Lost Xplorers

Mystery men, guild navigators, and private worlds. On this episode, Kris and I continue our discussion on genius, this time using the example of three surrealists to probe the ways in which this elusive quality might arise through art.

Adolph Gottlieb

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Singularities, mushroom clouds, and Brooklyn graffiti artists. On this episode, Kris and I discuss the human limits of technological progression, imagination overload, and art as an emergent property of exploration. 

CP Snow - "Two Cultures"

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Electrified frogs, scientific heretics, and dangerous ideas. On this episode, Kris and I discuss upsetting the chessboard, pluralism in human knowledge, and the limits of our current understanding.

Gary Kasparov

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Swarm intelligences, science delusions, and sense perception. On this episode, Kris and I discuss morphic resonance, the ten dogmas of modern science, and the alchemical art of memory.

Rupert Sheldrake

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Frauds and hoaxes, showmen and liars, myth makers and nondescripts. What drives the hearts of lifetime cryptozoologists and bridge-sellers? On this episode, Kris and I talk about tolerating your own absurdity, the renaissance men who dabbled in the occult and science, living a mythical life, and the quantum importance of fakery.

Further reading:

Baudelaire

Charles Fort & Damned Facts

Baron de Lahontan

Leibniz

PT Barnum

The Piltdown Man

The Dreadnought Hoax

Louis de Rougemont

Arthur Furguson

Charles Waterton

Aleister Crowley

Cagliostro

Daniel Dennett

Rupert Sheldrake

James Randi

"The Man Who Destroyed Skepticism"

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On this episode, Kris and I discuss the reintroduction of wonder into the world, the evolution of evolution, curiosity in science, rebelling against the priest caste, and the five essential elements of good communication.

This one is a lot of fun. What Kris and I are trying to do is apply Fort's radical, positive skepticism to a scientific framework that seems to be stagnating in the face of damned facts.

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On this episode, Kris and I discuss Charles Fort, the idea of becoming a joyful skeptic (that is, someone who questions with the intention of deepening their understanding of the world), Alfred Russel Wallace, giant squids, paranormal phenomena, urban legends, The Weekly World News, and the relation of the subject to the object.

This one goes into some territory that I personally love. There's even a fun "writing" exercise courtesy of Kris.

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On this special Thanksgiving episode, Kris and I discuss constructing your own tribe, the importance of the drunk uncle, calories, holiday depression, the Macy's Day Parade, the bizarre reason behind stuffing a turkey, and Paul Tillich's thoughts on grace.

Welcome to the new feed!

On this episode, Kris and I discuss the agency of oceans, the Nazca lines, head jars,  microchips as the dream of a city, Stonehenge, the Blythe Intaglios, projects across time, the arch as a concept, apprenticeship, art as an ascetic practice, how it's all one meditation, Charles Fort, self-expression, and mystery panthers.

Robert Smithson

Unathi Slasha

Our producer: ous/li

On this episode, I share some exciting news with Kris and the audience, which leads us to a conversation about Darwin, what happens when we die, and where the "real" America is.

Then, Kris brings up an idea that really got my brain firing on all cylinders: the concept of "the frame." What are our artistic frames, the frames through which we see the world, the frames for our everyday life? Is there a way outside the frame?

Along the way we talk simplicity, drug dealers, clay, and Cape Horn. This conversation opens another path of thinking for the show. It's one that I'll be excited to come back to.