Best Mél Hogan Podcasts (2025)

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Witnessing, with Michael Richardson 1:10:48

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1M ago1:10:48

1:10:48

In this episode, I get to chat with the brilliant Michael Richardson on the concept of "Nonhuman Witnessing" especially in how this relates to algorithms and AI. In his book, "Nonhuman Witnessing" (Duke), he argues that a "radical rethinking of what counts as witnessing is central to building frameworks for justice in an era of endless war, ecologi…

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#57: KPop Demon Hunters Wild Success | Cracker Barrel Has an Identity Crisis | More Bible Movies 59:12

20d ago59:12

59:12

KPop Demon Hunters has become a full blown cultural phenomenon, is it the most Christian movie Hollywood has delivered? Cracker Barrel managed to rebrand then revert to the old brand all before we could finish our chicken and dumplings. The Wonder Project enters the streaming service, but should it? Nicholas Cage is featured in a new horror Jesus m…

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#56: Filmmaker/Actor Nathan Clarkson Shares His Views on AI Art & Why We Shouldn't Panic 57:32

27d ago57:32

57:32

Is AI art bad? Will it kill creativity? Are there any upsides to AI? How should the church think about AI? We talk about all this and more on this week's episode with special guest Nathan Clarkson. Aside from contributing to thecollision.com Nathan is an author, actor, filmmaker, podcast and great human. Connect with him at www.nathanclarkson.me Re…

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#55: Taylor Swift & Mel Gibson Announce Things | Christian Music Charts | Gal Gadot on Snow White 57:48

1M ago57:48

57:48

Taylor Swift announces her 12th album, Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ get's a double sequel, Christian Music is breaking Records on the Billboard Charts, Gal Gadot blames politics for Snow White failure. All this and more on this week's episode of Faith and Pop Culture. Interview with Natalie Mejia: https://youtu.be/w_tR81yEhYw Full video on Ch…

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#54: Conductor and Filmmaker Jackson Allred Talks About His Debut Film, Harmony of Freedom 50:59

1M ago50:59

50:59

We talk with conductor and filmmaker Jackson Allred about his debut film, Harmony of Freedom, which commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act through the unique lens of Music. How does an orchestra director end up becoming a film director for his final project? What was the process like directing a film? All this and more on this w…

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Dopaminergic, with Rohit Revi 58:48

1M ago58:48

58:48

Rohit Revi walks us through paranoia, care, conspiracy, capitalism, and catastrophe, in relation to technology and culture, to draw us into a deeper consideration of collective psychic resources and psychological commons. We talk about psychometry and linger on the dopaminergic. Recorded July 16, 2025. Released August 11, 2025. Great Delirium: Cult…

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#53: Fantastic 4 & The Box Office Problem | Sketch, A New Faith-Based Template? | RIP Hulk Hogan 50:45

2M ago50:45

50:45

Are we too obsessed with the box-office numbers? Is Sketch from Angel Studios a new template for faith-based movies to follow? Are AI disclaimers at the end of movie credits actually doing anything? All this and more on this week's episode of Faith and Pop Culture. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 02:05 RIP Hulk Hogan 08:24 The Impact of AI in Entert…

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Con, with Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna 56:44

2M ago56:44

56:44

Emily M.Bender and Alex Hanna have been leading the charge against "AI", helping us understand it for the con that it is, and how AI companies are turning to health, education, and other social realms to try to recover their costs. In this episode we discuss LLMs vs. what the AI (and AGI) con is -- who benefits, and who loses -- and much more. Reco…

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#52: New Show From Chip & Joanna Gaines Sparks Controversy | Coldplay Kiss Cam & More 51:27

2M ago51:27

51:27

Chip and Joanna Gaines draw heat from their christian base for normalizing same-sex parents in their new reality TV show. Coldplay is so much more than a band now. All this and more on this episode of Faith and Pop Culture. Check out the roundtable with Lifetime's leading Actresses in their summer series of faith-forward movies: https://youtu.be/dW…

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#51: Finding God Through Stories: A Conversation with Author/Screenwriter Sean Gaffney 1:08:42

2M ago1:08:42

1:08:42

Today we chat with author, script writer, speaker and professor Sean Gaffney on things ranging from the differences in theater vs. movies, the need for christian story tellers in our culture and his new book Meta Story: What Marvel & The Messiah Can Teach Us About Storytelling. All this and more on this week's episode of Faith and Pop Culture. Conn…

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Control, with Paul Schütze 55:42

2M ago55:42

55:42

In this episode, Paul Schütze and I pick apart the inherent contradictions of “sustainable AI”, marketing language that aims to convince the public that one of the most extractive industries can be used to solve climate change. We delve into the layers of control embedded in the logics of AI, when technology becomes the fix that needs fixing. Recor…

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#50: Superman Chat with Special Guest Joseph Holmes 1:03:35

3M ago1:03:35

1:03:35

Is James Gunn's Superman finally the Superman we've been waiting for? Returning for a second time, culture critic, author and filmmaker Joseph Holmes joins us to discuss this and other important topics on this week's episode of Faith and Pop Culture. Connect with Joseph at josephholmesstudio.com X @normalguy8 Link to The Times article mentioned: ht…

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#49: Do Christian Have To Be Positive All The Time? | The Wonder Project Goes Behind A Pay Wall 54:36

3M ago54:36

54:36

We dive into why all of christian media seems to be obsessed with being 'positive' and 'uplifting' all the time and whether or not that is actually good or even biblical. Plus, the Wonder Project (House of David) is getting it's own streaming service under the Amazon umbrella so if you are planning to see season two of The House of David, you're go…

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#48: Are Scary Movies A Demonic Portal? | Elio Disappoints at the Box Office 52:09

3M ago52:09

52:09

Is Candice Cameron Bure right in seeing scary movies as potential portals for evil? Also, why did Pixar's latest film, "Elio" perform so poorly at the box office? All this and more on this week's episode of the Faith & Pop Culture Podcast. Here is a link to the Candice's podcast we mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBtuM9tylC4 TIMESTAMPS: …

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#47: The Michael Tait Accusations | Animated Bible Stories & More 50:44

3M ago50:44

50:44

We discuss the accusations of misconduct by former Newsboys lead singer Michael Tait and also what that reveals about the nature of 'christian' stardom. There is also a new animated bible movie that is worth checking out. All this an more on this week's episode. The Roys Report article mentioned in the episode: https://julieroys.com/former-newsboys…

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Water, with Rebecca Kilberg, Mary-Clare Bosco and Jonathan Gilmour 52:46

3M ago52:46

52:46

In this episode I speak with Rebecca Kilberg, Mary-Clare Bosco and Jonathan Gilmour who together use policy approaches to solve problems related to data center water usage and the various planetary and health outcomes that emerge from water consumption and extraction. They talk about how you get such data and what to do with it, and the importance …

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#46: Celebrity and Christianity | Is Pride Month Scaling Back? | Joe Rogan Going to Church? 52:51

4M ago52:51

52:51

This week we explore Tim Allen's recent tweet about the Gospel of Paul, Joe Rogan's reported church attendance, and the shifting corporate engagement during Pride Month. All of which falls under the idea of top-down vs. bottom-up approach for christians wanting to change society and culture. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 02:25 Tim Allen's Tweet an…

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Solidarity, with Shannon Wait 52:58

4M ago52:58

52:58

In this episode, Shannon Wait — Alphabet Workers Union-CWA organizer — speaks with me about the labour conditions for data center and AI workers. We talk about contracts, sub-contracts, sub-sub-contracts, NDAs, invisible labour -- and how all of this leads to unions, solidarity, and a fight for tech workers’ rights globally. Recorded May 8, 2025. R…

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#45: Masculinity & Faith Based Entertainment | RIP Phil Robertson | Disney Live-Action Remakes 54:08

4M ago54:08

54:08

In this episode of the Faith and Pop Culture podcast we reflect on the legacy of Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty, the cultural implications of the film The Last Rodeo, and the evolving landscape of faith-based films that are increasingly targeting male audiences. Daniel climbs his soapbox of profanity in faith-based cinema and kids movies. We also…

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Remade, with Allison Carruth 1:02:12

4M ago1:02:12

1:02:12

Allison Carruth and I talk about her new book which gets at some of the material infrastructure and social systems that have made the US a settler state ever obsessed with new frontiers, including space. We talk about tech imaginaries, worlds remade, and better futures — a vision that invites confronting the state of things head-on, a slower redoin…

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#44: Sacred vs Secular Art | The Pope Watches Conclave 56:36

4M ago56:36

56:36

In this episode of the Faith and Pop Culture Podcast, hosts Daniel Blackaby and Sam Camp explore the intersection of faith and art and the ongoing debate of the sacred versus secular divide in art, examining what it means for art to be labeled as 'Christian.' Books Mentioned: The Man Called Cash by Steve Turner Art and The Bible by Francis Schaeffe…

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#43: Lonely People in an AI World | Can 100 Men Defeat 1 Gorilla? | Is the MCU Good Again? 50:06

5M ago50:06

50:06

In this episode Daniel and Sam tackle the age old question of can one gorilla defeat 100 men in hand to hand combat? Thunderbolts* has surprised many by being a good MCU film and also being in touch with the broader conversation of loneliness happening in our culture. Speaking of loneliness, some of our tech overlords think the answer is AI friends…

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Hype, with Dani Shanley and Gemma Milne 1:00:06

5M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

In this episode, Dani Shanley and Gemma Milne walk me through "hype" -- what it means in various technological contexts, how it works, what it is definitionally, how it feels in the body, who it serves, who it harms, and how we might need to nuance our relationship to it, especially as critical (tech) scholars. Recorded May 1, 2025. Released May 5,…

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#42: Evaluating Films as a Christian Movie Critic w/ Joseph Holmes 1:00:47

5M ago1:00:47

1:00:47

Jospeh Holmes is a culture critic (Religion Unplugged), podcast host (The Overthinkers), and filmmaker. Follow his work Reviews and Cultural Commentary: https://religionunplugged.com/news/tag/Joseph+Holmes Overthinkers Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-overthinkers/id1510271421 Social Media: @NormalGuy8 TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introducti…

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Damage, with Dustin Edwards 57:24

5M ago57:24

57:24

Dustin Edwards and I discuss the damage caused by digital infrastructure and its extractive requirements. We talk about data centers and copper mines, but more than this, we delve into the what a decolonial, feminist, anti-racist approach can look like for white settler scholars grappling with their inheritances and obligations to the landscapes an…

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#41: Sinners Movie | Resurrection Stories in Hollywood 47:29

5M ago47:29

47:29

After a longer than planned for hiatus Daniel and Sam are back with a new episode of the Faith and Pop Culture Podcast. Check out the interview with Come and See's Global Ambassador Stan Jantz: https://youtu.be/kS-z6vANB2I Watch Daniel's review of Sinners: https://youtu.be/jB7IJ-7-Hz4 Jesus and Resurrection Myth Article: https://thecollision.org/je…

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Consent, with Jasmine McNealy 52:10

5M ago52:10

52:10

In this episode, I ask Jasmine McNealy about the role of consent online, from social media exchanges to the circulation of deep fakes. Who gets to define harm? Who is responsible for the damage? Does anyone have to take accountability? We also talk about surveillance, sonic privacy, and the many data trails the body leaves behind. Recorded Apr 4, 2…

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Together, with Collin Bjork 58:38

6M ago58:38

58:38

Collin Bjork and I discuss the double (triple?) meaning of "extractive AI". Collin explains Otter.ai -- an AI powered voice-to-text transcription software, and the capitalist logics that enable it -- vs. Maori-led Te Hiku Media, based on principles of stewardship, community and collaboration. Collin also explains how rhetoric is about togetherness …

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Deskill, with Hagen Blix 1:04:59

6M ago1:04:59

1:04:59

In this episode Hagen Blix and I talk about how the fear of AI, from the non-billionaire CEO class, comes from the threat of deskilling workers. Recorded Mar 5, 2025. Released March 17, 2025. Tech Workers Can Still Fight Silicon Valley’s Overlords by Hagen Blix and Ingeborg Glimmer https://jacobin.com/2025/02/tech-workers-silicon-valley-trump/ Why …

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Unlearning, with Kane Murdoch 1:02:39

7M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

In this episode I speak with Kane Murdoch about the perils of contract cheating. As an integrity officer, he frames what's happening with "cheating" as an unlearning that we should all be paying attention to if we care about education. Recorded Feb 6, 2025. Released March 10, 2025. Guerilla Warfare https://www.guerillawarfare.net/ Ellis, C., & Murd…

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Indexicality, with Roland Meyer and Gillian Rose 1:02:39

7M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

AI images are circulating more and more online and sometimes we can't tell the 'real' from AI-generated. But as I discuss with the inimitable Gillian Rose and Roland Meyer, we need to think about AI images beyond their indexicality, i.e. the idea that a photograph is a direct representation of the subject it captures. In this episode, we grapple wi…

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Asymmetries, with Jathan Sadowski 1:00:36

8M ago1:00:36

1:00:36

In this episode Jathan Sadowski discusses the 'risk industry' as imagined by FIRE (finance, insurance and real estate) and the asymmetries they create. Recorded January 15, 2025. Released February 10, 2025. The Mechanic and the Luddite: A Ruthless Criticism of Technology and Capitalism https://www.ucpress.edu/books/the-mechanic-and-the-luddite/pape…

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Lessons, with Charles Logan 55:08

8M ago55:08

55:08

Charles Logan is the go-to person to talk to about how AI is infiltrating the many layers of education, from K-12 to universities. In this conversation, we learn our lessons; we talk about what Ed Tech is, its promise and hype, and (ultimately) how to refuse it as professors and teach students to resist it as well. We also wonder about 'AI-proofing…

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Storying, with Dillon Mahmoudi and Anthony Levenda 56:46

8M ago56:46

56:46

In this episode I speak with Dillon Mahmoudi and Anthony Levenda about the relationship (feedback loop) between data and urban planning. We focus on the idea of 'storying' data to make it compelling and to get past the inertia of data delivered as mere stats or numbers that have little resonance and don't (or no longer) move people to action, towar…

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Defining, with Ali Alkhatib 55:02

8M ago55:02

55:02

I got to speak with the brilliant Ali Alkhatib about his blog post "defining AI" -- an object, subject, metaphor, and discursive formation used amongst all of us trying to figure out how to grapple with AI's ownership, deployments, and impacts. Who gets to define AI? Is it just computer scientists? What are the stakes of having it defined only tech…

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Colonialism, with Ulises A. Mejias and Nick Couldry 1:00:14

9M ago1:00:14

1:00:14

I start the new year with an episode on "data colonialism". I had the great pleasure of speaking with Ulises A. Mejias and Nick Couldry about our contemporary relationship to corporations, about the idea that there’s no capitalism without colonialism (and vice versa), about how human lives are being exploited these days, and about data being a chea…

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Investigative, with Déborah López and Hadin Charbel 1:02:00

9M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

Such a delight speaking with Déborah López and Hadin Charbel, incredible artists-architects-scholars as investigators of future possibilities in light of climate change rapidly changing arctic (and other) landscapes. We discuss a range of art projects, from large installations to projections to speculative fiction, and how these modes and condition…

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#40: Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday? | Church Christmas Pageants | Christmas Movies 52:35

9M ago52:35

52:35

TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 2:26 Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday? 14:24 The Good and Bad of Church Christmas Pageants 29:01 Christmas Movies 42:18 Out Now and Coming Soon 48:19 Thing We Like...That You Should Like Too 51:49 Conclusion Show Note Links: Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim: https://youtu.be/WuDTUrhS3Eo Something Sam Likes: Christmas…

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Collaborative, with Chris Gilliard 1:03:24

9M ago1:03:24

1:03:24

In this episode, I spoke with Chris Gilliard (@hypervisible) about AI’s encroachment on universities and what this means for collaboration — i.e. learning, writing, thinking and feeling. This conversation puts out a warning of sorts to universities adopting AI given that, as a technology, it is built off of stolen materials, relies on extraction an…

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#39: Netflix’s Mary Movie & Religious Hollywood Adaptations | Wicked as a Gay Allegory? 48:45

10M ago48:45

48:45

TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 2:17 Netflix’s Mary Movie & Religious Hollywood Adaptations 26:17 Wicked as a Gay Allegory? 40:50 Out Now and Coming Soon 45:05 Thing We Like...That You Should Like Too 47:52 Conclusion Show Note Links: Mary movie review: https://youtu.be/uRU1X2l0m98 Wicked movie review: https://youtu.be/iY5roYT0Q1A Something Daniel Li…

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#38: Biggest Thanksgiving Box Office Ever | Wicked, Agendas & Witchcraft | Mary Movie Casting Controversy 56:07

10M ago56:07

56:07

TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 2:08 Biggest Thanksgiving Box Office Ever 8:23 Movie Theater Etiquette 13:36 Wicked, Agendas & Witchcraft 37:16 Mary Movie Casting Controversy 49:38 Out Now and Coming Soon 52:41 Thing We Like...That You Should Like Too 55:18 Conclusion Show Notes Links: Something Sam Likes: Moomintrolls Find out more about The Collisi…

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Regulated, with Jennifer Holt 59:10

10M ago59:10

59:10

It was a real honour and joy to speak with someone whose work has so significantly shaped my own (and many of us writing about data centers): Jennifer Holt joined me for a chat about US cloud policy. The Cloud is understood in this episode through the lens of policy, which means we grapple with who owns data, its infrastructures and our data future…

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#37: Teaching a Gospel & Film Class w/ Special Guest Unix Diza 51:30

10M ago51:30

51:30

TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 3:10 How did your love for movies develop? 12:35 Why should christians care about movies? 15:08 Teaching a gospel and film class 25:15 Lessons from teaching a gospel and film class 39:51 How to engage with movies 43:36 Things we like...That you should like too 49:07 Conclusion Something Unix Likes: The music and writin…

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#36: Celebrity Voices & Influencers | Jesus Hat Controversy | Hollywood's "Religion Era"? 44:05

10M ago44:05

44:05

0:00 Introduction 2:40 Celebrity Voices and Influencers 17:07 Jesus Hat Controversy 27:52 Heretic - Hollywood's "Religion Era"? 36:18 Out Now and Coming Soon 40:17 Thing We Like...That You Should Like Too 43:10 Conclusion Something Daniel Likes: People who love what they do and are good at it. (Ant's Towing) Find out more about The Collision: https…

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Frequencies, with Trent Wintermeier 47:57

11M ago47:57

47:57

Listen to the data center's hum with your feet first... on this episode, Trent Wintermeier and I discuss what it means to absorb sound through the body and "hear" vibrations with and through your limbs and ears. We discuss what this means for folks living near data centers, especially in places imagined as kinds of sacrifice zones. Recorded Oct 9, …

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#35: Celebrating Christmas Already? | Coexisting with People We Disagree With | Modern Reading Habits 51:43

11M ago51:43

51:43

0:00 Introduction 2:22 When is it Okay to Start Celebrating Christmas? 8:55 Coexisting with People We Disagree With 26:49 Theatrical Movie Business in a "Stressful Situation" 34:04 Modern Reading Habits 46:54 Out Now and Coming Soon 49:49 Thing We Like...That You Should Like Too 51:01 Conclusion Show Notes Links: https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/…

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#34: Alan Moore: "Fandom Has Toxified the World" | Bringing Back Dead Actors with AI | Robert Downey Jr 57:18

11M ago57:18

57:18

0:00 Introduction 1:24 Oregon Trail Movie in Development 3:47 Alan Moore and Toxic Fandoms 18:14 Interview Clip (Director Andrew Kightlinger) 20:09 How to "Quantify" Impact of Faith-Based Films 32:52 Bringing Back Dead Actors with AI 51:12 Out Now and Coming Soon 54:25 Thing We Like...That You Should Like Too 56:32 Conclusion Show Notes Links: Alan…

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Safety, with Remmelt Ellen 58:17

11M ago58:17

58:17

In this episode, I have a conversation with Remmelt Ellen from AI Safety Camp. We discuss AI safety and his 44-page book Artifical Bodies outlining AI harms from the perspective of someone really grappling with the ethics, hype, and harms of the industry and beyond. Recorded Oct 4, 2024. Released Oct 28, 2024. Artificial Bodies https://workflowy.co…

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#33: Wicked Movie Poster Controversy | Chick-fil-a Entertainment App and More! 54:25

11M ago54:25

54:25

0:00 Introduction 2:23 RIP Liam Payne 7:08 Wicked Movie Poster Controversy 21:13 Chick-fil-a Entertainment App 28:21 Bonhoeffer Interview Clip 31:36 Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? 47:05 Out Now and Coming Soon 49:08 Thing We Like...That You Should Like Too 53:47 Conclusion Show Notes Links: 'Straight to the Heart' book:: https://www.amazon.…

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#32: Matt Walsh, The Sermon on the Mount & The Culture War | "Lieutenant Dan" & The Hurricane 53:18

11M ago53:18

53:18

0:00 Introduction 1:44 Matt Walsh, The Sermon on the Mount & The Culture War 12:55 "Lieutenant Dan" & The Hurricane 42:37 Out Now and Coming Soon 48:10 Thing We Like...That You Should Like Too 52:33 Conclusion Show Notes Links: 'Straight to the Heart' book:: https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Heart-Communicating-Emotionally-Culture/dp/0830785841/ Movi…