Rephonic
Artwork for Dystopia Now
Elon Musk
Artificial Intelligence
Transhumanism
Silicon Valley
Surveillance Capitalism
Long-Termism
Space Exploration
Climate Change
Mass Surveillance
Mars
Jeff Bezos
Eugenics
Effective Altruism
Privacy
Psychedelics
Copaganda
Democracy
O'neill Cylinders
Tech Industry
Peter Thiel

Dystopia Now is a show where a comedian (Kate Willett) and an academic (Emile Torres) explore the philosophies and religions of Silicon Valley and tech billionaires shaping our country, our world, and our future.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes45Founded10 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureNewsTech News

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Artwork for Dystopia Now

Latest Episodes

In a 2-part series on Jeffery Epstein, we'll explore Epstein's ties to the TESCREAL ideologies. This week though, we're talking about his ties to one of our intellectual heroes who really let us down.

Further reading:

• Émile's article "Noam Ch... more

Support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/c/dystopianow

How did Émile get involved in Effective Altruism and what was it like beginning to turn away? In this week's episode, we touch on Palantir CEO Alex Karp's political journey, a rev... more

This week, we're joined by Adam Aleksic, also known as @etymologynerd to discuss his new book Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language. We talk everything from 67, slop, rationalists versus post-rationalists, teleology, vib... more

This week, we dive into the horrifying world of Eliezer Yudkowsky, AI Doomer, Rationalist, and Harry Potter fan fiction author in light of his recently published NYT bestseller with Nate Soares, "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies."

Further reading... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Adam Aleksic
Author of Algospeak and known as an etymology nerd
Episode: Algospeak, Vibes, and Post-Rats with Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd)
Eoin Higgins
Journalist and author of 'Owned'
Episode: How Tech Billionaires Bought the Narrative with Eoin Higgins
Josh Gondelman
Stand-up comedian and writer, known for his work on Last Week Tonight and his special Positive Reinforcement
Episode: Is Saving Shrimps Effective Altruism? w/ Guest Comedian Josh Gondelman
Dean Preston
Statewide housing advocate in California, tenant's rights attorney, and activist.
Former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Episode: The Astroturf Agenda with Dean Preston
Adam Becker
Author with a PhD in computational cosmology
Episode: "These F*cking People" with Adam Becker
Malcolm Collins
Pro-natalist advocate and co-founder of a foundation promoting natalism.
Episode: Simone and Malcolm Collins: TESCREAL Parents
Simone Collins
Pro-natalist advocate and co-founder of a foundation promoting natalism.
Episode: Simone and Malcolm Collins: TESCREAL Parents
Nick Rodelo
Staff writer at Dropsite
Dropsite
Episode: Tech and Hasbara
Kiera Havens
Executive director of Citizen's Impeachment, writer
Citizen's Impeachment
Episode: Tech and Hasbara

Hosts

Kate Willett
Comedian and co-host, known for her sharp wit and insightful humor, bringing a critical lens on the intersection of society and technology.
Emile Torres
Academic and co-host, offering expert analysis on philosophical and ethical issues arising from technological advancements.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 298 ratings
  • Why bother

    Looking for actual insight or information on complex/obscure topics? Keep moving. But if you’re looking for very shallow analysis and reinforcement of your priors plus mockery and snark (“comedy”, I guess?) here’s your show!

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Caldrid
    United Statesa month ago
  • Fun experience

    I was feeling depressed so I decided to listen to this to make me feel something. The bad arguments delivered in a sneering manner irritated me, so my experiment was successful.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Yjneb3
    United States2 months ago
  • Emile and Kate deliver insight into the minds of our nation's wealthiest tech billionaires and how their corrupted power is actively influencing our society. The information is thoroughly explained and delivered with wit and humor. I find my jaw drops at least once per episode.

    Audible
    5
    N Joy
    United States3 months ago
  • Insightful Show

    Kate and Émile bring insight and humor while enlightening the audience about some truly scary beliefs of the tech right. Also, sound production gets much better in recent episodes.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WiseManPhere
    United States4 months ago
  • Fav new podcast

    Hosts are excellent. Lots of good guests so far. The show is engaging and I always learn something!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Az152856sh
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Hosts are engaging and bring a good mix of humor and critical analysis.
Listeners appreciate the humorous approach to complex topics, though some express interest in deeper analysis.
Provides insightful commentary on tech and social issues that resonate with current societal challenges.
The blend of comedy and academic critique appeals to a broad audience interested in societal implications of technology.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Algospeak, Vibes, and Post-Rats with Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd)
Q: Is there really teleological language shaped by top-down influences?
Aleksic clarifies that language evolves based on algorithmic incentives rather than individual decisions.
Algospeak, Vibes, and Post-Rats with Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd)
Q: Do you think that people have more words in their active vocabulary these days than in the past?
He argues that while we may lose some specific terms, we gain new words for modern phenomena.
Algospeak, Vibes, and Post-Rats with Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd)
Q: What about linguistics drew you to the field?
Aleksic explains that etymology involves exploring how our minds relate to each other and how language categorizes our reality.
The Astroturf Agenda with Dean Preston
Q: How do you see the current political landscape affecting housing?
There's been a shift. Everyone from the mayor to the governor, now to the president, saying, no, no, no, what we need to do is just run around and be arresting people.
The Astroturf Agenda with Dean Preston
Q: What do you think their actual problem with you in office was?
That I taxed them.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Dystopia Now

What is Dystopia Now about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content focuses on critiquing the influence of Silicon Valley's ideologies, particularly those propagated by tech billionaires. Key topics include effective altruism, artificial intelligence, the sociopolitical landscape surrounding technology, and ongoing discussions about ethics in tech. Episodes often feature humor and insightful commentary on complex societal issues, engaging with both philosophical perspectives and real-world implications. With a blend of academic critique and comedic relief, it aims to inform listeners about significant cultural currents driven by the tech industry while keeping discussions accessible and engaging.

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How many subscribers and views does Dystopia Now have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Dystopia Now has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Dystopia Now?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Dystopia Now:

1. The Nerd Reich
2. Tech Won't Save Us
3. This Machine Kills
4. Kill The Computer
5. Citations Needed

How many episodes of Dystopia Now are there?

Dystopia Now launched 10 months ago and published 45 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Dystopia Now?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Dystopia Now?

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What guests have appeared on Dystopia Now?

Recent guests on Dystopia Now include:

1. Adam Aleksic
2. Eoin Higgins
3. Josh Gondelman
4. Dean Preston
5. Adam Becker
6. Malcolm Collins
7. Simone Collins
8. Nick Rodelo

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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