Unknown Reasons

Part 2 of the Omelas series. Nate and I discuss the ambiguous utopia that is Um-Helat. Topics include brainwashing and the dangers of conspiracy theories. Read the story HERE! The documentary about Edward Bernays is The Century of the Self by Adam CurtisEmail us at unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodMusic: Scott Buckley "Signal to Noise"

Nate and James discuss utilitarianism, capitalism, and joy in the context of Le Guin's influential story. Part 1 of a series on the Omelas-verse. Read it hereEmail us at unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodMusic: Scott Buckley "Signal to Noise"

Nate and James talk about evil AIs, evil gods, and evil billionaires. Read the storyEmail us at unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @unknownreasonspod

Nate and I get real on the issues of race, slavery, and what you call a group of pirates. (I don't know why I couldn't think of the word crew). The story can be found here: https://firesidefiction.com/the-secret-lives-of-the-nine-negro-teeth-of-george-washingtonRead the essay Clark wrote on writing the story: https://disgruntledharadrim.com/2018/02/27/on-slavery-magic-and-the-negro-teeth-of-george-washington/Email us at unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @unknownreasonspod

Nate and James discuss another short one by George R.R. Martin. We cover topics such as the self and what defines a cult. Email us at unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodNext time we'll be reading "The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington"by Phenderson Djèlí Clark which can be found here: https://firesidefiction.com/the-secret-lives-of-the-nine-negro-teeth-of-george-washington

Join Nate and me for a sublime discussion about a dragon-free George R.R. Martin story. The novella is worth reading even if you've seen the show, especially for fans of the Alien series.  Follow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodEmail - unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.comMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html] 

Memes. Are they propaganda or something worse? Nate and i talk about another Stephenson book as a way of avoiding finishing Anathem. Nate read Snow Crash years ago; I read it for the first time this month. We talk about language, rationality, and the internet.Lisa Swanstrom - "Capsules and Nodes and Ruptures and Flows: Circulating Subjectivity in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash: [https://www.jstor.org/stable/40649585] Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky Debate Human Nature & Power on Dutch TV (1971) [https://www.openculture.com/2019/06/michel-foucault-and-noam-chomsky-debate-human-nature-power-on-dutch-tv-1971.html]Follow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodEmail - unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.comMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html] 

Nate and I discuss the topics from Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem.  I explain gravity to Nate who remains a bit skeptical about the whole concept. We talk technology, and as usual, I can't shut up about the communist utopia.Corrections: Bertrand Russell told the story about the intuitivist turkey. A gravitational tug hasn't been tried yet unfortunately."Four Futures" by Peter FraseFollow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodEmail - unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.comMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html] 

Friend and colleague Mark joins me to discuss The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler. We analyze Earthseed in terms of it's roots in real-word spirituality. Parable Series - Octavia Butler"'The Only Lasting Truth Is Change': an analysis of Earthseed spirituality: The 'Parables' (1993-1998) by Octavia Butler" by Laura LievensFollow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodEmail - unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.comMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]

A door into A Door into Ocean, an excellent book worth reading. Despite the name, I'd call it solarpunk. Heidegger and Derrida make an appearance. Deconstruction - https://iep.utm.edu/deconst/A Door into Ocean - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312876524Follow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodEmail - unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.comMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]

The plot is starting to pick up speed but we still have a long way to go. We spend a lot of time talking about boxes and putting things in them, in terms of quantum mechanics and politics. We ask the important questions like "where did Schrodinger get that box?"Follow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodEmail - unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.comMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]

Nate returns to talk about part 2 of Neal Stephenson's Anathem. Still lots of descriptions of architecture, but at least we finally get out of the math and into the Secular World.Follow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodEmail - unknownreasonspodcast@gmail.comMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]

My guest Nate is a friend and colleague from grad school. We discuss first part of Anathem. We give an overview of the book and explain somethings that come up in part 1 which leads us to talking about Platonism, parallel worlds, and academia. Follow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]

Millennium is a great time travel book but also a warning about humanity's future. I talk about some fun time travel paradoxes, then I cover some less fun worries about climate change.Millennium - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49848.MillenniumMurray Bookchin - https://lmgtfy.app/?q=murray+bookchin Follow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]

I talk about the best dystopian novel you've never heard of, Swastika Night. Are gender politics the key to fighting fascism? Swastika Night - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/387373.Swastika_NightLuce Irigary - https://iep.utm.edu/irigaray/Follow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]

In this episode, I discuss The World of Null-A and the amazing things you can do with non-Aristotelian logic.The World of Null-A - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/951290.The_World_of_Null_AAlfred Korzybski - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-KorzybskiFollow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]

Immortality... it sounds great, but the side effects might kill you. Do we really want to live forever? In this episode, I discuss some questions about immortality using Pamela Sargent's The Golden Space as a guide.The Golden Space - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1967582.The_Golden_SpaceFollow me on Instagram at @unknownreasonspodMusic is "Signal to Noise" by Scott Buckley [https://www.free-stock-music.com/scott-buckley-signal-to-noise.html]