Best Random Topics With Jack Podcasts (2025)

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Toasting Bread Is WAY Harder Than You Think: The Challenges of a Renewable Energy Future 37:11

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14d ago37:11

37:11

What does a livable future look like 100 years from now? If we unlocked unlimited green energy, what would we actually do with it? And are our dreams of a renewable-energy utopia sometimes just as delusional as the old fossil-fueled, drill-baby-drill mentality? Alex Leff of the Human Nature Odyssey podcast hosts this special Crazy Town highlights c…

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Worried about the Future? Join the Club 51:54

28d ago51:54

51:54

There’s the book club, the Rotary Club, the Mickey Mouse Club, and the club sandwich. Whatever your preference, you might want to think about joining a club. Social clubs, fraternal orders, and the like have had a storied and critical role in public life. That is, until government programs and technology gave us an out from having to deal with each…

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#5 Jack McDaniels 1:49:36

1M ago1:49:36

1:49:36

Send us a text In this conversation, Jack speaks about the challenges and experiences of MMA fighting, particularly focusing on the rigorous weight-cutting process that fighters endure. They discuss the journey of transitioning into martial arts later in life, the importance of community in training, and the life lessons learned through fighting. T…

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Searching for the Golden Toad with Kyle and Trevor Ritland 51:11

1M ago51:11

51:11

Frog and Toad Are Friends, at least according to a venerable children’s book. And so are Jason (Crazy Town’s resident biology nerd) and conservationist brothers, Kyle and Trevor Ritland, authors of The Golden Toad: An Ecological Mystery and the Search for a Lost Species. The three eco-explorers connect over wondrous habitats and critters in Costa R…

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Unsung Heroes: Sustainability Gurus Who Influenced the Crazy Town Worldview 57:05

2M ago57:05

57:05

Some key understandings in Crazy Town: the Earth is finite; the economy cannot grow forever; people can harm ecosystems and cause global warming; physics, chemistry, and biology are real; inequality hurts everyone; healthy humans need community, and it’s more fun to laugh than to cry. But where did principles like these originate? In this episode, …

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Burned by Billionaires, with Chuck Collins 44:46

2M ago44:46

44:46

Billionaires. They should be objects of scorn rather than envy. While they ride around in their super-yachts and private jets, producing the climate-damaging pollution of entire nations, they’re doing things to extract even more wealth, harm your health, diminish democracy, and rig the whole system in their favor. How did this happen? Why do we tol…

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#4 Ms. Tammy Washington 1:42:07

3M ago1:42:07

1:42:07

Send us a text Just wrapped up filming a podcast with Ms. Tammy Washington! Fantastic guest and what a wonderful experience! She is a talented cook and a great friend! Support the showBy Jonathan Williams

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Crazy Town Classics - Maximum Power and Scarcity, or... the Story of the Birdbrained Backhoe on the Beach 59:28

3M ago59:28

59:28

The “maximum power principle” may sound like the doctrine of an evil supervillain, but it actually applies to all living creatures. The principle states that biological systems organize to increase power whenever constraints allow. Given the way humans adhere to this principle, especially by overexploiting fossil fuels, we often do behave like supe…

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#3 Blake Anglin 48:51

3M ago48:51

48:51

Send us a text Blake Anglin - Singer & Song Writer Support the showBy Jonathan Williams

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Et Tu, Bhutan? Cryptocurrency and Late-Stage Capitalism 36:08

3M ago36:08

36:08

Maximize profits, exploit nature, hoard money, and, like Buzz Lightyear, grow the economy to infinity and beyond! That’s the modern economic playbook. But for decades, one renegade country has taken a contrarian stance that actually cares about people’s wellbeing and environmental health: the Himalayan nation of Bhutan. When Bhutan embraced “Gross …

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Artifacts of Collapse: Touring the Crazy Town Museum 1:02:51

4M ago1:02:51

1:02:51

In this episode we travel in time to the year 2125, to visit the Crazy Town museum, which showcases today’s world of wanton consumption and profligate waste. How will humans in 2125 – if there are any of us left – judge the things everyone sees as normal today? Jason, Rob, and Asher take turns serving as expert curators of this future museum, nomin…

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Crazy Town Classics - Net Energy and Sustainability, or… the Story of the Overstuffed Strongman 1:26:55

4M ago1:26:55

1:26:55

All of humanity’s feats, whether a record-setting deadlift by the world’s strongest man or the construction of a gleaming city by a technologically advanced economy, originate from a single hidden source: positive net energy. Having surplus energy in the form of thirteen pounds of food per day enables a very big man, Hafthor Bjornsson, to lift very…

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Just One Word: Microplastics, with Matt Simon 53:17

5M ago53:17

53:17

Put on your best polyester pants, grab a bunch of gleaming mylar balloons, and crack open a case of bottled water. In today's episode, we're entering the plastic world of plastic pollution in all its glorious plasticity. We're on the hunt for microplastics – and we won’t have to go very far, as they're present everywhere – in the soil, in the water…

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Crazy Town Classics - Lord of the Swans: The Tragedy of the Enclosure of the Commons 57:02

5M ago57:02

57:02

The “tragedy of the commons” is an idea that has so thoroughly seeped into culture and law that it seems normal for people and corporations to own land, water, and even whole ecosystems. But there’s a BIG problem: the “tragedy” part of it has been debunked – it really should be the triumph of the commons. Learn the origin story of privatization and…

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#1 Kaela Taylor 14:16

5M ago14:16

14:16

Send us a text Kaela Taylor- Singer & Song Writer from Ruston, Louisiana Support the showBy Jonathan Williams

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#2 Kaela Taylor 34:19

5M ago34:19

34:19

Send us a text Kaela Taylor Pt. 2 - Singer & Song Writer Support the showBy Jonathan Williams

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Will Trump's Tariffs Fuel or Foil the Degrowth Movement? 47:53

6M ago47:53

47:53

As Trump’s tariffs kick in, the Republican party is suddenly spouting anti-consumerist rhetoric that would make the Lorax smile. Should we cheer on this accidental experiment in economic shrinkage, or will this ham-fisted set of trade policies cause a backlash against the proponents of degrowth? As political confusion reigns, we offer eco-localism …

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Blinded by the Light - Facing Reality with Renewable Energy 56:39

6M ago56:39

56:39

Solar panels and other modern energy technologies can be really useful, but the belief that we can technologize our way to a bigger and better society powered by clean energy is tragically flawed. Asher, Rob, and Jason dig into the up-and-down story of the Ivanpah concentrated solar power plant, review the Harry Potteresque thinking behind complex,…

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Who Can Fix the Housing Crisis - NYT Pundits, German Shepherds, or Bilbo Baggins? 51:46

7M ago51:46

51:46

Jason, Rob, and Asher are taking out a huge, unaffordable mortgage on the housing crisis. What’s behind the shortage in housing? Why is it that no one, except canine Tik Tok influencers with billion-dollar bank accounts, can afford to own a home? While mainstream pundits press for an energy-blind buildout of desert sprawl and gleaming towers of gla…

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Bunkers, Bazookas, and Bespoke Moats: How to Be Safe in an Unsafe World 42:13

7M ago42:13

42:13

The world has gone bunking mad. The bespoke security industry is burying bunkers stocked with arsenals of automatic rifles and surrounded by flaming moats. Is there a better way to prepare for the polycrisis, the zombie apocalypse, or whatever hard times are on the horizon? Jason, Rob, and Asher have some fun at the expense of the bunker builders b…

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Ad for River Bend 0:33

7M ago0:33

0:33

Send us a text Quick Ad for the Lake Village Restaurant Support the showBy Jonathan Williams

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It Was Never Your Democracy Anyway: Thomas Linzey on Rethinking the Constitution 51:19

7M ago51:19

51:19

Democracy and environmental protection have two things in common: (1) they’re both supposed to be enshrined in the laws of the United States and (2) they’re both under severe attack right now. Asher speaks with Thomas Linzey of the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights to uncover how the source code of the U.S. Constitution and the body of…

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Going #2: The Dueling Rules of Nature That Every Good Earthling Needs to Know 50:32

8M ago50:32

50:32

Happy Earth Day! There are two concepts that every person should understand to be a better Earthling: entropy and self-organization. It seems like a paradox, but systems on Earth are simultaneously breaking down into disorder and arranging themselves into complex superorganisms. Everything on Earth (well, really in the whole universe) is subject to…

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Even AI Chatbots Hate Us: The Rise of the New Luddites, with Brian Merchant 1:09:46

9M ago1:09:46

1:09:46

Who knew that the breakthrough moment of AI sentience would come from interacting with an annoying neo-Luddite? After failing to raise a single dollar for PCI’s newest initiative — the $350 billion Transdisciplinary Institute for Phalse Prophet Studies and Education (TIPPSE) — Jason, Rob, and Asher devise the only profitable pitch for raising capit…

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A Temporary Techno Stunt: Tom Murphy on Falling out of Love with Modernity 54:22

9M ago54:22

54:22

Recovering technology booster Tom Murphy visits Crazy Town to discuss his journey from shooting lasers at the moon, to trying to "solve" the energy predicament, to falling out of love with modernity itself. Asher, Jason, Rob, and Tom discuss the roots and short-lived nature of modernity, which has not only shaped the world we inhabit but conquered …

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Eating the Future: The NY Times Goes Full Ecomodernist on Food and Farming 47:01

10M ago47:01

47:01

How will we feed people living in the megacities of the 21st century, especially while confronting climate chaos and the depletion of fossil fuels and fossil water? According to the mainstream media: ecomodernism! Massive deployment of technology on factory farms and an extreme ramp-up of industrialization will save the day – right? RIGHT?!? If you…

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Bargaining With Collapse: A Superabundance of Lab Grown Meat and Dryer Balls 37:32

10M ago37:32

37:32

Do you contemplate topics like climate change, biodiversity loss, and the risk of civilizational collapse? If so, then you probably understand something about bargaining – a psychological defense mechanism that’s one of the five stages of grief. With just a wee bit of embarrassment, Asher, Jason, and Rob reveal damning episodes of bargaining from t…

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The House Is Quite Literally on Fire: Peter Kalmus on the Climate Emergency Hitting Home 53:49

11M ago53:49

53:49

Peter Kalmus, climate scientist and returning friend of Crazy Town, used to live in Altadena, California, where one of the disastrous Los Angeles wildfires struck on January 7th. Having learned that his former house had burned, Peter penned an emotional article for the New York Times about his family's decision to leave LA two years prior, out of s…

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Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Philip A. Fisher 6:40

11M ago6:40

6:40

“Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits” by Philip A. Fisher emphasizes the importance of investing in companies with strong growth potential over the long term. Fisher introduces the concept of “scuttlebutt,” or the practice of gathering information from various sources to gauge a company’s investment potential. He outlines 15 points to look for in a …

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The Little Book That Still Beats the Market by Joel Greenblatt 7:02

11M ago7:02

7:02

“The Little Book That Still Beats the Market” by Joel Greenblatt presents a straightforward investment strategy known as the “Magic Formula,” designed to outperform the market. This formula focuses on buying good companies at bargain prices, specifically looking at high return on capital and high earnings yields to pick stocks. Greenblatt explains …

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A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel 8:30

11M ago8:30

8:30

“A Random Walk Down Wall Street” by Burton G. Malkiel advocates for the efficient market hypothesis, which suggests that stock prices reflect all available information and are thus inherently unpredictable. Malkiel argues that, due to market efficiency, it’s unlikely for investors to consistently outperform the market through either technical analy…

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The Essays of Warren Buffett by Warren Buffett 8:12

11M ago8:12

8:12

“The Essays of Warren Buffett” is a collection of letters from Warren Buffett to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. In these letters, Buffett discusses his fundamental investment strategies and business principles, emphasizing value investing and prudent corporate governance. He advises on understanding a company’s intrinsic value, maintaining a stro…

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The Frequent Flyer Tree: Losing the Last Bit of Sense in the Climate Emergency 30:29

11M ago30:29

30:29

In the world of college sports, money talks and the volleyball team walks, er, flies 33,000 miles to play games. The NCAA, like almost everyone else, is playing games with Mother Nature. What do we expect student-athletes to gain from ignoring the climate emergency (not to mention putting their health at risk)? Who cares, as long as we can wring a …

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Shotgunning Hedwig: The Dilemma of Invasives and the Bizarre Decision to Slaughter Barred Owls 33:37

12M ago33:37

33:37

The US Fish and Wildlife Service decided to "manage" barred owls by shooting half a million of them over the next three decades. Jason, Rob, and Asher (along with the postal workers at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) are upset about this plan for addressing the predicament of invasive species. Surely there's a finer tool than a doub…

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Breaking News: Crazy Town Joins the Newly Formed Department of Entropy 45:08

1y ago45:08

45:08

Rob, Jason, and Asher talk about joining the new Trump Administration, at least until Elon Musk eradicates it. They explore the implications of Trump 2.0 through three reality-bending lenses – shifting baselines, entropy, and the upside of down – and three ways of responding: resistance, resilience, and regeneration. They decided they couldn’t stom…

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Bonus: Human Nature Odyssey 40:12

1+ y ago40:12

40:12

Sometimes you just wanna hear from someone else. In this bonus episode, Alex Leff enters Crazy Town to introduce his podcast, Human Nature Odyssey. Before playing the first episode of the podcast, Jason, Rob, and Asher find lots of laughs with Alex as they contemplate environmental destruction, gorilla suits, the fate of civilization, tandem bike r…

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Escaping Escapism: What a Bizarre Rodent Ritual Can Teach Us About Navigating a World We Can't Really Escape 1:06:04

1+ y ago1:06:04

1:06:04

After a full season of trying to escape more than a dozen evil -isms (fun things like capitalism, industrialism, extremism, and otherism), Rob, Jason, and Asher come to one conclusion: there is no true escape -- at least not for those of us who want to help their communities collapse and re-emerge gracefully. Join the boys as they explore what the …

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Escaping Otherism: Why Dr. Seuss Could Never Find a Rhyme for Genocide 1:18:35

1+ y ago1:18:35

1:18:35

The drive to belong to an in-group and the tendency to observe differences in others are core parts of the human condition. But differentiating can (and often does) turn deadly when it morphs into othering. Jason, Rob, and Asher try not to other one another as they explore the roots and consequences of othering, and the ins and outs of belonging as…

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Escaping Extremism: Slap Fighting Our Way to a More Civil Society 1:06:34

1+ y ago1:06:34

1:06:34

The forces of media, technology, and even the wiring of our own brains seem aligned to draw people toward extremism. But never fear: Asher, Jason, and Rob unpack why we're so susceptible to wackadoodle viewpoints and offer ways to tamp down extremist thinking and behavior in ourselves, our communities, and across society. Along the way, they tour t…

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Escaping Humanocentrism: Why a Slime Mold Will Be President in 2028 1:10:15

1+ y ago1:10:15

1:10:15

The myth of human dominion and exceptionalism is as old as the Bible and as unquestioned as gravity, at least in "modern" society. Rob, Asher, and Jason explore the ways that humanocentrism has come to dominate the planet and our minds, while pointing to ancient and newly emerging ways that the more-than-human world is respected and protected, even…

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Escaping Individualism: Why Rickey Don't Like It When Rickey Feels Lonely 1:11:22

1+ y ago1:11:22

1:11:22

The epidemic of loneliness isn't just a product of technology or even capitalism -- it has its roots in the same fertile ground as the founding of the United States. And it may just be the most important "ism" of all to escape as we enter the Great Unraveling of social and environmental systems. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy languag…

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Escaping Imperialism: Where Does Darth Vader Get His Lithium? 1:12:54

1+ y ago1:12:54

1:12:54

Perhaps no community has undergone more versions of imperialism than the tiny island nation of Nauru, which has morphed from being "Pleasant Island" to the mined-out home of offshore banks, discarded refugees, and deep sea mining interests. Jason, Rob, and Asher take a bad trip to wrap their heads around Nauru, the topic of "psychedelic imperialism…

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Escaping Capitalism: How to Replace the "Logic" of Psychopaths, Pharma Bros, and Private Prisons 1:10:55

1+ y ago1:10:55

1:10:55

Capitalism ruins SO many things, from key sectors like college sports all the way down to novelties like people's health and the environment. Jason, Rob, and Asher rely on their keen insight and otherworldly investigative talents to somehow unearth a few flaws of capitalism. But rather than wallow in the world of profiteering and privatization, the…

1
Escaping Growthism: Wendigo Economics, Mystery Houses, and Becoming the Bear 1:03:22

1+ y ago1:03:22

1:03:22

Grow or die. It's the governing principle of companies, investment portfolios, national economies, and even philanthropic foundations. Oh, and cancer. Asher, Jason, and Rob lay bare the stats on everything from human population, energy consumption, global GDP, greenhouse gas emissions, and the size of cars and cruise ships, before concluding that t…

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Escaping Globalism: Rebuilding the Local Economy One Pig Thyroid at a Time 1:08:10

1+ y ago1:08:10

1:08:10

From the top of a skyscraper in Dubai, Jason, Rob, and Asher chug margaritas made from the purest Greenland glacier ice as they cover the "merits" of globalism. International trade brings so many things, like murder hornets, piles of plastic tchotchkes, and deadly supply chain disruptions. The opposite of globalism is localism -- learn how to build…

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Escaping Technologyism: Dreams of AI Sheep and the Deadliest Word in Film History 1:06:47

1+ y ago1:06:47

1:06:47

Modern humans have a Stockholm Syndrome relationship to technology, which has kidnapped us while convincing us it has our best interests in mind. But when one looks back at the history of plastics or the current frenzy around AI, it isn't hard to see the insanity of doubling down on new technology to save us from previous technology. Find out what …

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Escaping Speedism: How to Slow Down and Enjoy the Collapse 1:09:14

1+ y ago1:09:14

1:09:14

Consult your inner tortoise to find novel ways of slowing down and living the good life. In a world haunted by just-in-time delivery, hyperactive business, accelerating environmental calamities, and metric tons of stress, Jason, Rob, and Asher work at a fast and furious pace to savor the moments, because there aren't many left. Warning: This podcas…

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Escaping Urbanism: Green Acres, Climate Migration, and the End of the Megacity 1:18:44

1+ y ago1:18:44

1:18:44

Did a whimsical 1960s TV sitcom presage climate migration and a reversal of urban growth? We're not calling for a Godzilla-esque teardown of cities, but climate change is forcing a serious urban rethink. Jason, Rob, and Asher offer visions of better infrastructure, policies, and culture that you can embrace, even if your home is in the city. Warnin…

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Escaping Consumerism: Why Crocheted Codpieces Are the Perfect Antidote to Fast Fashion 1:03:28

1+ y ago1:03:28

1:03:28

If American consumers ever come up for air under the pile of crap in their storage units, they find themselves face to face with a materialistic hellscape of megastores, McMansions, endless fleets of delivery trucks, and evil hordes of targeted ads. But help is on the way. Jason, Rob, and Asher present ideas for shaping up a world beyond consumeris…

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Escaping Industrialism: How to Avoid Pancakes on a Stick and Other "Miracles" of the Industrial Age 57:29

1+ y ago57:29

57:29

Jason, Rob, and Asher take a tour of New Caledonia, California's Central Valley, Bhutan, and Cuba to uncover the ins and outs of industrialism, especially as it has been applied to agriculture. Along the way they riff on how the hell we can escape from an -ism that completely engulfs us. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. Sourc…