The KMO Show - podcast cover

The KMO Show

KMO•kmoptimal.substack.com
Society & Culture
Philosophy

Join veteran podcaster, interviewer, and artist, KMO, as he and his guests explore how we know what we know and how we can use that knowledge to address societal challenges and create a more prosperous and equitable world.. The KMO Show features conversations with interdisciplinary thinkers and innovators on topics like artificial intelligence, evolutionary psychology, social dynamics, and more.

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Episodes

028 - Science Fiction and Philosophy with David Roman

This wide-ranging conversation between KMO (host) and David Roman (historian and writer) covers several major topics, starting with Roman's recent trip to China and observations about its development over his 27 years of visiting the country. The discussion then delves deeply into science fiction literature, publishing, and the current state of the genre. The conversation also explores generational ships in science fiction, AI, cultural representation in fiction, and ends with a discussion about...

Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 28

027 - Exploring the Draka with the Feral Historian

KMO speaks with The Feral Historian about S.M. Stirling's controversial Draka series of alternate history novels. While only 25 minutes of their hour-plus conversation survived due to technical difficulties, they explore how these books examine the creation of sustainable systems of oppression and the psychological dynamics of slave societies. The discussion touches on how the Draka maintain control through careful management of violence, their pragmatic approach to social organization, and thei...

Dec 16, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 27

026 - Securing the Future with Kenneth E. Harrell

KMO speaks with science fiction author and cybersecurity professional Kenneth E. Harrell about artificial intelligence, the writing process, and technological change. They explore how AI tools can enhance rather than replace human creativity, with Harrell describing his use of custom GPTs and AI assistants to improve his writing while maintaining his unique voice. The conversation delves into the challenges of emerging AI technologies, including potential security threats and the limitations of ...

Dec 08, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 26

025 - Trump's Victory and the Fourth Turning with Kevin Lynn

In this episode of The KMO Show, host KMO speaks with Kevin Lynn, Executive Director of the Institute for Sound Public Policy, about the 2024 election results and broader historical patterns. The conversation begins with an AI-generated introduction acknowledging their shared history in the Peak Oil community and mutual interest in Rudyard Lynch's analysis of historical crisis patterns. Kevin brings unique perspective from his varied career - from Army officer to accounting executive to politica...

Dec 01, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 25

Sunday Studio - Talkin' Robo-Waifus with Meta Ronin

Meta Ronin is the keeper of the Metapocalypse Substack blog. This conversation between KMO and Meta Ronin explores the complex and controversial topic of AI companions, often referred to as "robo waifus." The discussion goes far beyond the surface-level concept of sex robots, delving into philosophical, social, and ethical implications of advanced AI technology. Listeners will hear a balanced debate, with Meta Ronin generally presenting a more optimistic view of the potential benefits of AI comp...

Oct 06, 2024•1 hr

024 - Surviving the Singularity with Peter Clarke

KMO Talks with Peter Clarke , author of the The Decadence Project Substack and The Singularity Survival Guide : How to Get on the Good Side of Your Future Robot Overlords . Topics include transhumanism, DIY biotechnology, cultural polarization, and the unexpected accessibility of genetic experimentation. They delve into mRNA vaccine developments, the "dissident right" movement, and metamodernism's blend of irony and sincerity. The conversation touches on the challenges of maintaining intellectua...

Sep 05, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 24

023 - Cognitive Wonderland with Tommy Blanchard

KMO talks with data scientist and neuro-philosopher, Tommy Blanchard and the current moment in artificial intelligence. They dive into a nuanced discussion about the potential impacts of artificial intelligence on society and the job market. Tommy offers a measured perspective on AI, arguing that while it will change many industries, mass unemployment is not inevitable. He draws parallels to past technological revolutions and suggests society will adapt. KMO provides some historical context, que...

Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 23

KMO on Doug Lain's 15 Yeas in Podcasting Livestream

Doug Lain has been podcasting for 15 years. We talk about the early days of podcasting and how the scene has changed. As always happens when Doug and I get to talking, the conversation goes all over the place.

Jul 03, 2024•2 hr 43 min

022 - Douglas Rushkoff cheering for Team Human

I've been comparing notes with Douglas Rushkoff about technology, memes, drugs and walking on the weird side for about 30 years. Not surprisingly, I remember the details better than he does. He talks to a LOT of people.

Jul 03, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 22

KMO on Diet Soap 15 year anniversary livestream

KMO inspired Doug Lain to get into podcasting 15 years ago. To mark the anniversary, Doug conducted a 15-hour YouTube livestream. KMO was the first guest of the day.

Apr 29, 2024•2 hr 43 min

021 - Last Train to Mordor

This episode includes a recording of the first 6 chapters of my novella, Last Train to Mordor . It is a prelude to my novel Fear and Loathing in the Kuiper Belt: Gen X Science Fiction . If you like the story and want to hear more, you can find the next chapter here ....

Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 21

020 - Graveyard of Discarded Intelligence

KMO reads of his recent Substack posts on what happens when discarded consumer electronics with embedded AI start to pile up. Who will find a use for that idle intelligence. Later, Jim from the Attack Ads! podcast shows up to discuss the points raised in the essays.

Feb 03, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 20

A Few Notes on the Culture by Ian M. Banks

"A Few Notes on the Culture " is an essay by Iain M. Banks describing elements of the universe of the Culture series . Most topics pertain to the culture, society, and technology of the Culture. The cosmology of the universe is also described.I'd describe the Culture stories as being about a post-scarcity, post-capitalist, post-work, anarchist, socialist utopia, managed by benevolent superintelligent AI. The Culture novels explore what such a society might look like, and how people might live th...

Aug 12, 2023•54 min

019 - KMO on Effective Anomalous Barbenheimer

KMO details how artificial intelligence unites the seemingly disparate stories around the Senate UAP hearings, the Hollywood writers and actors strike, and the Silicon Valley cult known as e/acc (effective accelerationism).

Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 19

Vaccines, Pseudoscience, and Scientism

This is an addendum to episode 016, in which I read and responded to an email from Static Warp Shell trying to persuade me to listen to the Joe Rogan interview with Robert Kennedy Jr, and episode 018 in which I gave the same treatment to feedback from Tom, who voiced his frustration at the reflexively anti-authoritarian conspiracy-mongering around COVID which had driven a wedge between him and his wife. This episode mostly consists of a follow-up recording from Static Warp Shell. Static quoted f...

Jul 08, 2023•37 min

018 - KMO on COVID Scientism

Two weeks ago, I published an hour-long explanation as to why I have no interest in joining the cultural struggle over the COVID-19 pandemic or delve into the details of why some people refuse to take the mRNA vaccines. This week, I respond to another email from a long-time listener. This time the listener asked for support in denouncing "science denialism," a phrase I hate. I don't subscribe to any of the anti-authoritarian narratives around COVID, but the smug sanctimony of PMC Democrats who c...

Jul 05, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 18

017 - Prospects for Technological Civilization with Christopher Harrison

Both host and guest in this week's show once subscribed to idea that technological civilization would be collapsing in short order. Both have since moderated their views, but while KMO has repudiated any involvement with Doomerism, Christopher Harrison still thinks that the current technological, ecological, economic and political modes of societal operation are unworkable.

Jun 28, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 17

016 - Why KMO does not care about the COVID Vaccine fight

Listeners have encouraged me to get invested in the cultural contest between defenders of the establishment's account of COVID-19 and the mRNA vaccines and those who gravitate to a darker interpretation of events. Wrapped up in the ideological antagonism is the presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.. I will not be investing my time or attention in that struggle. In this episode of the podcast I explain why.To illustrate my points, I read from The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe an...

Jun 21, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 16

015 - Chris Cutrone on Trump and the Millennial Left

Chris Cutrone is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Departments of Art History, Theory and Criticism and Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is the author of a trio of infamous essays published on the Platypus Affiliated Society that begins with Why Not Trump? He is also the author of The Death of the Millennial Left, published by Sublation Media ....

Jun 14, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 15

014 - Kaleb Gorman on Psyop Defense

There has always been a psychological element to warfare but in the 21st century the tactics used by military geniuses to control the behavior of their adversaries have now been coopted by governments, corporations, ideologies, and the general public in order to wage psychological warfare against you. Kaleb Gorman, author of Psychwars: Self-Defence Against Psyops, Propaganda, and Mind Control , joins KMO to discuss why we are susceptible to such manipulation and how best to resist it....

Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 14

013 - Dermot O'Connor on AI and Politics

Dermot O'Connor is an animator, author, teacher, podcaster and voracious reader. This episode is the middle part of a conversation that started in C-Realm Vault Podcast #456 and concluded on a YouTube livestream . You can find more of Dermot's content on his website , YouTube channel and podcast ....

May 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 13

012 - Responding to Chomsky on what counts as TRUE intelligence

In a New York Times editorial, Noam Chomsky, Ian Roberts and Jeffrey Watumull argue that ChatGPT and similar generative chatbots do not exhibit "true intelligence." They also argue that the current fixation of large language models is preventing the development of artificial general intelligence. KMO explores alternative definitions of intelligence.

May 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 12

010 - Michael O. Varhola

Reporter, author, games publisher , soldier and president of the Gnosis Project , Michael O. Varhola, describes why he traveled to Ukraine to do what he could to help the Ukrainian people. The conversation begins with Michael's first-hand account then moves to a geopolitical and cultural examination. KMO ends with his usual call for epistemological humility.

May 03, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 10

009 - Marty on Media

KMO welcomes his old friend and Z-Realm Podcast co-host, Marty , to the KMO show ostensibly to talk about HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us, but the conversation ranges all over the genre media landscape with extra praise heaped on Andor, Station Eleven, Black Summer, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Go, Goa, Gone. Marty has less than glowing things to say about The Mandalorian and KMO gushes over Farscape in the outro....

Apr 26, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 9

008 - Kevin Wohlmut on the Cultural Struggle around AI

In this episode of the KMO Show, KMO and Kevin Wohlmut delve into the complex world of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential dangers and consequences on our lives. They discuss Eliezer Yudkowsky's seventeen reasons why AI is more dangerous than nuclear weapons and consider the different types of dangers posed by AI compared to nuclear weapons. The conversation touches on the role of AI in everyday life, specifically in the context of social media and chatbots, and the potential conseque...

Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 8

007 - Danielle Boccelli on the limitations of language

KMO speaks with data scientist Danielle Boccelli about the possibilities and limitations of learning strictly from language. The topic is large language models, but this conversation was recorded before the announced release of GPT-4. So much of what we know and what we are is not encoded in language, so there's only so far AI can progress without learning from something other than just text scraped from the internet. Episode Title: AI and Large Language Models: Bridging the Gap between Public D...

Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 7

006 - Ashley Frawley on The Left

KMO talks with Dr. Ashley Frawley about how dope the 1990s were and how civilization has only degenerated since then. Other topics include the authoritarian tendencies of the Left, how HR speak and the excesses of identitarian politics should not be confused with the Left, and how "Health & Safety" has become the new "Law & Order." At the end, KMO rants about AI and NASA's next moon mission.

Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 6