least.  We have included some of Bren’t best writing below, along with timestamps from our discussion. We thank Brent for his time, research, and eclectic mind. We hope you enjoy the conversation! -- Timestamps: Working in blue-collar jobs for 5 yrs between college and graduate school (07:00) Living in the Anthropocene epoch and the difference between Meta-modernism & Hyper-modernism (11:45) Timothy Morton’s Hyperobjects, Object-Oriented Ontology, and Modern Monetary Theory (16:55) “Key Logs”, keystone, technopoly, and other heuristics (24:45) Five favorite logical fallacies featured on Brent’s The Stoa lecture (33:05) Anti-Intellectualism, THAT Jordan Peterson vs. Slavoj Zizek, the IDW, Game B, & Anti-Debates (42:40) Our recent episode with Claire Webb, the Drake Equation, the Fermi Paradox, and the importance of collective action (58:40) the idea of “Systemic Conspiracy” (01:01:40) A critique on IRL and reductionist modalities (01:18:40) The Abs-Tract Organization (01:22:30) Brent’s message for his “Overview Effect” question (01:33:04) -- More on Brent Cooper: Website Patreon Academia.edu Twitter The Abs•Tract: Core Philosophy  Biography

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers! Last week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Claire Webb. Claire is a historian and anthropologist of science and currently a fellow of USC and the Berggruen Institute. Her research considers future-facing technoscientific objects since the postwar era in the United States. Her dissertation, from MIT’s HASTS program, Technologies of Perception: Searches for Life and Intelligence Beyond Earth is a history of, and current work on, scientific searches for extraterrestrial life. She has a long personal history of being around telescopes, even working with Breakthrough Listen - UC-Berkeley’s SETI research arm, and collaborating with none other than Jill Tarter. Jodie Foster’s rough characterization in the film Contact should jog your memory of who that is. Our conversation was far-reaching, thought-provoking, and exactly the type of conversation for us to get back into the podcasting swing of things again. We talked about Claire’s early inspirations, The Overview Effect and Earthrise photo, The Drake Equation/Fermi Paradox,  for E.T., and what type of techno futures we can imagine on worlds beyond Earth, amongst a number of other interesting topics. I thank Claire for her time, research, and eclectic mind. I hope you enjoy the conversation! -- Timestamps: Early influences, wanting to be an astronaut, and The Power of Ten short film (03:15) Dr. Jill Tarter’s inspiration, founding member of SETI (11:00) Claire’s academic journey (16:55) What are history, anthropology, and STS studies and how do they interact? (30:55) How should a layman think and interact with history unfolding? (42:15) Claire’s article Worlds Beyond Ours in NOEMA Mag (44:50) The Overview Effect, Earthrise photo, and how we see ourselves among the cosmos (58:04) MDRS Mars Analog Missions and “resonance” (1:04:30) The Drake Equation and The Fermi Paradox (1:14:05) Claire’s dissertation Technologies of Perception: Searches for Life and Intelligence Beyond Earth (01:24:35) Moving out to Los Angeles, USC & Berggruen Institute fellowships, and new research into feminist posthumanism. (01:52:15) That project asks: What are the computational processes scientists have used since the 1950s to configure software and hardware—assemblages that are shifting traditionally perceived thresholds of liveliness—to find novel forms of life beyond Earth? Claire would quote a poem by Sappho or Rainer Maria Rilke if she was experiencing the Overview Effect with the eyes of the world upon her. (01:58:10) More on Claire Webb: Website Twitter

A conversation with the founder of BlackPact.org, Tara Perry-- After a four-month hiatus due to COVID-19, we were finally able to record a podcast with Tara Perry, founder of BlackPact.org. Tara has been enormously helpful and a trusted friend in navigating the discussion of race in our present society over the last year. Shortly after the death of Nipsey Hussle in 2019, we reached out to Tara regarding some filming opportunities in oder to learn more about the community that just lost a hearo. The following months were a humbling journey in thinking and talking about race, priviledge, and whiteness that pointed to how entangles those subjects are not just in the United States, but around the world. Unfortunately, we were able to produce an event/concert in celebrating the life of Nipsey Hussle, but an important conversation had begun. A Political Action Committee or PAC's main focus is to use monied contributions to elect or defeat political individuals, but are capped at $5,000 for indivisuals and $15,000 for any national committee per year. Starting first as a PAC, BlackPact.org's ultimate goal would be to become a Super-PAC- which can give unlimited campaign contributions. "BLACK PACT is a Political Action Committee (PAC) committed to creating a social contract among Black American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) to be politically, economically and socially responsible for one another's interests as a cultural collective. We make a pact to organize the masses of our people and allies to push a political agenda that not only represent the members of our organization but to work against policies that adversely affect our communities. We are driven by a single goal; to push a political agenda that addresses the specific ills forces into our communities through slavery, the reconstruction era, Jim Crow, redlining and the prison industrial complex. Our decision-making process is informed by comprehensive empirical studies and high-quality data evaluations. We strive to make a positive impact on all of our pursuits." Tara and I discussed her upbringing and her first dealing with the concept of race, the ADOS (American Descendents of Slaves) movement, running as a write-in candidate for District 8 in Los Angeles, founding BlackPact.org, the history of Jim Crow and redlining, and gentrification's impact on the Black community among other topics. I thank Tara for her time, research, and eclectic mind. I hope you enjoy the conversation. -- Timestamps: -Who were your earliest influences? (02:31) -When was the first time you learned about race? (04:46) - What is the ADOS movement and what is its main goal? (11:34) -Watchmen, Black Wall St., Black Art, Slavery in "the land of the free" (14:31) - How had your concept of race changed after going to university and coming back to Los Angeles? (20:22) - The Color of Wealth Report (33:15) - Tara's experience running for elected office in LA's district 8 (42:19) - Homelessness, new Rams stadium & failed promise in local jobs, and recommendationsMalcolm impact (50:01) - Nipsey Hussle and celebrating black culture in the mainstream (59:08) - Tara moderated a panel called "Resurrecting Malcolm" and the wisdom we can attain from Malcom X in 2020 (01:07:12) -Eclectic Spacewalk's influences and Tara's reccomendations of others to research (01:16:07) - What is BlackPact's mission? (01:22:39) - What can be done about reconciling the harms of slavery? (01:29:51) - The New Jim Crow & the prison industrial complex (01:33:43) - What would you say to the World is you were experiencing "The Overview Effect?" (01:43:44) More on Tara Perry: BlackPact.org Website Instagram Bio

A conversation with Filmmaker Rob Harper— Last fall, while in London recording another podcast with Vinay Gupta, I had the supreme pleasure in interviewing director, producer, and screenwriter Rob Harper about his most recent film - Journey’s to the Edge of Consciousness. Take an animated trip into the depths of the human mind with three brave pioneers of the 1950’s/60’s Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary and Alan Watts. The film presents three psychedelic trips by these three world-famous authors that together changed them, and Western culture, forever. - via website The film follows three revolutionaries in the science of psychedelics: Timothy Leary, the disgraced Harvard professor who said “Turn on. Tune in. Drop out,” the renowned English author Aldous Huxley who later wrote about his trippy experience in Doors of Perception, and lastly Alan Watts, the philosopher who arguably was the main reason why eastern philosophy has became popular in western countries. Rob and I discussed his journey into the psychedelic realm, the film making process, and the promise of therapy among other topics. I thank Rob for his time, research, and eclectic mind.  Watch Journey's to the Edge of Consciousness at https://www.journeysmovie.com/ Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra! -- Timestamps: Stanislov Grof’s Realms of the Human Unconscious and Graham Hancock’s The War on Consciousness banned TED talk was two of Rob’s biggest influences in being interested in the subject of psychedelics (02:31) What does psychedelics have to do with consciousness? (05:13) Why did you partly animate the film? (10:53) How did you decide on which experts in the field to interview? (16:03) How did you keep the flow of the film fresh? (19:08) Tell us about the logistics & funding of the film making process. (21:53) How was the viewer’s journey of watching the film supposed to be intended? (24:12) “Fundamentally, this is not a film about psychedelics. In so many ways it is completely, but actually beyond that it’s not. It is a film about consciousness…This film is really about the painful process of making contact with yourself in a world where we are not invited to spend much time in contact with ourselves.” (27:03) Rob describes the “edge” of consciousness (29:28) How did you come up with the question: "What can expanded states of mind teach us about ourselves, the world and our place in it?" (32:58) How have perceptions on psychedelics changed in the last 5 years? (34:33) What does our psychedelic infused future look like? (38:23) How have your expectations changed throughout the film making process, and since it has been released? (43:53) What have you learned about yourself during this journey? (48:43) -- More on Rob Harper: Film’s Website: https://www.journeysmovie.com/ Film’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Journeys_Movie Rob’s IMBD: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1236148/