Being in the World

In this spirited reunion, Tao Ruspoli welcomes back neuroscientist and writer Patrick House for a discursive meander through memory, addiction, architecture, mind control, and the seductive power of narrative. Recorded inside Tao’s newly finished Quonset hut in Yucca Valley, fresh from the seasonal migration to and from Bombay Beach, the episode unfolds like an improvised fugue—equal parts philosophical inquiry, campfire confession, and comedic eschatology.Together they explore the strange efficacy of hypnotherapy as Tao recounts his recent attempt to curb phone addiction with the help of a Bombay Beach practitioner named Fig. Patrick counters with his own story of self-invented ritual: “My Last Hundred Cigarettes,” a memoir-in-the-making that fuses constraint with narrative compulsion. What begins as a reflection on behavioral modification becomes an inquiry into the ontological status of placebo, the unconscious as moral engine, and the metaphorical terrain between desire and discipline.They talk about speciation by isolation, the etymology of "convivium," and the biological and philosophical implications of Bombay Beach as an aesthetic petri dish. The episode culminates in stories of murdered heiresses, screen-time shame, Mediterranean consciousness conferences, and the delightful absurdities of lives lived between logic and longing.Topics include: addiction as mythos, narrative as neuromodulation, Klaus von Bülow, modular architecture, hypnosis and the DSM, the nature of suggestion, and why every great podcast should be seasonal.

In this evocative and wide-ranging conversation, Tao Ruspoli is joined by artist, filmmaker, and systems architect Dulcinée DeGuere to unravel the conceptual fabric of Bombay Beach, Convivium, and the radical politics of community. From the ghostly traces of Georges Bataille’s Acéphale to the practical realities of water systems and website menus, the episode oscillates between myth and infrastructure, utopia and desert dust.

Together, they trace the emergence of The Bombay Beach Institute for Industrial Espionage & Post-Apocalyptic Studies, interrogating the role of systems in anarchic spaces and the necessity of form even in acts of resistance. Dulcinée offers a compelling meditation on leadership, queer futurity, the politics of occupation, and why structure—when wielded with love—can be liberating rather than oppressive.

The conversation becomes a lived example of “social sculpture,” as they discuss Convivium—a seasonal gathering and philosophical feast—where intimacy replaces spectacle and a new kind of aesthetic polity emerges. From critiques of neo-colonial utopias to a defense of being a “corporate bitch” in the service of radical imagination, this episode is both a blueprint and a love letter for those seeking alternatives to the dominant order.

Topics include: Acéphale and regicide, Bombay Beach as a post-capitalist petri dish, decentralized art-making, systemic insurgency, the queering of public space, and what it means to retire—if only briefly—from capitalism.

B. Scot Rousse ("B") is a philosopher focused on existential phenomenology and its applications to AI. He holds a PhD from Northwestern University and is currently a visiting researcher at Topos Institute in Berkeley, a visiting scholar in philosophy at UC Berkeley, and the director of research at Pluralistic Networks, an educational and professional development company based in Oakland. B is also co-founder of Curiosity Craft, a company dedicated to helping families reclaim technology for shared discovery and learning rather than distraction. He has been drumming in punk bands his entire life.

Some links from B:

•⁠ ⁠B's philosophy newsletter: https://without-why.ghost.io

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•⁠ ⁠The Dreyfus Skill Model Wikipedia page (written and cared for by B):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_model_of_skill_acquisition

•⁠ ⁠B's scholarly writings:

https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=IUXiRcMAAAAJ&hl=en

•⁠ ⁠B's start-up, Curiosity Craft:

https://www.curiositycraft.ai/Waitlist

•⁠ ⁠B's punk music:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/2942613-B-Rouss

I had the incredible honor of delivering the commencement address to UC Berkeley Philosophy department's graduating class of 2024 during this time of momentous social upheaval.

"Filmmaker Tao Ruspoli and neuroscientist Dr. Patrick House engage in a wide-ranging discussion that explores the nature of truth, myth, and meaning. The conversation begins with an examination of the significance of the number 40 in various cultural and religious contexts, revealing how this seemingly arbitrary number has been imbued with profound meaning throughout history. Ruspoli and House delve into the power of storytelling, discussing how myths and folklore can shape our understanding of the world and ourselves, even when the stories themselves may not be factually accurate.The discussion then turns to the role of active and passive bearers of tradition, drawing fascinating parallels between the transmission of folklore and the spread of parasites in the natural world. Ruspoli shares personal anecdotes about his father's storytelling, while House offers insights from his research on mind-controlling parasites. The two explore the tension between the pursuit of factual accuracy and the value of "ecstatic truth," ultimately questioning the cultural and contextual nature of truth itself. Throughout the podcast, Ruspoli and House engage in a thought-provoking and often humorous dialogue that challenges listeners to reconsider their assumptions about the stories we tell and the truths we hold dear." -Claude

A tour of legendary, academy award winning production designer Dennis Gassner's home in the Hollywood hills.

A both very intimate and very expansive conversation with Dulcinee about creativity, addiction, mental health, technology, "artificial" "intelligence", politics, relationships, and more.

Poetry & Beats by Dulcinee DeGuere

Tao and Dulcinee discuss the deals they've made with each other to successfully quit smoking, meditate, and drastically reduce phone time. They also discuss the nature of technology, art, artifacts, and how to remain human in a technological world.

Tao takes a walk with his friend Eric Kaplan, a TV writer (Futurama, Big Bang Theory, etc.) with a PhD in philosophy. They try to get to the bottom of what makes a good story and what makes a good storyteller.