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Urgent Futures with Jesse Damiani

Welcome to the Urgent Futures Podcast, the show that finds signal in the noise. Each episode, I sit down with leading thinkers for dialogues that clarify the chaos, from culture to the cosmos.
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Grace Byron: 'Herculine,' Haunting, & Being Trans in America | Riffs & Speculations #2
Picking up from her new novel, 'Herculine,' we dive into the potential of speculative fiction, weaving theory into fiction—plus demons, trans girl…
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Jesse Damiani
 and 
Grace Byron
1:16:35
How to Tell Strategic Stories that Clarify Climate Crisis - Megan Mayhew-Bergman | Rapid Response #12
Climate crisis is (among other things!) a problem in communication & coordination. How can writers, storytellers, and artists intervene and create the…
 • 
Jesse Damiani
 and 
Megan Mayhew-Bergman
2
1:05:11
The AI Bubble Is a Ticking Time Bomb. If It Pops, so Will the U.S. Economy.
And the U.S. economy is still heavily linked to the performance of the global economy. Here's what you need to know and how you can prepare.
 • 
Jesse Damiani
Goliath's Curse: How & Why Societies Collapse, & What We Can Do About It - Luke Kemp | #54
Watch now | In 'Goliath's Curse,' Luke Kemp comprehensively surveys collapse throughout human history—revealing what we must learn from past collapses…
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Jesse Damiani
1:35:36
Governance by Spectacle: How Deepfakes, Lies, Shutdowns, and Strikes Signal a New Era of Systemic Unraveling
Headlines from last week underscore deeper systemic emergence(s): fiscal coercion, AI propaganda, militarization, & judicial flashpoints reshaping U.S…
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Jesse Damiani
1
TODAY! Free Webinar: Digital Self-Defense 101 (RSVP Required)
7pm EDT/4pmPDT: Get up-to-speed on digital hygiene practices + the basics of VPNs, password managers, privacy browsers, 2FA/MFA, encrypted messaging …
 • 
Jesse Damiani
1
Andy Hines: How to Imagine 'After Capitalism'—and Why We Must | #53
Heterodox economics & foresight collide! A leading futurist makes the case that capitalism's fundamental flaws demand that we begin to imagine what…
 • 
Jesse Damiani
 and 
Andy Hines
1:10:54
Podcasts
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Urgent Futures with Jesse Damiani
How AI Futures, Authoritarianism, & Behavioral Science Fit Together - Jacob Ward | #55
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Tech Analysis (AI, QC, Blockchain)

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Is OpenAI Hellbent on Destruction? On the Privacy, Security, & Sociopolitical Nightmares of Atlas Browser & Sora 2
Some thoughts on why the latest developments from OpenAI fill me with dread and the responses we should consider.
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Jesse Damiani
"Don't Die"? What Bryan Johnson Gets Wrong
Bryan Johnson wants to live forever, but that kind of thinking is why life on Earth is at risk of extinction. Here's my humble proposal for the type of…
 • 
Jesse Damiani
The AI Bubble Is a Ticking Time Bomb. If It Pops, so Will the U.S. Economy.
And the U.S. economy is still heavily linked to the performance of the global economy. Here's what you need to know and how you can prepare.
 • 
Jesse Damiani
Trump’s Bitcoin Reserve & Crypto Stockpile: Innovation or the Ultimate Grift? What are the Long-Term Implications?
Is President Trump’s pro-crypto play a fast-path to corruption or an overdue embrace of a maligned technology? Here's a full breakdown, including…
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Jesse Damiani
What You Need to Know About Trump's 'U.S. Crypto Reserve'
Why Trump announced this reserve, why he chose the cryptocurrencies he did, and what that means for the global economy (and everyday people).
 • 
Jesse Damiani
What Ted Chiang’s New Yorker Essay Gets Wrong About Art and AI—and Why It Matters
3 responses to the legendary writer's recent claim that AI will never make art.
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Jesse Damiani
7
The Drake-Kendrick Beef and Musings on the Future of AI-Generated Content
As one of the world's biggest popstars, Drake AI "covers" have proliferated since last year. Last week he turned the tables, signaling how we'll…
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Jesse Damiani
AI at the Intersection of Instinct, Intuition, and Feelings
'SMALL V01CE' opens in Los Angeles this weekend. It's an exhibition full of questions about the ecologies of AI.
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Jesse Damiani
© 2025 Jesse Damiani
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