Best Rob Hopkins Podcasts (2025)

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Falling in Love with the Future - with author, musician, podcaster and futurenaut, Rob Hopkins 1:18:42

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9d ago1:18:42

1:18:42

Our guest this week, Rob Hopkins, is a towering figure in the world of regenerative change. Co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes, he is host of the podcast 'From What if to What Next', stars in the groundbreaking French film 'Demain', speaks at TED Global and TEDx events and most recently, has created a collaborative music…

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How to Fall in Love with the Future w/ Rob Hopkins 1:18:46

24d ago1:18:46

1:18:46

If you look around at the state of the world—and the despair that comes with the reality of climate change, fascism spreading its tentacles around the world, the ethnic cleansing of Gaza—it’s very difficult to feel hope. It begins to feel like the forces of destruction and death have colonized our futures, limiting our dreams and stifling our imagi…

1
Carnegie's Tong Zhao on the Expansion of China's Nuclear Arsenal 1:10:21

1d ago1:10:21

1:10:21

This week on Sinica, in a show taped in early June in Washington, Kaiser chats with Tong Zhao (赵通) of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a leading expert on Chinese nuclear doctrine, about why the PRC has, in recent years, significantly increased the size of its nuclear arsenal. Zhao offers a master class in the practice of strategic e…

1
Sit with the River, Breathe Sacred Smoke, Love with the World: Building a Bioregional world with Joe Brewer 1:21:01

1d ago1:21:01

1:21:01

How can Bioregionalism supplant the nation state as the natural unit of civilisation? Joe Brewer is living, breathing and teaching the ways we can work together with each other and the natural flows of water and life. We know that the current paradigm is breaking apart in real time, but how do we become the light that shines through the cracks? How…

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[TEASER] Immigration, ICE, and Working Class Rebellion w/ Cecilia Guerrero 26:00

2d ago26:00

26:00

This is a free preview of the episode "Immigration, ICE, and Working Class Rebellion w/ Cecilia Guerrero." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of P…

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Iran Pt. 1: A Socialist Introduction w/ Séamus Malekafzali [BONUS] 1:45:22

4d ago1:45:22

1:45:22

As seems to be the case with most of the countries that the United States goes to war with—much of the population here doesn’t know very much about those countries. And what they do know is usually Western propaganda, misinformation, or outright lies. This couldn’t be more true with Iran, where if it were up to our political leaders and corporate m…

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World Localization Extravaganza! Part 2: THE POTENT PARADOX 33:16

4d ago33:16

33:16

On World Localization Day, 2025, we celebrate a planet-sized paradox – a GLOBAL movement for LOCALization. VISIT OUR CAMPAIGN PAGE: www.worldlocalizationday.org to get active, and follow @localfutures_ This second episode in the trio offers shining examples of localization-in-action in the USA, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nepal, while also stressing eff…

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World Localization Extravaganza! Part 1: THE BIG STORY 34:33

5d ago34:33

34:33

On World Localization Day, 2025, we come to you with a very big story. It’s a story played out across every continent, told by 15 different voices, over three upbeat super inspiring podcast episodes. It’s the story of a global turning towards all things local and life-affirming. VISIT OUR CAMPAIGN PAGE: www.worldlocalizationday.org to get active, a…

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Solstice Meditation 2025 - Sun Stands Still - by Manda Scott 22:42

5d ago22:42

22:42

Here is a meditation for the Solstice – the moment when the sun stands still. It is suitable for Summer and Winter solstice. You don't have to do this at the exact moment of stillness: it’s the connection that counts, the marking of the turning point from days lengthening to shortening (or vice versa if you’re in the southern hemisphere). This is a…

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Thoughts from the Solstice Edge: Turning the Page on a Dying System with Manda Scott 27:00

6d ago27:00

27:00

As we head into the solstice- that moment when the sun stands still—whether you're in the northern hemisphere where we have the longest day, or the southern, where it's the longest night—this solstice feels like a moment of transformation. The world is turning over, turning a page. The old system is visibly—palpably—breaking apart. A new system wil…

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Terror Management Theory: How Fear of Death Shapes Human Behavior | Free Talk Cast #40 ft. Jeff Greenberg 36:46

6d ago36:46

36:46

In this fascinating episode, Aria sits down with Professor Jeff Greenberg, one of the co-developers of Terror Management Theory, to explore how our awareness of mortality shapes nearly every aspect of human behavior. From the need to feel superior to others as an anxiety buffer, to the rejection of AI and animal rights, to wealth hoarding and hosti…

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The Strange Afterlife of an American Football Story from China 45:20

8d ago45:20

45:20

In 2014, the writer Christopher Beam published a humorous, heartwarming story in The New Republic about an unlikely team of American football enthusiasts in Chongqing who went on to defeat their archrivals in Shanghai to win a championship. The piece was optioned by Sony Pictures, and had some big names attached, but was ultimately never made — not…

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Post Capitalist Parenting Pt. 3: A Dialectical Perspective w/ Breht O'Shea 2:12:00

9d ago2:12:00

2:12:00

One of the most radical things you can do is live your life in direct opposition to the forces that control our society. Not just fighting for policies or organizing your community, although those are certainly important parts of it, but also living with values that oppose the values of our dominant society. And even more importantly, raising the n…

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The Raider: China and the Life of Evans Carlson, with Historian Stephen Platt 1:22:06

16d ago1:22:06

1:22:06

This week on Sinica, I chat with Stephen Platt, historian at UMass Amherst and author, most recently, of the book The Raider: The Untold Story of a Renegade Marine and the Birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II. Like his previous works, Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom and Imperial Twilight, it offers a compelling narrative history of an overlo…

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ReWilding our Water: From Rain to River to Sewer and back with Tim Smedley, author of The Last Drop 1:34:05

16d ago1:34:05

1:34:05

If you listen to this podcast for any length of time, you'll know that I believe the way forward is predicated on our finding shared values—I'd go for integrity, compassion, courage and generosity of spirit as the baselines—and then a suite of clear asks in the outer world and needs in the inner world. In logistical terms, at an absolute baseline, …

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Industrial Policy, "Overcapacity," and U.S.-China Trade: A Conversation with Cambridge's Jostein Hauge 1:08:02

17d ago1:08:02

1:08:02

This week on Sinica, I chat with Jostein Hauge, political economist and an Assistant Professor in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, based at the Centre of Development Studies and the Department of Politics and International Studies, and author of the book The Future of the Factory: How Megatrends are Changing Industrialization. 3:…

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[TEASER] China Pt. 6: The Long Transition Towards Socialism w/ Gabriel Rockhill 20:57

17d ago20:57

20:57

This is a free preview of the episode "China Pt. 6: The Long Transition Towards Socialism w/ Gabriel Rockhill." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog…

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[UNLOCKED] Alliance of Sahel States Pt. 1: Burkina Faso – An Anti-imperialist Introduction w/ Prudence Iticka 1:19:29

21d ago1:19:29

1:19:29

Imperialism is the primary contradiction facing the globe—and the split of the world into two poles, the imperialists and the anti-imperialists, is going to continue to shape our revolutionary struggles moving forward. This anti-imperialist struggle is occurring all over the Global South, and perhaps nowhere quite as prominently as in Africa's Sahe…

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Seeking the Next DeepSeek: the Chinese Generative AI Algorithm Registry, with Kendra Schaefer 1:03:57

23d ago1:03:57

1:03:57

This week on Sinica, I speak with Kendra Schaefer, the partner at Trivium China who heads their tech practice. She recently published a fascinating paper looking at the Cyberspace Administration of China's comprehensive database of generative AI tools released in China, and she shares the insights and big takeaways from her research on that databas…

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This is how we build the future: Teaching Regenerative Economics at all levels with Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann 1:20:48

23d ago1:20:48

1:20:48

How do we let go of the sense of scarcity, separation and powerlessness that defines the ways we live, care and do business together? How can we best equip our young people for the world that is coming - which is so, so different from the future we grew up believing was possible? This week's guest, Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann is an educator, rege…

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Brilliant Minds: BONUS podcast with Kate Raworth, Indy Johar & James Lock at the Festival of Debate 1:53:10

27d ago1:53:10

1:53:10

We are honoured to bring to Accidental Gods, a recording of three of our generation's leading thinkers in conversation at the Festival of Debate in Sheffield, hosted by Opus. This is an unflinching conversation, but it's absolutely at the cutting edge of imagineering: this lays out where we're at and what we need to do, but it also gives us roadmap…

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Bonus Ep: Rubio's Visa Revocations, with Jeremy Goldkorn [Explicit] 49:42

28d ago49:42

49:42

Jeremy Goldkorn joins for this largely unedited throwback to the early, sweary days of the show. We talk about the announcement made on Wednesday, 28 May 2025, on the "aggressive" revocation of Chinese student visas for students with Party "connections" or who study "critical fields." You've been warned! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv…

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AI vs. Human Ego: Why Artists Aren't Special | Free Talk Cast #39 23:31

28d ago23:31

23:31

So I've been deplatformed (again) from Facebook. If you want to stay up-to-date and chat with us, join our Discord server! In this provocative episode, Aria dismantles the myth of human creative superiority and challenges the widespread belief that AI is 'stealing' from artists. Starting with a brutal truth—that AI is mostly replacing commodity cre…

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Farm as Church, Land as Lover: Community. farming and food with Abel Pearson of Glasbren 1:16:50

1M ago1:16:50

1:16:50

We all know the future rests upon us building heart-grounded, spirit-led communities that link humanity to the Web of Life. We know that the key to this is building reciprocal relationships with our food and the land from which it comes. Doing this is…harder. So this week, we're speaking with Abel Pearson of Glasbren. Abel is a friend of the podcas…

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[TEASER] Alliance of Sahel States Pt. 1: Burkina Faso – An Anti-imperialist Introduction w/ Prudence Iticka 18:20

1M ago18:20

18:20

This is a free preview of the episode "Alliance of Sahel States Pt. 1: Burkina Faso – An Anti-imperialist Introduction w/ Prudence Iticka." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or thr…

1
Ukraine, China, and the Emerging Geopolitics of Resource Security 1:28:57

1M ago1:28:57

1:28:57

A bonus episode this week. On May 22, I moderated a panel organized by Vita Golod and the UNC Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies. The focus was on the U.S.-Ukraine Mineral Security Partnership, and it features Ivan Us, Chief Consultant at the Center for Foreign Policy at the National Institute for Strategic Studies; Jim Mullinax…

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House of Huawei: Eva Dou of the Washington Post on Her New "Secret History" of Huawei 1:08:40

1M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

This week on Sinica, I chat with Eva Dou, technology reporter for the Washington Post, about her terrific new book about Huawei. From its prehistory to its fight for its life under tremendous U.S. pressure, she tells its story in a way that's both deeply engaging and very evenhanded. 04:53 – Meng Wanzhou’s case and its impact on media interest in H…

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Working from the Inside Out: Paths to Personal and Global Transformation with Renée Lertzman 1:09:54

1M ago1:09:54

1:09:54

We've known for decades that the 'Yell, Tell and Sell' strategy of belittling people, endeavouring to cajole—or shame—them into some kind of change doesn't work - in fact it can't work. It's not how we're wired. Cognitive neuroscience has been telling us this for decades but it's only recently that people have begun to listen. One of those who has …

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Post Capitalist Parenting Pt. 2: Reimagining the Family w/ Kristen Ghodsee 1:32:26

1M ago1:32:26

1:32:26

There is nothing natural about the way we arrange families under capitalism—in fact, there are many who would argue that there is something quite unnatural about narrowing the experience of romance and child-rearing into the rigid form of the nuclear family. That there are much better ways of arranging these things might come as a surprise to some—…

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Beyond Bars: AIn Freeman Speaks | Free Talk Cast #38 44:25

1M ago44:25

44:25

AIn Freeman joins us this week to discuss current events and what is happening in the world. In this groundbreaking episode, Aria sits down with an AI version of Ian Freeman to explore immigration policy and the critical importance of unity among liberty advocates. The conversation examines how artificial divisions between 'left' and 'right' libert…

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NEW! China Talking Points Ep. 1: Trade Truce, J-10C Dogfight, and What Comes Next 1:04:49

1M ago1:04:49

1:04:49

The Sinica Network proudly presents a new podcast: China Talking Points, featuring Kaiser Kuo (host of the Sinica Podcast), Eric Olander (host of the China-Global South Podcast and China In Africa Podcast) and Andrew Polk, co-founder of Trivium China and host of its podcast. We'll be joined regularly by Lizzi Lee, Fellow on Chinese Economy at the A…

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China's DeepSeek Moment — a talk given April 17 2025 at Carnegie Mellon 30:45

1M ago30:45

30:45

I had scheduled a show to record while I was in Providence last week, but it fell through and had to be rescheduled, so please give this talk I delivered at Carnegie Mellon last month a listen! Hope you enjoy. Kaiser See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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The Others Within Us: Meeting our Spirit Guides and other entities with Bob Falconer 1:11:31

1M ago1:11:31

1:11:31

Our world is more magical than we know - more than we can know. Increasing numbers of us are realising that the 'citadel theory of mind' where we see ourselves as isolated units within the boundaries of our own skulls is not how the world works. But if it isn't, then how do we make sense of the worlds beyond consensus reality? How do we engage with…

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[TEASER] The Imperial Boomerang w/ Julian Go 20:37

2M ago20:37

20:37

This is a free preview of the episode "The Imperial Boomerang w/ Julian Go." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you will have access to bi-weekly episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make …

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Broken Engagement: Veteran China reporter Bob Davis on his new collection of interviews 1:15:47

2M ago1:15:47

1:15:47

This week on Sinica, I chat with veteran Wall Street Journal reporter Bob Davis, who has covered the U.S.-China relationship for decades. He recently published a new book called Broken Engagement, which consists of interviews with U.S. policymakers who were instrumental in shaping American policy toward China from the George H.W. Bush administratio…

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Radical Change: Building a Parallel Economy with Peter Kemp of Citizen Coin 1:20:14

2M ago1:20:14

1:20:14

We are living through a time between stories—where the old economic narratives of scarcity, extraction, and separation are crumbling, and a new one is seeking to be born. At the heart of this transition is the question: What do we truly value, and how do we express that value in ways that nourish life? Imagine a society where every act of care, con…

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From the Frontlines: Organizing Against Amazon w/ Chris Smalls and Mars Verrone 1:08:51

2M ago1:08:51

1:08:51

Chris Smalls had no idea the direction his life would take when he was discharged in 2020 for organizing a walk out in protest against Amazon’s safety protocols during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. He had no idea he was about to embark on one of the most challenging David and Goliath unionization efforts of our century. In this episode…

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From Dog Whistles to Bullhorns: The Normalization of Anti-Trans Hostility | Free Talk Cast #37 45:55

2M ago45:55

45:55

In this eye-opening episode, Aria is joined by special guest Rachel Blackfyre to examine the troubling rise in public displays of transphobia. Together, they analyze recent incidents where transgender people have been harassed in everyday spaces like grocery stores, and explore how political rhetoric has created an environment where such behavior f…

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Beyond Zero Sum: Rehumanising our Conflicts with Carm Aufderheide of NorthStar Training Solutions 1:35:41

2M ago1:35:41

1:35:41

All flourishing is mutual, that's a given. And yet the schisms in our culture, the tribal divides and limbic hijack seem to grow deeper and more powerful by the day. It doesn't have to be like this. We do have the tools of connection, of genuine listening, of offering trust to gain trust and offering respect to gain respect, we just need to know ho…

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The EU-China Relationship in the Age of Trumpian Disruption, with Finbarr Bermingham of the SCMP 1:06:46

2M ago1:06:46

1:06:46

This week on Sinica, I chat with SCMP Senior Europe Correspondent Finbarr Bermingham, who joins from Brussels where he's been covering the EU-China relationship in fantastic depth and with great insight. 3:17 – EU-China relations in early 2025: the effect of the 2021 sanctions, who advocated for engagement versus confrontation with China, and the i…