Adventures in Nutopia

Alan Turin's ‘automatic machine' remains the blueprint for nearly all of our modern computer systems. In an early paper however Turin wrote: ‘of course another type of machine is possible. This is the Oracle Machine and I will not speak of that.' Our guest for this mini episode however, will. James Bridle is the author of Ways of Being and an artist whose work deals with the ways in which the digital, networked world reaches into the physical, offline one. James shares their thoughts on why computers can't do random and what our computers of the future might look like. We also touch on the role that randomness play in evolution and how it can radicalise our political systems.  With James Bridle and special guest ORAC  www.jamesbridle.com

In S2E1 we met Rogan Taylor, author of The Death and Resurrection Show a book which traces a path from popular entertainment to the darkened yurts of our nomadic ancestors. After writing this book Rogan went on to pioneer the world's first post-graduate ‘football' degree and write many books on the subject. During our conversation he talked about football in relation to myth, ritual, suffering and community. It's a unique and fascinating perspective on the sport that will stay with you. 

Are our listening habits changing? What effects can sounds like drones and sine tones have on us physically and emotionally? Can we imagine a future in which we might receive audio prescriptions for wellbeing? Why does music played badly make us laugh? Does beetroot really taste better if serenaded with sound? And what might the national anthem of Nutopia sound like?  With guests Richard Norris, Paul Devereux, Fiona Miller, Jude Rogers, David Velez and Harry Sword.  https://pauldevereux.co.uk/ https://richardnorris.bandcamp.com/ https://fionasallymiller.bandcamp.com/ https://davidvelez.bandcamp.com/music https://oddfellowscasino.bandcamp.com/ https://greyhoundliterary.co.uk/authors/harry-sword

Our ancestors invested great importance in the power of dreams. Across traditional, indigenous and pre-industrialised cultures – including the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians – they were an integral part of the healing process and a tool for divination. So why do most of us give so little consideration to them now? What is hypnagogia? What techniques can help us lucid dream? What might precognitive dreams tell us about the nature of time? This episode dives into the poetic realms of dreams and even offers insomnia sufferers fresh advice on how to get a better night's kip.  With guests Sarah Janes, Gary Lachman, Philip Carr-Gomm and Kate Alderton.  https://themysteries.org/ https://www.gary-lachman.com/ https://philipcarr-gomm.com/ https://dreamfishingsociety.com/

If our capitalist economic model of perpetual growth was presented as a myth it would read something like the Sorcerer's Apprentice. As for our economic unit of measure, in a speech in 1968 Robert Kennedy described GDP as ‘measuring everything except that which is worthwhile'. Are there economic models out there that might allow for a paradigm shift from the need for constant growth to a system that is more sustainable, regulated, and nurturing of life? In this episode David attempts to get his head around doughnut economics, de-growth and how our financial systems might be radically reimagined. With guests Sir Tim Smit, Kate Raworth, David Barmes, Timothee Parrique, Inez Aponte and Sara Osterholzer. https://www.edenproject.com/ https://www.kateraworth.com/ https://positivemoney.org/ https://timotheeparrique.com/ https://www.resilience.org/resilience-author/inez-aponte/ https://saraosterholzer.com/ https://revbilly.com/

As the lights dim and performers take to the stage, is it mere escapism for us or is there something deeply profound about our need to be entertained? Why do we get so fanatical and idolatrous about musicians and film stars, wanting them to be something more than us mere mortals? Might the whole entertainment industry have learned its trade from an ancient shamanic journey of the soul known to some as the death and resurrection show?  With guests Rogan Taylor, journalist Jude Rogers, Dr. Marissa Carnesky, Kris Hughes/drag queen Maggi Noggi and magician Paul Zenon. https://carnesky.com/ http://www.paulzenon.com https://www.angleseydruidorder.co.uk/kristoffer?tab=about @judgerogers 

While Series Two edges a little closer to completion here's a short appetiser serving up some words of wisdom from The Eden Project's founder, who we'll meet properly in a future episode. 

Comedian and ‘anarchist chef' George Egg was planned for inclusion in Series One but we just couldn't work out where to put him. So instead he gets a mini episode all of his own exploring his own concept of snack-hacking, sharing ways of being creative with ‘scraps' and demonstrating how to cook a full meal in such unlikely places as a hotel room and garden shed. 

  While western medicine excels at repairs and crisis management it remains, for many, too mechanical and reductive in its approach to important issues such as mental health, diet and lifestyle. With health practitioner Peter Deadman and Dr Laura Marshall Andrews we'll explore new (and very old) alternative approaches to health, from social prescription to the Chinese system of yangsheng and the magic of tea. We'll also meet tech pioneer Sarah Ticho, championing the use of VR for tackling our phobias and anxieties. Warning: this episode contains giant spiders. https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://uk.bookshop.org/books/what-seems-to-be-the-problem-9780008445027/9780008445027 https://www.instagram.com/sirateeko/ https://peterdeadman.co.uk/

In 2019 artist Daisy Campbell led 69 seekers on a pilgrimage from the Cerne Giant to CERN in Switzerland and back. Their intention? To ‘immanentise the eschaton.' David was there to see them off, dressed in a gold robe for a ritual to awaken the sleeping giant. Why did they do it? Did they succeed? What is the eschaton? Daisy shares the full adventure and the processes involved in creating a pilgrimage from scratch. We'll also meet scientist Rupert Sheldrake and Guy Hayward of the British Pilgrimage Trust to learn about more traditional forms of pilgrimage and why there has been such a huge resurgence of interest in them. https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://the-mycelium.com/team/ https://www.sheldrake.org/ https://britishpilgrimage.org/

We delve into the nature of rituals, why they're important and how to create our own meaningful ones. With chief druid of Anglesey Kristoffer Hughes we'll learn about the power of death rituals and the pagan eightfold wheel of the year; we'll experience the May Day ritual of Jack in the Green in Hastings, spend a night with musician Sam Lee singing with nightingales and end with a discussion of the film with the most chilling ritualistic finale ever: The Wicker Man. https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://www.angleseydruidorder.co.uk/kristoffer https://samleesong.co.uk/ https://hastingstraditionaljackinthegreen.co.uk/

Recorded live at the agro-ecology festival Groundswell, this episode explores different ways that we could be radicalising global agriculture and reversing biodiversity loss through regenerative farming, hemp, mob grazing, the no-till movement and precision fermentation. Donning wellies, sun hat and a nose peg for a dung beetle safari, along the way David meets Farmerama Podcast creator Abi Rose, Regenesis author George Monbiot and ecofarmer and publisher Daphne Astor. https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://groundswellag.com/ https://farmerama.co/ https://hazelpress.co.uk/

What makes people fall for conspiracy theories like QAnon? Is it possible to ‘change' our minds? Might the idea of reality tunnels be the single most important thing to teach the next generation? Counter-culture philosopher Robert Anton Wilson certainly thought so, as do our guests: authors John Higgs, Journey to Nutopia co-founder Michelle Olley and theatre director Daisy Campbell. With their help we'll reveal experiments to challenge our own belief systems, learn more about Robert Anton Wilson and discover why it's best to keep a set of false teeth in your back pocket. https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://johnhiggs.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Olley https://the-mycelium.com/team/ https://www.monbiot.com/

  If myths are the means by which we make sense of ourselves and the world around us, how did we become so fixated on stories and systems built around greed, selfishness and competition? How did we come to perceive nature as an unintelligent machine, a mere resource to be plundered? With the help of philosopher Alan Watts we'll unpick the past two thousand years before meeting guests George Monbiot, Jeremy Lent, mythologist Sharon Blackie and non-binary artist Brooke Palmieri, to learn about some of the most exciting and innovative ideas and movements and myths – from Ecological Civilisation to The Commons –  that just might help guide us into a more networked, inclusive and sustainable future.  https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://www.brookepalmieri.com/ https://www.monbiot.com/ https://alanwatts.org/ https://sharonblackie.net/ https://www.jeremylent.com/

Adventures in Nutopia is a documentary-style series exploring new stories, movements, myths and ideas to help steer us into a more inclusive, networked and ecological future. In Nutopia all are welcome. We're just as excited to share the ideas of pagans, panpsychists and psychedelic pioneers as we are of scientists, economists and cognitive historians. Though, if we're honest, we do find the pomposity of men like Richard Dawkins a bit of a drag and may prefer to pack them off to clown school first. Mixing guest interviews with experiments, field trips and live performances we'll delve into such themes as community, re-enchantment, sustainability, ecology, creativity, magick, doughnut economics, psychedelia, the healing power of sound, narrative-based medicine and discordianism. We'll explore the origins of the myths that shaped western thinking, the concept of reality tunnels, agro-ecology, the pioneering work with VR for mental health, precession fermentation, Ecological Civilisation, The Commons, the Eightfold Wheel of the Year and the resurgence of interest in pilgrimage and ritual. And don't worry about po-faced beard-stroking: there's plenty of mischief, fun and weirdness to be had. Gratitude and support goes out to our friends at Journey to Nutopia for their role in our provenance. Nutopia was established by John and Yoko in 1973 as a place with no boundaries. Its international anthem is four seconds of silence. This podcast is made with the generous support of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and Hawkwood College of Future Thinking. https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia