Dystopia Now

Support the show on Patreon at https://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 review of longtermism, and what first sounded the alarm bells on EA for Émile.

Further reading:

• Emile's article "Against longtermism": https://aeon.co/essays/why-longtermism-is-the-worlds-most-dangerous-secular-credo

• Karp's swordsmanship: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/alex-karp-wielding-a-sword

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, vibes, and Silicon Valley slang.

Further Reading

• Buy Adam's book Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language at your local book store or online: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776856/algospeak-by-adam-aleksic/

• Find Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd on Instagram and TikTok, and check out his Substack at https://etymology.substack.com/.

• More on slop: https://etymology.substack.com/p/notes-on-slop

• Adam's website: etymologynerd.com

• Book recommendation: Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed (1998) by James C. Scott

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:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-eliezer-yudkowsky.html
• https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/461680/if-anyone-builds-it-yudkowsky-soares-ai-risk
• https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/30/ai-debate-culture-clash-dc-silicon-valley-00133323
• https://www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/eliezer-yudkowskys-long-history-of

In this episode, we talked to journalist Eoin Higgins about his book "Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left" which examines how Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Elon Musk have used their wealth to shape media narratives, especially through journalists Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi.

Eoin Higgins: https://x.com/eoinhiggins_?lang=en

Eoin's Substack: https://eoinhiggins.substack.com/

Eoin's book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/eoin-higgins/owned/9781645030461/

Become a supporter of the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow

In this episode, we explore the Shrimp Welfare Project, featured on the Daily Show several months ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNbIKtGMoaA&t. Comedian Josh Gondelman -- a former writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver -- joins us for laughs and some serious reflection on which types of beings should be included within our circles of moral concern.

Info on the Shrimp Welfare Project can be found here: https://www.shrimpwelfareproject.org/

A critique of Effective Altruism (written by Émile Torres) is here: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/effective-altruism-is-a-welter-of-fraud-lies-exploitation-and-eugenic-fantasies/

Find Josh's special Positive Reinforcement on YouTube and his newsletter at https://www.thatsmarvelousnewsletter.com/.

To become a supporter, go here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow

This week we explored Peter Thiel's Antichrist Lectures. Other than trying to prove he's not the Antichrist, what is this guy up to?

Newsletter piece on the topic, titled "The Political Power of Eschatological Thinking: This Is Why Peter Thiel Is Talking About the Antichrist": https://www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/the-political-power-of-eschatological-82b

If people want to learn more about the "dispensationalist" view of the end of the world, see chapter 12 of Emile's book The End: https://c8df8822-f112-4676-8332-ad89713358e3.filesusr.com/ugd/d9aaad_c1777d7f673d4926a275be8ad78f16f2.pdf

Gil Duran on Thiel's Antichrist obsession: https://newrepublic.com/article/200471/peter-thiel-obsession-antichrist-religion

SF Chronicle article on protests outside the Thiel talks: https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/peter-thiel-antichrist-lecture-sparks-s-f-21049962.php

https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow

This week, we explored the anti-aging obsession of Bryan Johnson. From erection measuring to NDA's, join us for a weird ride.

Futher reading:

How Bryan Johnson, Who Wants to Live Forever, Sought Control via Confidentiality Agreements – The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/technology/bryan-johnson-nda-employees.html @mathrubhumi+3WIRED+3mint+3

Bryan Johnson and Matt Bruenig Are Fighting Over NDAs – New York Magazine https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/bryan-johnson-matt-bruenig-nda-fight.html New York Magazine

Bryan Johnson Is Going to Die – WIRED https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-bryan-johnson/

How to Live Forever and Get Rich Doing It — The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/11/how-to-live-forever-and-get-rich-doing-it The New Yorker

Bryan Johnson Before and After: How Exec Became Antiaging-Obsessed — Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/bryan-johnson-before-and-after-anti-aging-longevity-supplements-2023-8 Business Insider

Just being well is not enough at Bryan Johnson's Don't Die Summit — The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/25/just-being-well-is-not-enough-bryan-johnsons-dont-die-summit/

To help us keep the show going become a subscriber here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow

San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the tech billionaire-backed astroturf campaigns that flooded his district with money and disinformation. We dig into how tech barons are reshaping local politics through alleged "grassroots" groups, what it means for democracy when dark money drives housing and policing policy, and how Preston sees the fight for tenants' rights and progressive politics moving forward.

• The Guardian — Inside tech billionaires' push to reshape San Francisco politics: "a hostile takeover" (Feb 12, 2024): www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/12/san-francisco-tech-billionaires-political-influence

• The "moderate" political takeover of San Francisco https://newrepublic.com/article/189303/san-francisco-moderate-politics-millionaire-tech-donors

• The Phoenix Project — How Dean Preston Lost (Dec 5, 2024): www.phoenixprojectnow.com/phoenix-review/blog/how-dean-preston-lost

• KQED — In San Francisco's Local Elections, It's Big Money Against Progressive Incumbents (Nov 4, 2024): www.kqed.org/news/12012416/san-franciscos-elections-big-money-against-progressive-incumbents

• SFGATE — "'Fake news' site publishes more false stories about San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston" (Oct 18, 2023): www.sfgate.com/politics/article/bnn-posts-more-false-stories-about-dean-preston-18429261.php

• Dean's Housing Record https://www.deanshousingrecord.com/

To become a sponsor and get an extra episode each week, visit us at https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow,

This week, we talked about what AI is doing to our emotions and our relationships. From AI Psychosis to AI Boyfriends, AI is breaking our brains and our hearts.

Further reading:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2025/aug/28/ai-psychosis-could-chatbots-fuel-delusional-thinking-podcast

https://futurism.com/paper-ai-psychosis-schizophrenia

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/19/ai-psychosis-chatgpt-explained-mental-health/

https://www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/why-you-should-never-use-ai-under

https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-enshittification-of-generative-ai/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/technology/chatgpt-openai-suicide.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-spiritual-delusions-destroying-human-relationships-1235330175/

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-chatbot-god-religion-answers-1235347023/

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-chatbots-concerns-kendra-tiktok-saga-rcna224185

https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/

To hear the rest of the episode and become a supporter visit us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow

We are entirely listener supported and we appreciate your contributions so much!

This week, we were joined by Rachel Adjogah, of the brilliant Polemics.md blog. discussed The Argument, a new publication funded in part by Open Philanthropy. We also discussed Vox's Future Perfect, and the general problems of having EA/Rationalist aligned reporters cover...themselves.