Plutopia News Network

In this Plutopia podcast episode, journalist and author Helen Pearson discusses her book Beyond Belief, which traces the rise of evidence-based decision-making in medicine, government, education, conservation, and other fields,… The post Helen Pearson: Beyond Belief first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this Plutopia News Network episode, science and technology journalist Tereza Pultarova discusses her path from covering space exploration to reporting on defense technology after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine,… The post Tereza Pultarova: Space, Science, and Drone Wars first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Stephen Dulaney, a UX strategist turned AI builder, describes how losing his job pushed him to reinvent himself by collaborating with large language model–based AI agents to design, code, test,… The post Stephen Dulaney: The AI Ambition first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Paulina Borsook In this Plutopia News Network conversation, Paulina Borsook reflects on the coming reissue of her book Cyberselfish with a mix of gratitude, puzzlement, and discomfort, describing the book… The post Paulina Borsook on Tech, AI, and Billionaire Madness first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this Plutopia podcast episode, futurist and data analyst Anne Boysen argues that today’s AI systems, especially large language models and emerging AI agents, are being adopted far faster than… The post Anne Boysen: AI Hype, Agents, and Risk first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this Plutopia News Network interview, Marc Abrahams discusses the Ig Nobel Prizes, which he founded in 1991 after becoming editor of the “Journal of Irreproducible Results.” These prizes honor… The post Marc Abrahams: Improbable Research and Ig Nobel Prizes first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this Plutopia News Network episode, Jon and Scoop talk with political scholar Dr. Roy Casagranda, joining from Dubai, about Iran’s modern history, the rise of the Islamic Republic, and… The post Roy Casagranda on Iran, War, and Global Fallout first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this episode of the Plutopia News Network podcast, we interview AI and society expert Kate Devlin about the rise of AI companions, sex robots, and the evolving relationship between… The post Kate Devlin: Robot Love first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

The Plutopia News Network podcast welcomes writer, editor, and media critic Gareth Branwyn to discuss his workshop “Dreaming for Creatives,” which focuses less on dream symbolism or interpretation and more… The post Gareth Branwyn in Slumberland first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Shira Chess joins the Plutopia News Network to discuss The Unseen Internet: Conjuring the Occult in Digital Discourse, arguing that online culture has always been shaped not just by code… The post Shira Chess: The Unseen Internet first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

David Weinberger weigh AI’s real strengths, especially pattern recognition, against its major dangers: hallucinations, bias, corporate power, and energy costs. The post David Weinberger on AI first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Award-winning Scottish science fiction author Ken MacLeod joins the Plutopia News Network to discuss his work’s political themes: failed modern systems, rising nationalism, and the struggle to find common interest… The post Ken MacLeod: Imagined Futures first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

On this episode of the Plutopia News Network podcast, Jon, Scoop and Wendy welcome award-winning British science fiction novelist and literature professor Adam Roberts to discuss his new critical book… The post Adam Roberts: Fantasy first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this Plutopia News Network podcast, author and social media expert Dave Evans discusses the nature and spread of online misinformation and introduces Does It Square?, an AI-assisted fact-checking tool… The post Dave Evans: Does It Square? first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this Plutopia News Network podcast, Charles Herrman interviews philosopher Randall Auxier about his unconventional academic path, process philosophy, and personalism, exploring how his early struggles with formal instruction led… The post Living Philosophy first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Roy Casagranda returns to the Plutopia News Network to help the hosts process what Scoop calls the “cornucopia of crap” that was 2025, ranging from social media’s corrosive incentives to… The post Roy Casagranda: Reviewing 2025 first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this excerpt from the Plutopia News Network, Cory Doctorow discusses his book Enshittification and the broader forces behind why digital platforms (and other industries) have “suddenly gotten worse.” He… The post Cory Doctorow: Enshittification first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Austin environmental activist Paul Robbins joins the Plutopia News Network to discuss the 2025–26 edition of the Austin Environmental Directory, framed around “resilience” in the wake of Winter Storm Uri… The post Paul Robbins: Resilience first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Deborah Hyde joins the Plutopia News Network podcast to explore why sane, rational people can sincerely report supernatural experiences — ghosts, werewolves, UFOs — without those experiences necessarily reflecting reality.… The post Deborah Hyde: Skeptical Inquiry into the Supernatural first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Austrian filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist Johannes Grenzfurthner joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss his two new films: Hacking at Leaves, an experimental documentary sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic and rooted… The post Johannes Grenzfurthner: Hacking at Leaves first appeared on Plutopia News Network.