All Episodes
On Fatherhood (Reply to Matt Walsh, TMZ, etc.)
I had a tweet go viral about fatherhood and the responses were fascinating. Matt Walsh did a segment on it, TMZ did a segment, thousands of parents shared their own ta...
"Neo-China Arrives From the Future:" On Nick Land's Sino-Futurism (The Meltdown Lectures)
In this episode, we analyze the sentence "Neo-China arrives from the future" from Nick Land's 1994 essay "Meltdown." For Land, Capital is an autonomous intelligence fr...
Montaigne, IVF & Embryo Selection, Q&A
I jumped on the livestream for the first time in a while. I discuss the Montaigne chapter in The Independent Scholar, the current debate around IVF & Embryo Selection,...
I Fell Off (It's So Over)
I can't deny it, so let's explore what it means, how it happens, what it feels like, and why it might be... great?In this episode, I share my struggle over the past fe...
Urbit, Nockchain, and the Current State of Sovereignty Technology
In this episode, I review the state of Urbit and my history with this ambitious project to rebuild the internet. I explain why I stepped back, detailing what's happene...
Soft-Engineering, Transversality, Human Security System (Nick Land, Meltdown, Sentences 7-8)
This episode unpacks the seventh and eighth sentences of Nick Land's "Meltdown," where "soft engineering slithers out of its box into yours" and "human security is lur...
Markets Learn to Manufacture Intelligence and Politics Modernizes (Nick Land, Meltdown, Sentence 3)
This episode unpacks the third sentence from Nick Land's "Meltdown.""As markets learn to manufacture intelligence, politics modernizes, upgrades paranoia, and tries to...
Intoxicated by Truth: Plato's Symposium with Alex Priou
Socrates shows up late, looks like hell, and still somehow rules the room. What's really going in the Symposium? Plato uses a dinner party to show how authentic love i...
From Tech to Public Philosophy: Johnathan Bi on Production Quality and Patronage Networks
Johnathan Bi shares his journey from successful tech founder to independent philosophy lecturer, explaining why he walked away from founder equity to pursue his passio...
Plato's Republic with Nina Power and DC Miller: Philosophy, Repression, Madness, and Courage
I'm joined by Nina Power and DC Miller to discuss Plato's Republic. Topics include physical training and physical pleasure, philosophy under political repression, the ...
The Truth Will Set You Free: Nietzsche vs. St. John
I explore Nietzsche's critique of Christianity in The Genealogy of Morals, and specifically how it stands against what we find in the New Testament, especially the Gos...
Don't Be a Slave: Nietzsche on Philosophy and Slavery
For references, see Nietzsche on the Pride of the Philosopher in Contrast to the Slave✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ If you'r...
We're Back: On how I fixed the company (a big lesson for independent scholars)
A personal reflection and update on my 5-year journey to design a new kind of scholarly life for the internet era. In a previous podcast, I shared how the Other Life c...
we almost just died (and it was great, I think?)
On muddling through, faith, and the absurdity of pursuing a singular creative vision on the open market...A story about the past few months of Other Life (and the next...
The Rigor of Angels: Kant, Borges, & Heisenberg with William Egginton
I'm joined by author William Egginton to discuss his new book The Rigor of Angels. We talk Borges, Kant, and Heisenberg—and the big idea(s) they had in common. We disc...
Ezra Pound: The Solitary Volcano
We dissect the complex life of Ezra Pound, one of the most interesting and controversial poetic geniuses of the 20th century. You'll gain insight into: Why Pound was s...
Literary Outlaw: The Life of William S. Burroughs
A deep dive into the life of William S. Burroughs based on a close reading of Ted Morgan's 1988 biography, Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs....
John Kennedy Toole and A Confederacy of Dunces With Dan Baltic
We discuss the life and times of John Kennedy Toole (1937-1969), the influential author behind the classic novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. We're joined by independent ...
AI for Writers: Striking a Balance Between Automation and Humanity
Can artificial intelligence ever truly replace the human mind? In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the delicate balance between embracing AI's power for mech...
Ezra Pound: The Curse of Genius
Why do some incredibly talented individuals never reach their full potential? In today's episode, we dive into the fascinating life of Ezra Pound, a true genius in the...
Write for Yourself and Yourself Alone
In this episode, we explore the principle of writing for oneself and how many of history's greatest writers have operated on this principle. We discuss the importance ...
Vanishing Virility: Understanding the Modern Testosterone Crisis
Why do 22-year-olds today have the testosterone levels of 67-year-old men from the year 2000? Could it be because high testosterone activities and behaviors are increa...
Dr. Samuel Johnson: Hustler, Savage, Grifter, Great
Today we're looking at the life of Dr. Samuel Johnson, an eighteenth-century English critic who embodied the true spirit of self-reliance and perseverance. Despite fac...
Plato Uncovered: Building Influence in the Ancient and Modern World
What can the ancient philosopher Plato teach us about building a network and thriving in today's intellectual economy? I talk with Alex Petkas, a Princeton PhD in clas...
Oscar Wilde and J.R.R. Tolkien with Paul Fortunato
Oscar Wilde and J.R.R. Tolkien used consumer culture to create works of art. In this podcast, we try to draw some lessons from their lives. I'm joined by Paul Fortunat...
YouTube Radicalization is a Myth with Mark Ledwich
It's widely believed the YouTube algorithm radicalizes viewers but Mark's research puts this theory to rest. Researcher and longtime member of the Other Life community...