With most of the crew out for the holiday, Pri and Chris hold down the fort for a loose but sharp conversation that moves from Gen Z Catholic revival to the state of crypto, digital art, and the social internet. They start with the strange resurgence of churchgoing among younger people, framing it as a reaction to loneliness, hyper-online life, and the search for meaning. From there, they turn to the muted vibes around EthCC and the broader sense that crypto conferences, NFT culture, and online art discourse have all lost some of their energy. The conversation digs into whether digital art is being absorbed into more traditional collecting structures, why the timeline feels broken, and how AI and agent culture are crowding out everything else. Later, they unpack OpenAI’s acquisition of TBPN as a play for distribution and influence, before pivoting into a discussion on Palantir, neurodivergence, labor, and the dangerous edges of techno-evolutionary thinking. The episode closes with reflections on political pendulum swings, Massachusetts’ economic drift, and a surprisingly long detour through sitcom canon, cultural durability, and what still holds up.

Mentioned in the episode

Gen Z’s Catholic Church https://x.com/Evie_Magazine/status/2039774646703161413?s=20

Marc Zeller on ETHCC https://x.com/Marczeller/status/2039975610282324389

TBPN has been acquired by OpenAI https://x.com/jordihays/status/2039756490387624327?s=20

Palantir Ontology https://x.com/PalantirTech/status/2039020569115439598

ADIN: Homo Divergens: What If the Weirdos Are the Next Species? https://x.com/ADINresearch/status/2038752657125556240

Creators of South Park AI Company https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/matt-stone-trey-parker-deep-voodoo-ai-south-park-trump-1236552586/

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Holiday Open, Gen Z Catholicism & Meaning in the Digital Age