Society In Question

Lasana is an associate professor of experimental psychology at the University College London where he runs the boundaries of social cognition lab. In addition to exploring the content of his 2017 book, Invisible Mind: Flexible Social Cognition and Dehumanization, we also explore how these concepts are in play in modern society, especially as it relates to the culture wars and societal issues. 

Pixel describes herself as "a reformed childhood spy, ex ballet dancer, Neopets millionare and forensic psychology degree holder" who makes "average opinionated political/current event/educational content." 

In this episode, we dive into Pixel's opinions are and what it's like to be one of the small percentage of people in the world who make their living on Twitch (and even more remarkable, does it by having difficult conversations!). 

I recently wrote an essay exploring "How Ideological Extremists Are Undermining Their Own Goals" and I thought for this episode I would try something a little different, exploring this essay as a solo podcast. 

The main focus of that essay (and therefore this episode) is dedicated to showcasing how the hostility of the "us" vs "them" dynamic that is currently dominating the culture wars, both in the streets and online, is neurobiologically counter-productive. I explore how the stress, fear, anxiety, and sense of social rejection brought about by this approach actually makes people incapable of empathizing with, learning about, and being supportive of your movement, and instead increases radicalism in a way that worsens society for everyone. 

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Let me know using the contact options explained below if you liked this solo content or if you much prefer the interviews. 

In this episode we sit down with Eric Kuafmann, a professor of politics at Birkbeck College, University of London who commonly writes on the dynamics of demographic change. In this episode we discuss these ideas as they relate to his 2018 book White Shift, which explores how immigration and populism will play out as we navigate a future where white people steadily become the minority. This naturally takes us on a journey through your typical culture-war-like topics, including identity politics, bipartisanship, self-censorship in the universities, and much more.

In this episode, I'm joined by Colin Wright, who is an evolutionary biologist and the managing editor at Quillette--the online magazine dedicated to free thought. We discuss the sex and gender debate currently dominating much of social justice zeitgeist, which includes exploring the legal and cultural ramifications of those who seek to step outside society’s traditional definitions of male and female.

In this episode, my good friend Donovan returns to answer questions randomly selected from a list of philosophical questions we found online. This takes us on a meandering tour through topics such as self-deception, self-actualization, immortality, suffering vs meaning, religion's place in the world, the downfall of human civilization, binary thinking, climate change, the failures of our government, the culture wars, and much more. 

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020)

In this episode we sit down with social scientist and political theorist, Justin Murphy, who spent five years as a lecturer at the University of Southampton before realizing that academia was ironically stifling his ability to be a truly creative and productive freethinker. Upon this realization, he set his focus on online content creation. This resulted in a very active presence on Twitter, as well as a Youtube channel, a podcast, a book about French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, and now an exclusive and burgeoning online community specifically created for independent and ambitious thinkers.

Our conversation in this podcast deals heavily with this journey of Justin's, his thoughts on the pros and cons of academia for the young and ambitious, as well as the many lessons he's learned along the way. If you're looking to get insight into what works and doesn't work in the world of online content creation, especially for intellectuals, then this might be one for you.

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020)

On this episode, we're joined by Aella, previously one of the world's top-paid cam girls who is now a prominent figure in the online intellectual community. We enjoy an incredibly playful conversation surrounding her background, social dynamics, authenticity, and enlightenment.

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020)

On this episode I'm joined by the ever-articulate scholar, Erik Davis, who wrote one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time: Techgnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (seriously, it's remarkable). Erik also recently released a new book, High Weirdness, that explores the psychedelic spirituality of Robert Anton Wilson, Philip K Dick, and Terrance Mckenna. In addition to discussing these brilliant works, Erik and I dig deep into the chaos the Coronavirus is unleashing upon humanity, and how the lessons learned by psychonauts have never been more useful than they are now for this surreal moment in human history.

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In this episode, I'm joined by Donovan James and Jay Mutzafi, two friends who I meet with several times a month for challenging and thought-provoking conversations. You can expect to see them as frequent guests on the show discussing myriad topics, but this time around we focus on climate change, basic income, and longevity. This takes us through many subtopics of relevance, such as veganism, incentives, and the fear of death.

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend, Donovan James, who kicks off the conversation by asking me why I decided to start this podcast. This takes us on a massive tour through many of the current controversies and challenges facing our society, but ultimately focuses on one key idea: we absolutely need to embrace the discomfort of nuance and dialogue between opposing factions if we are going to make humanistic progress as a species.