Urgent Futures with Jesse Damiani

Dec 11 2024 36 ep. 101 mins 3
Urgent Futures with Jesse Damiani Podcast artwork

Welcome to the Urgent Futures Podcast, the show that finds signal in the noise. Each episode, I sit down with leading thinkers for dialogues that clarify the chaos, from culture to the cosmos.

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Peter Brannen: What You Need to Know About the Five Mass Extinctions (to Understand the Sixth Extinction) | #36

Dec 11 2024 112 mins  
What are the most extreme extinction events in Earth's history? And what should we learn from them to avoid a similar fate? Today's guest, Peter Brannen, is an expert in these extinctions, having written one of the key books on the topic, The Ends of the World.It’s an invigorating read, in part because you really confront the raw power and volatility of this planet—and because

Phoebe Barnard: The Human Behavioral Crisis is the Coordination Problem Underlying Overshoot and Climate Crisis | #35

Dec 04 2024 76 mins  
Humanity is in a state of ecological overshoot—put simply: we use more than the Earth can support. In many ways, this is the primary problem of modern human civilization. But driving this problem is a fundamental 'human behavioral crisis.' Understanding this is critical—and Phoebe Barnard, today's guest, can explain why.Support the show by checking out these Black Friday Deals:

Rodolfo Dirzo: Understanding Mass Extinctions, The Gift of Biodiversity, Plant-Animal Relationships, and 'Defaunation' | #34

Nov 27 2024 99 mins  
We all know extinctions are bad—but extinctions aren't a yes or no question, they're a spectrum. That's why we need to understand the idea of 'defaunation,' a term coined by today's guest, legendary conservation scientist Rodolfo Dirzo.Support the show by checking out these Black Friday Deals: ZBiotics (Decrease impact of hangovers. Code: JESSEDAMIANI for 10% off), MUD\WTR (50% o

Harry Yeff (Reeps100): The Future of the Voice—Human, Machine, & Otherwise | #33

Nov 20 2024 123 mins  
What is the future of voice? Where does AI fit in? Listen on!Support the show by checking out: ZBiotics (Decrease impact of hangovers. Code: JESSEDAMIANI for 10% off), MUD\WTR (43% off starter kits), 1Password (simplify your life and increase digital safety), Mission Farms CBD (healthy, effective CBD for relief, sleep, and wellbeing—25% off with email), NordVPN (the simplest way

Simon Michaux: Is the Green Transition Doomed? Why We Need the 'Purple Transition' Instead | #32

Nov 14 2024 144 mins  
Transitioning off of fossil fuels is critical for our survival, but what if the solutions we're racing to develop (solar, wind, etc.) aren't actually sustainable? What happens if we don't have enough minerals to service the energy demand our current projections say we'll need to?My guest today is Simon Michaux, and his proposal is that we ditch the 'Green Transition' in favor of th

Trump's Election, the End of the World Order as We Know It, & Where We Go From Here | Urgent Futures Rapid Response #1

Nov 12 2024 15 mins  
What does the election of Donald Trump mean for America and the world? And what can we do about it?This is not the post-election episode I’d hoped to do. I imagined I’d be doing an episode where I talked through the progressive ideals that didn’t make their way into the Harris campaign, and strategies + tactics we could use to hold the Harris administration accountable to the

Bradley Rydholm: Why Nature is Metal—and Why it's Not | #31

Oct 31 2024 132 mins  
How can humans deepen our relationship(s) with nature without anthropomorphizing or flattening it? Seeing the natural world in all its messiness, contradictions, & wonder.Welcome to the Urgent Futures podcast, the show that finds {signals} in the noise. Each week, I sit down with leading thinkers whose research, concepts, and questions clarify the chaos, from culture to the cosmos.

Renée DiResta: The Evolution of Propaganda & its 'Invisible Rulers': Influencers, Algorithms, & Crowds | #30

Oct 23 2024 99 mins  
Propaganda and the game of influence have evolved with the rise of social media. Who's winning that game—and who is losing?Welcome to the Urgent Futures podcast, the show that finds {signals} in the noise. Each week, I sit down with leading thinkers whose research, concepts, and questions clarify the chaos, from culture to the cosmos.My guest this week is Renée DiResta.Support t

Philip V. McHarris: A World Beyond Police—Utopia? | #29

Oct 16 2024 72 mins  
Imagine a world without police. Would we be safe?Welcome to the Urgent Futures podcast, the show that finds {signals} in the noise. Each week, I sit down with leading thinkers whose research, concepts, and questions clarify the chaos, from culture to the cosmos.My guest this week is Professor Philip V. McHarris.Support the show by checking out: ZBiotics (Decrease impact of hangover

Taryn Southern: The Peril & Promise of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), Generative AI, and Spatial Computing | #28

Oct 09 2024 118 mins  
How close are brain-computer interfaces? And how big of a deal is AI, really?Welcome to the Urgent Futures podcast, the show that finds {signals} in the noise. Each week, I sit down with leading thinkers whose research, concepts, and questions clarify the chaos, from culture to the cosmos.My guest this week is Taryn Southern.Support the show by checking out: ZBiotics (Decrease impa