Podcasts about animated movies

We're bringing back our Mostly Horror rubric for another movie, this time with the 1987 Disney animated film, The Brave Little Toaster. It's a movie that we watched as young kids, and despite it being a Disney animation, its nightmare scenes, eerie music, and dark undertones still unsettle us to this day. That's why we put it to the test to determine whether we'd consider it not a horror film, horror adjacent, mostly horror, or a certified horror film. We take into consideration its iconography and put it through the campfire test (would it still be horror if it were a story told around a campfire?), the crowd test (how would others react?), and residue test (how much did it haunt you after watching it?) to come to our conclusions. And with its terrifying clown nightmare scene, themes of suicide, and creepy settings, The Brave Little Toaster might have more horror to it than you remember. So come on this journey with us as we dig up this movie from our childhood that still sits unsettlingly with us to this day. Did this movie scare you as a kid? How much of it would you consider horror? Make sure to ... COME HANG OUT!!! Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram & Threads: @mostlyhorrorpodTikTok & Twitter/X: @mostlyhorrorSteve: @stevenisaverage (all socials)Sean: @hypocrite.ink (IG/TikTok), @hypocriteink (Twitter/X)Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform to help us reach more horror fans like you! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Howl may be the worst type of early 2000s emo hunk. But listeners…We! Can! Fix! Him!!! This week is a real doozy. Dom and Adam are not particularly effusive about Miyazaki's moody, dark magic sequel to SPIRITED AWAY. It's bewildering, it's bizarre, and some moments seem completely incomprehensible. But as an animated film, it's a spectacle to behold, and we have a lot to celebrate, too. For instance…Calcifer! Next week, it's Miyazaki's child-friendly disaster film, PONYO (2008). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features: Behind the Microphone The Birth Story of the Film Soundtrack Interview with Diana Wynne Jones Explanation of CG: How to Move Howl's Castle  The Art of Howl's Moving Castle Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier Hayao Miyazaki Takes Over Howl Variety Akihiko Yamashita Interview   Credits: Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners, it's time to remember your name. We're getting Spirited Away this week to a Studio Ghibli production that is often called the most influential animated film of all time. Joining us to help purify the stink spirits and return the river gods to their kingdom is our old friend Stephen Hilger. Topics discussed this week: the enduring mystery of No-Face, why the Radish Spirit rules, whether or not SPIRITED AWAY is the TENET of Miyazaki's filmography, Ghibli's art style in the digital era, and of course, MARIO ODYSSEY. Next week, it's the most Hot Topic of Miyazaki's oeuvre, the very moody HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References:  The Art of Miyazaki's Spirited Away Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier Spirited Away Making of Documentary Time Magazine Production History Credits: Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most of us were taught to treat emotions like distress, numbness, and burnout as private failings to manage and move past, rather than normal responses to living within a world full of crises. The unintended result is a distrust in our own bodies and mind, further leading to more confusion about what is 'normal.' One framework offers a potential path to living in harmony with all of the mind's distinct parts, breaking the defensive and counterproductive loops we tend to get stuck in. What sort of systemic ripples might become possible if we stop trying to smother uncomfortable parts of ourselves, and begin embracing them as critical pieces of our own mental ecologies? In this episode, Nate is joined by Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, the therapist who developed Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Steffi Bednarek, a climate psychologist applying that same model to organizations, governments, and culture at large. Dick walks through the origins of IFS, which describes the mind as naturally made up of "parts" – protectors and exiles – with their own histories, fears, and roles, which are all held by an underlying "Self." Steffi extends the model outward to show how institutions and even entire countries can be read as systems of exiles and protectors, and shares how she uses IFS with governments, financial institutions, and wealth holders to defuse shame and effectively guide toward pro-social behavioral change. Together, they explore why healing our relationship to our own most despised parts may be inseparable from healing our relationship to the rest of the living world. How can looking inward to our own thought processes and patterns help us better understand and relate to others, especially those whose behavior we find hardest to accept? As we continue through challenging times, how can we balance critical physical and policy work with the internal work of healing our relationship to the mental parts we shy away from? And would our decisions and actions change if more and more humans began to lead from curiosity and compassion, instead of fear, and could that be enough to shift the larger system? (Conversation recorded on August 5th, 2026)   About Richard C. Schwartz: Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, is the creator of Internal Family Systems, a highly effective, therapeutic model with a growing evidence base, that de-pathologizes the multi-part personality. Richard is also the Founder of the IFS Institute that primarily offers training for professionals. He is currently a Teaching Associate in Psychiatry, at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate. Richard has authored or co-authored more than ten books on Internal Family Systems and related topics, including No Bad Parts and Internal Family Systems Therapy. He lives near Chicago with his wife Jeanne, Vice President of the IFS Institute, close to his three daughters and six grandchildren.   About Steffi Bednarek: Steffi Bednarek is a gestalt psychotherapist, trauma therapist, and climate psychologist. Her work explores the interface between climate change and mental health. With twenty-five years of experience in depth psychology, complexity thinking, climate psychology, and grief tending, Bednarek has worked for national governments and global institutions to prepare leaders and organizations for the psychological dimension of climate change in decision-making processes. Her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, BBC, David Milliband's "Reasons to be cheerful" podcast and numerous international publications. She is the co-founder of "Explorations into Climate Psychology" journal and an associate member of the American Psychological Association's climate change group.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Did Studio Ghibli really make a family sitcom? Kind of! It's Isao Takahata's second-to-last film, and we simply couldn't resist adding it to our series. Joining us to revel in the brilliance (and surprisingly vindictive behavior) of the man they call Paku-San (aka Mr. Munch) is our dear friend and digital producer, Nik Long! Topics covered this week: whether or not YAMADAS is more like EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND or MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, the long-standing rivalry of Miyazaki and Takahata and its similarities to the film CHALLENGERS, our nostalgia for discovering movies on television, Takahata's love of bananas, and so much more! Next week, at long last, we get SPIRITED AWAY (2001). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features The Secrets of My Neighbors the Yamadas Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison Credits: Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What can one person actually do about the metacrisis? In this week's Frankly, Nate explicitly outlines just a few of the countless actions we can take to actually change what's coming, rather than just prepare for it. He touches on why the metacrisis is better understood as a predicament to be continually shaped, rather than as a problem with a single solution – calling for a shift in mindset in order to navigate the uncertainty ahead. In complex systems such as ours, even seemingly modest differences in initial conditions can lead to wildly different outcomes down the road, meaning that what each of us chooses to do today shifts what becomes possible in the decades ahead. With that framing, Nate offers a list of small, specific, and slightly unordinary interventions that serve to challenge the forces driving the metacrisis. He explores methods like reducing dependence on constant stimulation, cultivating humanity and humility, and finding our own version of what is "enough." Along the way, he also shares how he sees resilience growing through shared effort, meaningful relationships, and a renewed sense of responsibility for the more-than-human world. None of these things will solve our predicament on their own. But if millions choose to start living differently in the immediate present, the forces shaping our future might just start to shift. How can redefining success, consumption, and community make us less vulnerable to today's systemic challenges? Why does "practicing loss" help change the way we respond to disruptions? And what if the most meaningful response to the world's biggest challenges isn't a sweeping political movement or a technological breakthrough, but a collection of ordinary actions practiced consistently over time? (Recorded August 2nd, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

For decades, modern civilization has treated efficiency as an unquestioned good: the leaner, faster, and more optimized anything is – from supply chains to your morning routine – the better. But emerging systems science argues that this obsession with performance is actually making humanity more brittle. What if the over-optimization baked into our economies, our agriculture, our institutions, and even our own bodies is at the root of our shared predicament, and how can nature's intelligence show us a different way? In this episode, Nate is joined by biologist and biophysicist Olivier Hamant to explore why living systems prioritize robustness over performance, and what that means for a civilization built almost entirely in the opposite direction. Olivier distinguishes performance (efficacy plus efficiency) from robustness (the capacity to remain stable and viable despite fluctuation), and he points out that nature rarely selects for the most efficient organism; it selects for the most adaptable one. Together, Nate and Olivier also trace how cheap, abundant energy allowed human societies to substitute the "safety net" of resource abundance for the safety net that living systems actually rely on: diversity, redundancy, and cooperation. As the twenty-first century moves from an era of stable averages into an era of volatility and standard deviation, Olivier argues that the path forward likely isn't degrowth or continued growth, but a third way: economies and institutions designed to be robust and adaptable to risk, rather than avoid it.  What wisdom have we forgotten for the sake of maximizing material output and efficiency? How has our search for optimization affected our quality of life, and what do we risk by continuing down this same path? Most importantly, could balancing our focus on performance and robustness be the key to reframing our relationship with the entire Earth, bringing more stability, rest, and meaning to our lives?  (Conversation recorded on July 28th, 2026)   About Olivier Hamant: Olivier Hamant is a French biologist and biophysicist whose work combines plant science and civilizational thought. He serves as Director of Research at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, teaches at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, and directs the Institut Michel Serres – an interdisciplinary institute focused on ecological transition.  Hamant's work is centralized around the idea that modern civilization has confused "performance" with "fitness" by prizing efficiency/optimization/specialization/maximum output. This is in direct contrast to most living systems, which rarely optimize for these characteristics – instead, living systems survive because they are robust, or able to maintain their identity despite unpredictable disturbances.    Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Before you listen to this episode, please join us in reciting the Ghibli prayer: Oh nameless god of rage and hate, we bow before you! This week we contend with what is unquestionably one of the greatest films ever made, animation or otherwise. It's a period epic that encapsulates everything we know and love about Studio Ghibli while also somehow raising the bar even higher. And hey, there's even a kaiju! Next week, it's a last-minute addition to the series: Isao Takahata's penultimate film, MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS (1999). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Princess Mononoke: The Art and Making of Japan's Most Popular Film of All Time Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier The Guardian Hayao Miyazaki Interview Neil Gaiman on Scripting Princess Mononoke Cinefantastique Vol 31 No 4 Production History Credits: Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Nate takes on a tension he has been navigating for years, at the heart of communicating about the metacrisis: the hazards that arise from sharing true information with a global audience. Building on his earlier episode, "The Limits to Podcasting," where he first described a "triple information hazard," Nate now outlines twelve distinct risks that emerge when honest insights about the more-than-human predicament are broadcast at scale. Drawing on philosopher Nick Bostrom's concept of an "information hazard," he explains why certain ideas become dangerous precisely because they are true, and why the era of AI raises the stakes, as everything said publicly is now ingested as training data and metabolized by the very superorganism he describes.   Some of these hazards land on the speaker, some benefit the powerful, and some fall on the audience itself. Nate reflects on the dangers of despair and false reassurance, the "half map" problem of naming risks without corresponding strategies, and the private burden of weighing what can and cannot be said. Yet he is clear that these hazards argue for care rather than silence: attention to timing, context, scale, and the trust of the people listening. He closes by suggesting that truths that become hazardous when shouted into a global microphone can become benign, even healing, when shared around a kitchen table, and that growing trust and community at human scale may be the deepest response to all twelve.   When does sharing the truth create new risks rather than reducing existing ones? How do we balance openness with the responsibility to protect people, strategies, and emerging possibilities? And what does honest communication look like in an era when every word can be amplified, weaponized, or metabolized by machines?   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

For three decades, most of Wall Street has treated energy and commodities as a rounding error, or as a small slice of the portfolio rather than the physical foundation everything else runs on. But in mid-2026, with the Strait of Hormuz disrupted, tankers burning in the Red and Black Seas, and nearly half of Russia's refining capacity knocked offline, that complacency is being tested in real time. The noise around increasing crude oil prices is loud, but this week's guest argues that the signal beneath it – the decline of refined products like diesel and jet fuel – is already sounding the alarm bells of a world in crisis. In this episode, Nate is joined by Jeff Currie for a wide-boundary look at what happens when the buffers that have suppressed energy price signals for fifty years finally run dry. Using his decades of experience as a former commodity strategist at Goldman Sachs and as a current senior advisor at The Carlyle Group, Jeff walks through why the "crack spread" between crude and refined products just hit its highest level in three decades. He also describes why draining strategic reserves is, in actuality, simply a bet that scarcity can be avoided rather than solved – in Currie's eyes, the West's refusal to admit scarcity since the 70s has left it structurally unprepared, particularly compared to China's security-driven build-out of nuclear, solar, and battery capacity. He also lays out the "Grand Bargain" underlying the postwar dollar system, wherein the U.S. protects global sea lanes in exchange for global trade running through New York. Jeff explains why a failure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could unravel this arrangement, bringing forward consequences that would land hardest on middle-class Americans' access to credit and consumption. Is the world entering a new commodity supercycle driven by scarcity and deglobalization, or is the market going to keep shrugging off these shocks? What might it mean for ordinary people if the credit and dollar system that has funded American consumption for eighty years starts to break down? And if, as Jeff argues, we are only in "the foothills of the Himalayas," how much higher does this climb go before societies are forced to reckon with the physical limits behind the price signals? (Conversation recorded on July 23rd, 2026)   About Jeff Currie: Jeff Currie is the Chief Strategy Officer at Altis Partners. Previously, Jeff served as Chief Strategy Officer of Energy Pathways at Carlyle and currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the firm. Jeff's analysis focuses on the energy and commodity markets and the supply chain central to an energy transition. Jeff is the former Global Head of Commodities Research at Goldman Sachs, where he helped to build their commodities business. During his nearly three decades at the firm, he became one of the leading commodity market strategists on Wall Street, known for advising clients through the commodity "super cycle" of the 2000s, the shale supply shock of the 2010s, and most recently the twin shocks of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Country roads, take us home! Of the many, many movies that use the famous John Denver song, who would've expected the DEFINITIVE one to be about about a couple kids in Western Tokyo who fall in love with a really cool cat statue?  This week our old friend Stephen Hilger of the very great Into the Aether podcast is filling in as guest host! Topics explored by Dom and Steve: Zelda games (of course), Les Mis (obviously), doing improv comedy for no one (what?), learning to love yourself as an artist, and for some reason, pro wrestling! What an episode! Next week we worship at the altar of PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features Behind the Microphone Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy Studio Ghibli: The Complete Works 2nd Edition Cartoon Brew Atsushi Okui Interview John Lasseter Whisper of the Heart Introduction Credits: Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Watch an animated movie today!: Monday, July 27, 2026Do you want to go deeper with me? Book me for a keynote, workshop, or coaching.Subscribe to get my message delivered daily: https://www.michaelallosso.com/goodmorning.html——————May your morning begin shattering expectations right out of the gate. I hope my message brings a smile to your face. May you gain knowledge, become inspired, or collect a trivial fact that you might use in a contest someday.-------For the past 30 years, I've changed my phone message EVERY SINGLE DAY! It's a daily activity, as automatic as brushing my teeth.​ I actually do 2 unique messages daily: one on my cell phone and one on my landline. The time has come to share them. (Perhaps the time has come to get rid of my landline?

In this week's Frankly, Nate reflects on a week spent with a group of friends and peers who share his understanding of the world's converging crises, and what it revealed about the deeply human need to be fully seen, without having to explain yourself first. Though the group rarely discussed climate, AI, or energy depletion, the shared awareness of these issues created space for humor, joy, and the reemergence of a version of himself that had quietly faded into the background over the years. He observes that most rooms he finds himself in either run either too hot – where people are overly fixated on systemic risk and its gory details – or too cold, where the state of the world goes unacknowledged entirely. This group served as the rare in-between: people who could hold both the beauty and the horror of our moment with both eyes open, and still show up each morning with presence, purpose, and laughter. From there, Nate widens the lens to the role of community in an age of converging crises: our evolutionary wiring as social animals, the physiological nourishment of daily in-person connection that even the strongest online relationships cannot replicate, and the quiet loneliness of seeing the world differently than those around us. Many listeners of this platform might be in the same position: aware and engaged, yet locally alone. As The Great Simplification continues to unfold, Nate suggests that finding – or helping to build – local communities grounded in shared reality, mutual presence, and care may be among the most important no-regrets strategies available to us – and one this platform intends to help cultivate. What changes when you no longer have to explain the world as you see it before you can simply be yourself? Why does in-person community meet needs that even meaningful online relationships cannot? And what first steps can we take toward the kinds of local communities that help us face an uncertain future with resilience, meaning, and joy? (Recorded July 21st, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

A growing chorus of psychologists, contemplatives, and systems thinkers argue that most of us, and most of our institutions, are running an outdated psychological and spiritual "operating system," one never built for the converging ecological, economic, and cultural crises we face. Technological and policy responses absorb nearly all of our attention and resources, yet the maturity of the humans making the decisions may be the most needed and least prioritized intervention of all.  Could ancient contemplative traditions, paired with modern psychology, offer a map for the kind of collective growing up this moment demands? In this episode, Nate welcomes Dr. John Churchill, a psychologist and former Buddhist monk, to explore a map of human development that runs from "first-person" perspective of the isolated self all the way to a felt, embodied sense of interdependence with the planet itself. Drawing on decades spent synthesizing Tibetan Buddhist contemplative science with Western developmental psychology, John walks Nate through why our centers of power remain frozen at the level of third-person individualism. John also explains why  "love wisdom" (the integration of heart and mind) may be the missing ingredient in how we respond to our more-than-human predicament. Along the way, Nate presses him on whether this maturation applies to individuals, cultures, or our entire species, and on how a 2,000-year detour through empire and the carbon pulse pushed these traditions to the margins. The conversation ranges from the lost sacred academies of Alexandria to a simple attention practice anyone can do, and it keeps circling back to a single throughline: that beauty, truth, and goodness are load-bearing structures for whatever comes next.  What do beauty, truth, and goodness have to do with finding alternative paths toward a more flourishing humanity? How would it feel to be truly at one with the planet, and how might it change the way we act? And what can an individual do, this month, with the time and resources they actually have, to begin living into that shift? (Conversation recorded on June 17th, 2026)   About John Churchill: John began his in-depth study of Buddhist Psychology while a Buddhist monk at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. He then spent 15 years training and teaching in "Great Seal" meditation in an Indo-Tibetan Mahayana lineage under the mentorship of the late senior Western teacher, translator, respected author, and clinical psychologist Dr. Daniel P. Brown. He is also a founding member of the Integral Institute led by esteemed Transpersonal/Integral philosopher, Ken Wilber.  John has received advanced training in: attachment therapy, hypnosis, positive psychology for peak performance, and the "Pointing Out" style of Mahamudra meditation. For the last 25 years, John has developed the Fourth Turning Planetary Dharma which includes: a redesigned Nine Stages of Calm-Staying practice path, and a somatically based contemplative practice path; Embodying the Open Ground, that integrates psychodynamic healing, adult development and meditation. John holds a Doctorate in clinical psychology from William James College, and is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

We're back! Joining us after our one week hiatus is returning champion, the one, the only... Griffin Newman! We have so much to talk about this week, including: raccoon dogs, Isao Takahata's hatred of modernity, the history of “serious” animation, Operation Goblin, Star Wars(?), Mr. Belvedere(??), Dave Matthews Band(????), and also How To “Ball Up” a Pipeline! Next week it's our first non-Miyazaki/Takahata Ghibli entry, WHISPER OF THE HEART (1995) directed by Yoshifumi Kondō. Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features Blu-Ray Booklet Studio Ghibli: The Complete Works 2nd Edition Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert TCM Pom Poko Production History Pom Poko Influences Hoppers Band Inspiration Toshio Suzuki Incorrectly Anticipates Credits: Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's video is the sixth part in Nate's ongoing series, How to Think About the Future. Today, Nate turns from describing possible futures to exploring how we can make decisions when certainty is impossible. He introduces a framework for planning under uncertainty by distinguishing between two common mistakes – failing to respond to real risks, and taking decisive action based on incomplete understanding. Touching on examples like soil health, social trust, and children's developmental windows, Nate also advocates that the most important compass for navigating the future is learning to distinguish between what can be rebuilt and what cannot. Overall, this episode examines how thoughtful planning requires balancing action with humility, while avoiding solutions that unintentionally deepen the problems they seek to solve. Nate explores the value of "robust actions" that create benefits across many possible futures, while also reflecting on the role of personal calling alongside practical resilience. He ends with a call for listeners to act where their agency is most visible – rather than seeking certainty about what lies ahead, Nate offers a way of seeing the world that helps us remain grounded as the landscape around us continues to change. What deserves our greatest protection, if some losses can be recovered while others cannot? Why is it important to be aware of the cognitive errors we might be making when evaluating the bigger picture? And how can we make meaningful decisions when the future is uncertain and every choice involves tradeoffs? (Recorded July 5th, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Marcus' What You Know 'Bout That trivia game for Friday July 17th, 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight's Episode Is My Podcast Series BrandonJaneauShow:Life And Times With Movies And On This Episode I'm Doing Another Top 10 List This Time My Top 10 Animated Movies

Roughly a fifth of the world's oil and more than a tenth of all global trade has been navigating a literal minefield, a wary insurance industry, and whipsawing geopolitics since late February of this year. But looking beyond the Strait of Hormuz closure itself, the same pattern threatens every critical chokepoint: passages open to all shipping for the past 80 years are becoming strategic assets within a geopolitical power struggle. If we continue this trend, what does a more fragmented, higher-cost, higher-risk maritime system mean for the norms and safety of the shipping industry, and what are the ripple effects for global trade?  In this episode, Nate is joined by maritime historian and former merchant mariner, Sal Mercogliano, to break down what the ongoing events in the Strait of Hormuz reveal about the state of global shipping and trade. Sal traces how the rise of unregistered "dark fleet" tankers and increasing risk – and subsequent cost – of maritime trade are reshaping the safety and stability of shipping across the globe. He also walks through who actually "owns" the Strait of Hormuz, the improvised insurance and security arrangements now propping up tanker traffic, and the human toll on the roughly 20,000 mariners who have been stranded, attacked, or killed since the crisis began. Ultimately, Sal examines how the 80-year-old norm of 'freedom of the seas' is being tested by this standoff, exposing the fragile foundation of our hyper-complex, just-in-time shipping system.  Why does the volume and velocity of modern trade make a conflict like the one in the Strait of Hormuz so much more consequential than at any other time in history? Is "might makes right" becoming the central pillar governing the world's oceans, and if so, what does that mean for the cost of everything that arrives by ship? And what does this conflict reveal about the stability of our highly interdependent system as global powers continue to fracture and isolate? (Conversation recorded on June 29th, 2026)    About Sal Mercogliano: Dr. Salvatore R. Mercogliano is an associate professor of history at Campbell University in North Carolina and adjunct professor at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He holds a bachelor of science in marine transportation from the State University of New York Maritime College, along with a merchant marine deck officer license (unlimited tonnage 2nd mate), a master's in maritime history and nautical archaeology from East Carolina University, and a Ph.D. in military and naval history from the University of Alabama. He is also the host of the popular podcast What's Going on With Shipping, which focuses on Maritime Industry Policy, current events in the Maritime Sector, and Maritime History.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Host Anthony Desiato and guest Shawn Eastridge (Missing Frames) conclude their pitches for the Superman animated movies they most want to see! Adaptations of comic books and unmade screenplays, sequels to existing projects, and wholly original ideas are all on the table. Did YOUR most wanted projects made it onto their wishlists?Make sure you listen to Part 1 first!Support the show and receive exclusive podcast content at Patreon.com/AnthonyDesiato, including the spinoff podcasts BEYOND METROPOLIS and DIGGING FOR JUSTICE!Visit BCW Supplies and use promo code FSP to save 10% on your next order of comics supplies. Get your DFK merch at the podcast's TeePublic storefront!FACEBOOK GROUP: Digging for Kryptonite: A Superman Fan GroupFACEBOOK PAGE: @diggingforkryptonitepodINSTAGRAM: @diggingforkryptonitepodTWITTER: @diggingforkrpodBLUESKY: @diggingforkrpod.bsky.socialEMAIL: flatsquirrelproductions@gmail.comWEBSITE: FlatSquirrelProductions.com Digging for Kryptonite is a Flat Squirrel Production. Theme music by Dan Pritchard. Key art by Isaiah Simmons. Mentioned in this episode:This Podcast Will Never DieSingle Bound PodcastFat Moose ComicsRick ReasonThe Pop BreakLong Live the LegionAw Yeah ComicsAlways Hold On To Smallville

Host Anthony Desiato and guest Shawn Eastridge (Missing Frames) pitch the Superman animated movies they most want to see! Adaptations of comic books and unmade screenplays, sequels to existing projects, and wholly original ideas are all on the table. Did YOUR most wanted projects made it onto their wishlists?Stay tuned for Part 2 TOMORROW (7/15/26)!Support the show and receive exclusive podcast content at Patreon.com/AnthonyDesiato, including the spinoff podcasts BEYOND METROPOLIS and DIGGING FOR JUSTICE!Visit BCW Supplies and use promo code FSP to save 10% on your next order of comics supplies. Get your DFK merch at the podcast's TeePublic storefront!FACEBOOK GROUP: Digging for Kryptonite: A Superman Fan GroupFACEBOOK PAGE: @diggingforkryptonitepodINSTAGRAM: @diggingforkryptonitepodTWITTER: @diggingforkrpodBLUESKY: @diggingforkrpod.bsky.socialEMAIL: flatsquirrelproductions@gmail.comWEBSITE: FlatSquirrelProductions.com Digging for Kryptonite is a Flat Squirrel Production. Theme music by Dan Pritchard. Key art by Isaiah Simmons. Mentioned in this episode:Long Live the LegionRick ReasonAw Yeah ComicsSingle Bound PodcastFat Moose ComicsThe Pop BreakAlways Hold On To SmallvilleThis Podcast Will Never Die

They're taking fictional characters and making them real, like with Moana. They're also taking real actors and making them into fictional AI versions, like James Earl Jones. It's a madhouse. A madhouse! At least we can remain secure in our knowledge that they will never stop making Evil Dead movies, ever.Episode discussion: https://completedisaster.live/2026/07/10/july-10th-2026/

Another fun-filled episode of Nerds Talking is here, packed with laughs, movie reviews, entertainment news, and plenty of geeky conversations!Join Lafayette and Carlos as they bring you your weekly dose of entertainment news before taking an unexpected detour into the world of international soccer tournaments—not just the World Cup, but some of the biggest competitions from around the globe.One thing becomes very clear throughout the episode: Lafayette absolutely refuses to stop working on his Christopher Walken impression. Whether it's spot-on or hilariously off the rails... we'll let you decide!This week's movie reviews include Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, starring Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood, Shawn Hatosy, and David Cronenberg. Does the sequel live up to the original's twisted blend of horror and comedy? We break it all down. (Wikipedia)We also dive into the explosive martial arts action film The Furious, directed by Kenji Tanigaki, starring Mo Tse, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Jeeja Yanin, Brian Le, and Yayan Ruhian. After Wang Wei's daughter is kidnapped by a ruthless criminal network, his only ally is Navin, a journalist searching for his own missing wife. Together, they unleash a relentless campaign of vengeance against an army of deadly criminals. But the real question is... is it actually exciting, or is it as boring as The Raid? (Yeah... we said it.) You'll have to listen to hear our verdict! (Wikipedia)Looking for your next binge? We also discuss which television series we'd recommend to someone who has somehow gone their entire life without ever watching a TV show. If you could only recommend a handful of series to introduce someone to television, what would they be? We compare our lists and make our cases.Plus, we count down and discuss the Top 10 highest-grossing animated movies of all time, revisit some classics, debate the rankings, and celebrate the films that became worldwide box office sensations.It's another episode full of movie talk, nostalgia, laughs, impressions, random debates, and the kind of nerdy conversations you've come to expect from Nerds Talking.Tune in, laugh along with us, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show with your fellow nerds!#NerdsTalking #Podcast #EntertainmentNews #MovieReview #ReadyOrNot2 #TheFurious #JoeTaslim #SamaraWeaving #ChristopherWalken #HorrorMovies #MartialArtsMovies #ActionMovies #AnimatedMovies #TVShows #PopCulture #GeekCulture #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #Movies #Streaming #ComedyPodcast #NerdCulture

Today, in Part 5 of the "How to Think About the Future" series, Nate scales his exploration of civilizational futures down to the future of a single human life and analyzes how the same patterns that shape economies, power, geopolitics, and Earth systems turn inward. Building on the framework developed throughout the series, he describes how the factors from material throughput to personal agency are underpinned by our own physical/mental health and our web of relationships. Nate emphasizes that we cannot build any stable future on top of cracking foundations, pointing toward the importance of cultivating a strong base of personal health and community to operate from. By outlining these scenarios – both on the personal and civilizational scales – Nate challenges the long-held assumptions that equate growth with success. He explores why the most regenerative paths available to us often look like decline from the outside and discusses the ways in which our civilizational foundations have been obscured by a societal trajectory of constant growth. Overall, this episode offers a mirror for reflecting on the landscapes we inhabit today and the quiet work required to navigate toward a better future for humanity and the biosphere. Are your daily choices strengthening your foundations, or are they slowly eroding the capacity you'll need for what's ahead? Which personal future scenario do you feel you're living in today, and what patterns are quietly shaping where you're headed? And how would your life change if you measured success by regeneration instead of productivity or growth? (Recorded July 5th, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Every year, hundreds of billions of dollars flow through global philanthropy, yet only a small fraction reaches environmental, climate, and nature-related causes. Meanwhile, in small towns and rural communities around the world, a hidden throughline of regenerative work is already underway. This work rarely waits for large-scale funding to begin, but it does need resourcing to grow into replicable movements capable of propelling system-wide change. What would it take to build financial infrastructure that actually gets capital to the people already doing the work of healing land and community? In this episode, Nate is joined by Matthew Monahan, co-founder of the nonprofit Ma Earth, to explore the emerging field of regenerative finance. Matthew digs into why top-down, siloed, and low-trust funding systems keep capital from reaching frontline communities, and how tools like open protocols, decentralized data commons, and blockchains might (with healthy consideration) help coordinate trust and resourcing at scale. Matthew also discusses Ma Earth's collective crowdfunding platform that pairs philanthropic dollars with community fundraising for grassroots land and ecological projects – from mangrove restoration in the Pacific to a farmer's cooperative for war amputees in the Congo – and how anyone can become involved.  How might we approach the ambitious goal of attuning money with the health of the planet and the life that inhabits it? Is it possible to use tools like blockchain and crowdfunding to route capital toward life without building a bigger version of the same self-eating machine? And can bottom-up, community-defined funding scale to the size of the problem without losing the trust and specificity that make it work in the first place?  (Conversation recorded on June 29th, 2026)   About Matthew Monahan: Matthew Monahan is the co-founder of Ma Earth, a community-led movement aiming to align economic incentives with planetary health and regeneration. He also hosts The Regeneration Will Be Funded, a podcast under Ma Earth that explores intersections of regenerative finance, technology, and ecological health. He's involved in regenerative agriculture, specifically through Mangaroa Farms in Aotearoa, New Zealand, a regenerative farm and educational hub. This farm works on transforming dairy & pine plantations into more regenerative systems, reforesting, building local food infrastructure, and engaging communities.    Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Farewell to freedom in the Adriatic and days of wild abandon! We're soaring back over the sea this week to hang out with our close personal friend, Porco Rosso! This is… the best movie ever made, right? Topics discussed this week: whether or not Han Solo is just Porco in space, Italian antifascism, French antifascism, fascism in general, Looney Tunes, and of course, cool planes. Next week it's all about raccoons as we go long on Isao Takahata's POM POKO (1994)! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features Interview with Toshio Suzuki Behind the Microphone The Art of Porco Rosso Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier Credits: Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As America marks its 250th birthday, Nate takes a moment to step outside of the celebrations to seek out a wider boundary perspective on this week's holiday. He poses the question of whether the United States has truly matured as a nation over two and a half centuries, particularly through the lenses of energy, ecology, history, and culture. Nate walks through the extraordinary inheritance of fossil fuels that simultaneously shaped the American story while masking the real foundations of prosperity. He points out that even the symbols of this holiday – from backyard barbecues to fireworks lighting the night sky – are products of complex supply chains that are created by drawing down the living biosphere.  Overall, this conversation reflects on what it means to become an "adult nation" in an age of limits. Alongside the costs of endless expansion, like declining wildlife and lower mental wellbeing, come reasons to hold hope for this nation – our traditions of reinvention, our conservation legacy, and our growing movement toward stronger local communities based in resilience and reciprocity. As the era of "more" begins to fade, perhaps the next chapter of this country will be measured not by what we consume, but by how well we learn to share the table with one another and the rest of life.  How did geography and fossil deposits shape both America's greatest successes and greatest blind spots? What would it mean for America to "grow up" as a nation after 250 years? And if the age of endless expansion is ending, what kind of future might we be capable of building in its place?  (Recorded June 29th, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

Get ready to reconnect with your 10-year-old self. Because we're about to face some of the most embarrassing (and transcendent) childhood memories in movie history! Topics discussed this week: dividing fractions, the questionable taste of unripe pineapples, Takahata and Miyakazi's legendary beef, uncanny animated facial muscles, the weather, and whether or not ALADDIN still holds up. Next week we take to the skies with PORCO ROSSO (1992). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features The Making of Only Yesterday Princess Mononoke: The Art and Making of Japan's Most Popular Film of All Time Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert Credits: Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Nate continues his "How to Think About the Future" series, where he invites listeners to imagine what it's like to live in different versions of the reality that lies ahead. In today's edition, Nate builds upon the frameworks outlined in part three to create four distinct future worlds – composites that emerge from various combinations of economic conditions, geopolitical scenarios, power structures, and Earth systems stability. The resulting worlds are not meant to serve as a prediction, but as a set of thought experiments designed to stretch our imagination and to sharpen our understanding of how societal shifts show up in our everyday lives.  Along the way, Nate also explores why some of these futures seem more stable than others, why economic contraction does not necessarily mean collapse, and why power distribution may matter more than the economic headlines. As Nate unpacks the logic of the four potential worlds, he emphasizes that we are not yet locked into any one outcome – the choices made by communities, regions, and institutions today still determine which valleys remain reachable tomorrow. This episode is an invitation to think beyond conventional narratives of progress and to consider what conditions make a future not just stable, but worth living in. What would daily life actually feel like in a world of managed contraction, ecological overshoot, authoritarian control, or systemic breakdown? Which institutions and practices are most important to preserve today, while the future remains unwritten? And why might the most desirable future also be the one that looks least like progress by today's economic measures? (Recorded June 9th, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

This year's projected Super El Niño forming in the Pacific could become one of the strongest climate oscillations in over a century. As regions prepare for the effects, and continue to adapt to extreme heat waves, intensifying storms, accelerating ice loss, and increasingly erratic rainfall, scientists and citizens alike are questioning what our new normal will look like under accelerated global heating. From climate basics to unfolding atmospheric research, what do we know about the trajectory our climate is currently on, and what gaps of knowledge still need to be filled?  In this episode, Nate is joined by earth scientist and thermodynamicist Tad Patzek for an exploration of the mechanics and mathematics of global heating itself. Tad explains why CO₂ has such an outsized effect in contrast to its small concentration, how water vapor amplifies the greenhouse effect, and why climate models sometimes get things wrong. His new research, currently under peer review at Geophysical Research Letters, identifies a declining Earth albedo as an additional accelerant of warming over the past 26 years. Combined with accelerating ocean heat absorption, melting ice sheets, and the dynamics of an approaching Super El Niño, Tad argues the warming curve itself may be bending upward. Is the projected Super El Niño a signal of more extreme climatic swings to come? What sort of research is being done to explore and predict climate feedback dynamics that are only partly understood? And if the warming curve is indeed bending upward, what does it mean to plan, prepare, or adapt when the system itself may be moving faster than our models anticipated? (Conversation recorded on June 18th, 2026)    About Tad Patzek: Tad Patzek is Professor Emeritus of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering at the Earth Sciences Division and Director of the Ali I. Al-Naimi Petroleum Engineering Research Center in KAUST, Saudi Arabia. Formerly, he was the Lois K. and Richard D. Folger Leadership Professor and Chairman of the Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department at The University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, he was previously a Professor of Geoengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining Berkeley, he was a researcher at Shell Development, a research company managed for 20 years by M. King Hubbert. He is also a full Presidential Professor in Poland, which is the highest honor, and also served as a member of the DOI Macondo Well Advisory Committee. Patzek's current research involves mathematical and numerical modeling of earth systems with emphasis on fluid flow in soils and rocks that can be hydrofractured. He is working on the thermodynamics and ecology of human survival, and food and energy supply for humanity. His current emphasis is the use of unconventional natural gas as a fuel bridge to the possible new energy supply schemes for the world. Patzek is a coauthor of over 400 papers and reports, and most recently, he has cumulated his research into his upcoming book Thermal Power and Climate Change: A Data-Driven Analysis of Cause and Effect, 1800-2100 (Preprint available now)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

Finally, an animated film about how the gig economy is BAD but dirigibles are COOL! This week we hang out with the snarkiest cat around, Jiji, and his very cool familiar, a little witch who dreams of something better than eating pancakes for every meal. Even if you're not a freelancer, this film speaks volumes, because work/life balance is impossible and Kiki's about to find out why! Next week, it's another Takahata gem, ONLY YESTERDAY (1991). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features Creating Kiki's Delivery Service Scoring Miyazaki Kiki & Jiji Art of Kiki's Delivery Service Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier Credits:  Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We are wrapping up Paulsploitation Month with a familiar IP. Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie was clearly here to promote the game because there isn't even a a first one.....unless you count that BADASS live action movie with JCVD! Did we have a good time with this one? Did we defeat that son of a bitch Bison? Find out in this weeks episode!

In this week's Frankly, Nate explores a pattern of thinking that permeates so many of our conversations: we often decide what we think before we've fully heard what's being said. Using the metaphor of a chessboard, he invites listeners to examine how we process information through a series of expanding perspectives. At the closest range, we instinctively assess people and ideas through lenses of threat, familiarity, and belonging. Soon after, conversations become filtered through ideologies, tribes, and cultural labels. That makes it harder to separate the argument itself from the person or source presenting it. From renewable energy to geopolitical conflicts, Nate presents real-world examples of how these deeply human shortcuts can limit our ability to learn from one another and shape the trajectory of our civilization itself. As the camera continues to pull back, a larger picture emerges. Beyond personalities and factions lie the structural forces shaping our world: energy, economics, and the biophysical realities that underpin civilization. The view widens again to include the living Earth itself, along with the possibility of a different future beyond the trajectory of our current social and economic game. Nate argues that the work of our time is learning to hold those instinctive ways of thinking alongside broader systems perspectives, so we can see the whole board without feeling pushed across it. Are our strongest convictions helping us understand the world, or narrowing what we're able to see? How does the scale of our perspective shape the futures we believe are reachable? And if a more resilient future is possible, what kinds of thinking will help us find a path toward it? (Recorded June 16th, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Donna & Steve open the show talking about the musical acts performing at the Minnesota State Fair, how Woody from Toy Story apparently has a last name and why soccer fans are being paid $50K to watch the FIFA World Cup in Times Square.In hour 2, the "2026 Billboard #1s" edition the College of Pop Culture Knowledge, Jon Bon Jovi says he's fully healed after four years of health troubles and America's cheapest pizza chain.Finally, Donna finished Widow's Bay on Apple TV, Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel Live! is going to be on Dancing with the Stars and we find out the Soup of the Day!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Self-fulfilling prophecies; manifestations; the Oedipus Effect: Humanity has long had an intuition that the stories we tell ourselves the most are often the stories we make come true. Science has found more and more evidence to back this up, through both historical cultural analysis as well as unexpected neurological connections in our brains. If we fully accept this, then what sort of future are we telling with our current cultural narratives, and is there still time to write a new one?  In this episode, Nate welcomes Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Network and author of "How to Fall in Love with the Future,"  for an exploration of what tips people over the edge and into action to build more livable futures, and what role imagination plays in cultural motivation and agency. Rob explains the neuroscience behind envisioning the future, explaining the link between memory and imagination, and how chronic stress and cortisol can shrink our capacity to picture the future. Drawing on research showing that creativity and imagination scores have been declining for decades, he argues that our collective inability to vividly picture a better future may be the deepest barrier to building one. Throughout the conversation, Rob and Nate wrestle with a central tension: how to be honest about the scale of the predicament while still cultivating the kind of longing that moves people to act, and what role grief, limits, and slowing down might play in that process.  In a culture that puts many of us in constant states of anxiety and stress, what happens to our ability to imagine and dream of the future? What would it take for more of us to feel, not just intellectually understand, that a lower-energy, more localized future could also be a more beautiful one, if only we plant the seeds for it to grow? And if the tools for building more local, resilient futures already exist, but the first step is to create a sense of longing for them, then what gap does that open up in each of our communities, today, to start putting these ideas into action? (Conversation recorded on April 21st, 2026)    About Rob Hopkins: Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes, and author of several books including "The Transition Handbook" and most recently, "How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveller's Guide to Changing the World." He is an Ashoka Fellow, has spoken at TED Global and at several TEDx events, and appeared in the 2015 French film phenomenon "Demain."  He holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth as well as 2 Honoris Causas, and hosted 100 episodes of his podcast "From What If to What Next." In November 2022 he was made an Honorary Citizen of Liège in Belgium. His collaborative music project with artist Mr Kit, "Field Recordings from the Future" is now available, and is being developed as a live show which will tour in 2026. His website is robhopkins.net.    Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

THINK YOU KNOW POP CULTURE? Take The Spill's Pop Culture Quiz here. Today we are diving into the ultimate vault of 90s and 00s nostalgia to talk about the comfort films that left us with way too many unanswered questions. We reckon its time to give them the Devil Wears Prada treatment and make them a sequel. We unpack why a chaotic wedding classic starring one of our favourite leading ladies deserves a second chapter, and why a cosy Christmas staple features a love story we need an immediate update on - plus lots more.Remember The Spill drops the tea twice a day in this feed so follow us for all the latest entertainment news OR you can WATCH our show in full length video on the Apple Podcast app - make sure your phone is up to date and enjoy the watch! Link here. THE END BITS Find and follow us on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespillpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thespillpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thespillpodcast/ Read all the latest entertainment news on Mamamia: https://mamamia.com.au/entertainment/ Support independent women’s media and get our biggest offer of the year. Subscribe here for 30% off your annual Mamamia subscription. Code applied at the checkout. Offer ends June 30. Your subscription helps us continue to tell the stories that matter to women. Want to join the conversation? Have feedback or a topic you want us to discuss? Send us a voice message or email us at thespill@mamamia.com.au and we’ll get back to you ASAP! Executive Producer: Monisha Iswaran Audio & Video Producer: Michael Kean Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's Frankly is another in Nate's recurring series Uncomfortable Questions for Unsettled Times, in which he poses questions about our shared future. Today, he uses headlines regarding a potential ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran to confront a subject that has re-entered public discourse with a quiet but startling force: nuclear warfare. Through a wide-boundary lens, Nate outlines how the renewed discussion of nuclear force raises questions that extend far beyond the current conflict, including important (and uncomfortable) questions about nuclear proliferation, human psychology, and the erosion of long-standing taboos. He considers the possibility that many of today's geopolitical tensions are symptoms of deeper shifts underway in the global balance of power, and asks what happens when societies begin revisiting assumptions that once seemed settled. While renewed public discussion around nuclear weapons provides the immediate context, this episode is ultimately less about any single weapon or conflict, and more about the forces shaping human decision-making during periods of uncertainty and transition. Why do societies tend to realize the importance of a norm only when it is being broken? Are today's conflicts fundamentally about ideology and security, or are they about power, resources, and influence in a changing world? And what happens when established assumptions about global leadership, cooperation, and stability are put to the test? (Recorded June 15th, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

This is our spoiler-free review of Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5. Join us as we discuss the film's stunning visuals, heartfelt story, memorable new characters, and why Bonnie and Jessie's journey brings a fresh perspective to the beloved franchise. We explore the film's themes of imagination, play, and technology, share our thoughts on the performances, and explain why Toy Story 5 feels like a meaningful evolution of the series while staying true to everything that has made Toy Story special for nearly 30 years. Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 arrives exclusively in theatres on June 19, 2026. Check out Geekcentric onYouTube | Instagram | Twitter | TikTokJoin the Geekcentric Discord HEREFollow Eatcentric - Same geeks. New Eats

The catbus is here and we're off to explore the (friendly) haunted forest! This week we're worshipping the ancient woodland spirit and face of Studio Ghibli — our good, personal friend, Totoro! But heads up, Adam and Dom have completely different takes on this one, so if you're looking for a real Siskel & Ebert type disagreement, this is the episode for you. Next week, we take to the skies with KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features Behind the Microphone Creating My Neighbor Totoro Creating the Characters The “Totoro” Experience Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki Grave of the Fireflies (BFI Film Classics) by Alex Dudok de Wit The Art of My Neighbor Totoro: A Film by Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier Totoro's Limited Animation Team Guillermo Del Toro - 2013 Studio Ghibli Masterclass - TIFF Credits:  Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode was recorded Tuesday, June 9th, before the current 'deal' was floated. Given world events, we decided to post this episode immediately as a special release, and deal or not, this conversation is an excellent overview of the issues and stakes of this evolving situation. In a media environment constantly contradicting itself, with every side proclaiming the advantage for themselves, the reality of what's happening in the Middle East gets lost amidst the day-to-day headlines. But for analysts who have been monitoring the underlying trends of the geopolitical gameboard for years, the direction is clear: the conflict over the Strait of Hormuz will likely not fully resolve within the next few months. If we truly accept the consequences of this, how will our global economy – built on interconnected supply chains and cheap energy – adapt to a geopolitical order fracturing before our eyes?  In this episode, Nate is joined by Michael Every, Global Strategist at Rabobank, for an unflinching analysis of the Hormuz crisis and the fundamental principles pointing toward the Strait's closure for several more months. Michael walks through multiple scenarios – a TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out), NATO military action, Chinese intervention behind the scenes – and explains why none of them offer an easy exit. The conversation expands to explore what this crisis means for the future of global energy trade, the emergence of rival production blocs, the collapse of demand-side macroeconomics, and the surprising potential for a more equitable world to emerge from the chaos. If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed or mostly closed into September, which countries hit their breaking point first, and will the order in which they break fundamentally change the balance of geopolitical power? How does everyday life change when price signals stop working and access is defined by availability rather than cost? And if this crisis truly accelerates the fracturing of our hyper-connected, globalized world into polarized blocs of energy and production, how might the disruption, for better or worse, shake up nearly a century of the macroeconomic theory that has shaped every part of our lives?  (Conversation recorded on June 9th, 2026)   About Michael Every: Michael Every is a Global Strategist at Rabobank with over two decades of experience. He analyzes major financial developments and contributes to the bank's various economic research publications. Before Rabobank, he was a Director at Silk Road Associates in Bangkok, Senior Economist and Fixed Income Strategist at the Royal Bank of Canada in both London and Sydney, and an Economist for Dun & Bradstreet in London.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

On this episode of Behind The Geeks, we go behind the scenes of Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 with the filmmakers helping bring Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the gang back to the big screen. We sit down with Director Andrew Stanton, Co-Director Kenna Harris, Producer Lindsey Collins, Production Designer Bob Pauley, and VFX Supervisor Thomas Jordan to discuss the film's themes, visual evolution, technological innovations, and the creative process behind one of animation's most beloved franchises. We also explore the toys that inspired their imaginations growing up, the role technology plays in children's lives today, and the invaluable lessons they've taken away from their time at Pixar. Disney & Pixar's Toy Story 5 opens exclusively in theatres June 19, 2026. Watch the full interview on YouTube Here Check out Geekcentric onYouTube | Instagram | Twitter | TikTokJoin the Geekcentric Discord HEREFollow Eatcentric - Same geeks. New Eats

It's Thursday, June 11th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Nigerian court sentences Muslims to death for executing Catholics Last week, a court in the African nation of Nigeria sentenced four Muslim men to death for killing dozens of Catholics. Four years ago, the gunmen attacked a Pentecost Sunday service at a Catholic Church in southwest Nigeria. They killed 41 people, including children. Authorities determined that the armed men belonged to Al-Shabaab, an Islamic terrorist group. The massacre was the first terrorist attack on a church in southern Nigeria.   According to Open Doors, Nigeria is the seventh most dangerous country worldwide for Christians. Proverbs 7:14 and 16 says, “Behold, the wicked man conceives evil . . . His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.” Sudanese man arrested in Ireland for attempted beheading Authorities in Northern Ireland arrested a migrant from the African nation of Sudan on Tuesday. Police in Belfast accused him of carrying out a severe knife attack on a man in his 40s. People across the United Kingdom responded to the attempted beheading with protests. The victim was hospitalized with significant injuries to his face, neck, and back. Many U.K. citizens question their government's immigration policies, including Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe. In February, the lawmaker launched a national political party called Restore Britain. The party is devoted to ending mass immigration and also openly recognizes Britain's Christian heritage.  Congress funds $70 billion for ICE and Border Patrol In the United States, President Donald Trump signed the Secure America Act yesterday. The $70 billion package fully funds the Department of Homeland Security. The bill specifically covers U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the rest of President Trump's second term.  Listen to comments from House Speaker Mike Johnson after Congress passed the bill. JOHNSON: “The historic mandate that put President Trump in the White House and Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate is evidence of the fact that Democrats' ‘Defund the Police' agenda is wildly out of step with hardworking American families. After four long years of Democrat policies that opened the door to dangerous criminals and deadly drugs, Republicans are delivering on our promise to restore safe streets and secure our borders.” Inflation rose 4.3% Inflation reached a three-year high last month for American consumers.  The cost of goods and services rose 4.2 percent in May compared to a year ago. Rising energy costs drove the inflation. Gasoline prices were up 40 percent from a year earlier.    iPhone launch connected to lower U.S. fertility rate A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that the launch of the iPhone contributed to declining fertility rates in the U.S. Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007. The U.S. general fertility rate has fallen by 22 percent since then. People have been spending more time on their smartphones and less time with each other.  The study noted, “Overall, the diffusion of the iPhone explains 33–52% of the decline in the general fertility rate among women aged 15–44.” Southern Baptists: Only men can serve as pastors The Southern Baptist Convention affirmed its position yesterday that only men can serve as pastors. Over 70 percent of the denomination's representatives voted in favor of the “Truth and Unity Amendment.” The measure was sponsored by Albert Mohler Jr., the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The amendment would require churches in the denomination to not appoint women as pastors, elders, or overseers.  Listen to comments from Dr. Mohler. MOHLER: “This motion makes very clear that we affirm the historic Baptist understanding of the pastor, elder, overseer. The structure of the language I have brought goes all the way back to the 1689 Baptist Confession, where the office and function of the pastor are clearly delineated. “This amendment makes very clear that a church, in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention, doesn't have anyone other than a man as pastor in the office of pastor and specifies on the functions of the pastor that the key central function of preaching the Word of God to the gathered assembly is limited to men by Scripture.” 1 Timothy 3:1-2 says, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”  Animated movie “David” claims #1 spot on Netflix And finally, the animated film David reached the number one spot on Netflix for movies in the United States over the weekend.  The Bible movie from Angel Studios officially premiered on the streaming service just last Wednesday. (audio from David movie trailer) DAVID: “I'm just a shepherd, but deep down I know I can take on the world.” NARRATOR: “There is a darkness over the land.” SAMUEL:  “Our enemies will strike once more.” MAN: “Imagine the biggest warrior you have ever seen!” DAVID: “Okay.” MAN: “Now imagine somebody ate him.” GIRL: “Remember when I told you God had big plans for you?” GOLIATH: “You will serve us!” GIRL: “They may have been bigger than even I thought.” Christian music artist Phil Wickham voiced the adult David in the movie. Wickham told Crosswalk Headlines the film is “full of the story of God and full of Psalms and full of hallelujah and faith and hope.  … I think this movie will last decades. I think it will be something our grandkids watch.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, June 11th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Many of us lack meaningful community in our lives, either from a complete absence of relationships or simply the sense of disconnection from those around us. In response, a growing number of people attempt to cultivate community based on shared values and interests, which inadvertently reproduces the very labeling that keeps real connection forming. The systemic forces that created this separation are real, but what if the deeper problem is that most of us have never actually learned how to commune with each other in the first place? In this episode, Nate is joined by Nora Bateson, creator of Warm Data Labs, alongside her colleagues Jonathan Goldsmith and Lucas Jackson, for a rich conversation about what it actually takes to build community and why so many of our attempts fail. Drawing on Nora's concept of "communing" as the necessary precursor to community, the group explores how genuine human connection is being undermined by algorithmic fragmentation, scripted discourse, and cultures rooted in transaction and individualism. Rather than offering a formula for community-building, they make the case for something older: practices of mutual learning, radical hospitality, and a way of relating to others that breaks us out of the confines of our perceived roles. Together, they argue that the first step to being part of community is letting go of preconceived notions of what you are owed from the people around you, instead taking the first leap of giving more of oneself, and subsequently setting in motion the cycles of trust and generosity that keep a system alive.   What fundamental pieces get lost when communities skip directly to organizing, logistics, and shared objectives? Why do the dark triad traits find less hold in spaces built around curiosity and mutual learning? And how does the act of generosity shift when it comes from a sense of shared aliveness and the knowledge that tending to the broader whole is how we must also tend to ourselves?    About Nora Bateson Nora Bateson is a filmmaker, writer, researcher, and educator, and the founder and president of the International Bateson Institute. Her work focuses on the study of complex living systems and the development of "Warm Data" – a methodology for understanding the relational and contextual dimensions of systemic health. She is the author of Small Arcs of Larger Circles, and the creator of the acclaimed documentary An Ecology of Mind, a portrait of her father, systems thinker Gregory Bateson. Nora's work spans education, ecology, health, organizational change, and community, with the unifying thread of asking how we perceive and tend to the complexity of life together.   About Jonathan Goldsmith Jonathan Goldsmith is a therapist, facilitator, and educator working at the intersection of systems thinking, relational practice, and community wellbeing. As a core member of the International Bateson Institute team, Jonathan brings the lens of mutual learning and ecological awareness to his work with individuals, groups, and organizations. He is a trained Warm Data host and has facilitated labs internationally.   About Lucas Jackson Lucas Jackson is an educator, facilitator, and Warm Data host based in Vermont. He found his way to the International Bateson Institute through the Warm Data host training in 2020, and has since woven the practice of Warm Data into his teaching, community work, and relational life. His work centers on learning, perception, and the conditions that allow people to genuinely encounter one another.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

This week, we pay tribute to one of the most devastating (and life-affirming) movies ever made. It's our very first Takahata film, and… it's a doozy. We simply couldn't do a Studio Ghibli series without honoring this masterpiece. **Please be aware that this episode includes some distressing themes around children and violence. We tried our best to celebrate the brilliance of the film but inevitably the conversation turned dark at times. Next week, we get a (much-needed) big, fuzzy hug from MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (1988). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Grave of the Fireflies (BFI Film Classics) by Alex Dudok de Wit Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Reyna Denison Animerica Isao Takahata & Akiyuki Nosaka Interview Studio Ghibli Movies Isao Takahata Interview Anime New Network Hirokatsu Kihara Interview Credits:  Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts 772: Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie! To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

This week's Frankly is part three of the series How to Think About the Future. Today, Nate builds a framework for understanding the pathways that connect today's choices to tomorrow's realities. Drawing from biology, ecology, history, and systems thinking, he introduces a civilizational terrain of ridges and valleys that is constantly shifting as we are moving through it. Nate also uses the concepts of switchbacks and erosion to explain why some futures emerge by default from existing incentives and momentum, while others require deliberate effort, coordination, and sustained commitment. Through examples that range from cell development to lake ecosystems to political systems, Nate examines how complex systems settle into stable states, and why some transitions are far easier to make than to reverse. As economic, geopolitical, and ecological pressures reshape the landscape we traverse, knowing which futures are downhill and which require climbing becomes increasingly important. The episode offers a conceptual tool for interpreting the composite worlds Nate will outline in the next part of the series, and invites listeners to consider both where they stand in the terrain and whether their daily actions are building pathways toward a more desirable future, or letting those paths erode. How do societies become trapped in self-reinforcing systems, and what does that look like in our current reality? Which futures seem most likely if present incentives and momentum hold? And which social, cultural, or ecological switchbacks are being built today that could open new possibilities tomorrow (Recorded May 22nd, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s is one of the worst ecological disasters in American history. Across the great plains, roughly 2.5 million people left the region over the decade, amid severe crop failures, livestock losses and widespread hunger. Caused by drought and extreme land degradation, this regional collapse is also an example of what is now happening in ecosystems across the globe. The glimmer of hope in this story lies in the equally remarkable recovery of the Dust Bowl region, which has continued on as one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. What if we could name and replicate the techniques used to rehabilitate this once inhospitable landscape and use them to restore and regenerate local ecosystems across the planet?  In this episode, Nate is joined by regenerative change practitioner Brett KenCairn for a conversation that reframes the dominant narrative about climate change, emphasizing that it was never just a carbon problem but also one centered on living systems degradation. Brett explains that the desolation of foundational, life-supporting ecosystems has resulted in our planet now operating at roughly half its biological productive capacity. Remarkably, this reframing also clears the way for a path forward: because most degradation is due to how humans have used the land, it means – if we act soon – altering our use of the land can also help regenerate lost capacity. Brett describes how his team and other regenerative experts are attempting to do just that by restoring biodiversity, water cycles, photosynthetic capacity, and (most importantly) opening the door to broad community participation through training, compensation, and meaningful work.  What sorts of regenerative techniques might help bolster our local ecosystems' capacities to buffer, absorb, and cycle energy in order to support life during the extremes ahead? How could we alter our economic and social incentives to better support those doing the critical work to stabilize local ecology? And lastly, could the principles of living systems regeneration also act as an opportunity to reconnect with our place among the web of life, paving the way toward a humanity rooted in stewardship and reciprocity?  (Conversation recorded on May 13th, 2026)   About Brett KenCairn: Brett KenCairn is the Founding Director of Center for Regenerative Solutions and Senior Policy Advisor for Climate and Resilience in the City of Boulder's Climate Initiatives Team. He coordinates the city's nature-based solutions work. Brett has worked across the western US in community-based initiatives in rural, Native American, and other marginalized communities. He is the co-founder of multiple organizations including the Rogue River Institute for Ecology and Economy, Veterans Green Jobs, and Community Energy Systems.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Get in, losers, we're going to Laputa! This week we take flight with Pazu, Sheeta, and a gang of pirates with some seriously questionable motives to find the mythical land in the clouds where cool robots take care of birds (and shoot lasers). It's the first true Ghibli film, and, man, does it set the bar pretty high. Also... what the hell is going on with the English dub of this film? Next week, it's our very first Takahata film, GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES. Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features Creating Castle in the Sky Scoring Miyazaki Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier Credits:  Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's Frankly, Nate discusses his long-running attempt to understand non-duality, and why this concept has remained just out of his grasp despite years of conversations with teachers, thinkers, and podcast guests. He begins with a personal reflection on the possibility that his difficulty understanding non-duality does not stem from lack of intelligence or a short attention span, but from the particular cultural operating system that Westerners seem to inherit from birth. This operating system – which appears everywhere from language to economics to institutions – reinforces separation between the subject and the object, the observer and the observed, the self and the world. It trains us to experience ourselves as isolated individuals standing apart from the living systems that sustain us.  The latter part of this episode turns toward identifying moments where this separation starts to soften: experiences with music, grief, nature, and deep presence, to name a few. Nate connects these insights to the metacrisis as a whole, suggesting that humanity's treatment of the biosphere might be rooted in the same underlying assumption of separateness. Rather than arriving at an outright definition of non-duality, Nate closes with the possibility that loosening our grip on certainty may itself be a large part of the work.  Have there been moments in your own life when the boundary between yourself and the world briefly dissolved? Why does non-duality seem so difficult to define within modern Western culture? And what does it mean to consider separation from nature to be the foundation beneath many of today's global crises? (Recorded May 28th, 2026) Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Calling all Tolmekians: it's a series premiere!!!! Today we take flight with the Princess of the Valley of the Wind for our new Studio Ghibli series. What a dream (of madness)! For the next few months we'll be fully devoted to the works of Miyazaki, Takahata, and the entire Ghibli collective. We hope you'll join us in the Sea of Decay! The water is fine (it's only mildly acidic and poisonous). Next week, it's the first true Studio Ghibli film, CASTLE IN THE SKY (1986). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod References: Special Features Nausicaä Continues On Behind the Microphone The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy Hideaki Anno Wants to Remake Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind The Sydney Morning Herald Mai Fujisawa Interview A Real Glider A Real Glider Part 2 Credits:  Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich. This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari. This episode was researched by Parth Marathe. Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling. Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord. Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.