Shows
Life Itself PodcastOver The Mountains #1 | The devil’s trick - invisible ideology behind techno oligarchyThis is episode #1 of a new sub-series Over the Mountains: Finding a Path to the Second Renaissance“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was persuading you he didn’t exist.” In this conversation, we discuss how the greatest trick of the last 50 years was persuading us that the state doesn’t work, that government is dysfunctional, and that only individuals and markets can solve our problems—all while concealing that this narrative was systematically pushed forward. From the post-war era when government was trusted and tax rates on top earners reached 80-90%, to today’s world where young...
2025-11-0358 minLife Itself PodcastOver The Mountains #1 | The devil’s trick - invisible ideology behind techno oligarchyThis is episode #1 of a new sub-series Over the Mountains: Finding a Path to the Second Renaissance“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was persuading you he didn’t exist.” In this conversation, we discuss how the greatest trick of the last 50 years was persuading us that the state doesn’t work, that government is dysfunctional, and that only individuals and markets can solve our problems—all while concealing that this narrative was systematically pushed forward. From the post-war era when government was trusted and tax rates on top earners reached 80-90%, to today’s world where young...
2025-11-0358 min
Humans On The LoopCulture, Consciousness, and the Second Renaissance with Rufus PollockMembership | Donations | Spotify | YouTube | Apple PodcastsThis week I speak with Rufus Pollock (Website | Twitter | Wikipedia), former Mead Fellow in Economics at the University of Cambridge, entrepreneur, activist, author of Open Revolution and Wiser Societies, RSA Fellow, and co-founder of Life Itself, Open Knowledge Foundation, Datopian, and Second Renaissance. Rufus is a key player in the so-called “Liminal Web” and active mapper of the ecosystem of emerging changemaking organizations who, along with his wife Sylvie Barbier and an extensive network of brilliant allies, strives to promote the shifts in consciousness and culture that we need to safely navi...
2025-07-101h 47
The Integral StageLIMINAL CAFE #14 - Rufus, Sylvie & the Art of the Second RenaissanceLIFE ITSELF, THE SECOND RENAISSANCE, AND HUMAN TRANSFORMATION IN A TIME OF META-CRISISFor episode 14, Layman sits down with Rufus Pollock and Sylvie Barbier to talk about the Life Itself and Second Renaissance communities and organizations, the importance of mapping the meta-communities, the role of art in cultural transformation, and the upcoming Harvard conference on the meta-crisis.Rufus Pollock is a Founder of Open Knowledge, an award-winning international digital non-profit. Formerly a Shuttleworth Fellow, the Mead Fellow in Economics at Cambridge University.Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser...
2025-06-301h 27
Catalyzing Radical Systemic Change - voted the No. 1 podcast on Systemic Change on Apple podcasts#50 Catalyzing Radical Systemic Change: Life Itself with Sylvie Barbier and Rufus Pollock.Join us for an enlightening conversation with Sylvie Barbier and Rufus Pollock, the visionary co-founders of Life Itself.
In this episode, we dive deep into their ambitious initiative to kickstart a Second Renaissance, aimed at fundamentally reshaping our cultural and societal landscapes.
Highlights of This Episode:
• Background and Vision: Sylvie and Rufus share their personal stories and the inception of Life Itself, focusing on the revival of a Second Renaissance rooted in deep cultural and societal change.
• Theory of Change: The episode expl...
2024-08-291h 14
Portals of Perception065 - The Next Renaissance, Part 2 - Seeding Cultural ChangeWhat if we paraphrase a popular saying about the devil* and think “The greatest trick the modern world ever pulled was getting humanity to believe there aren’t any options”?As cultural and ecological crises deepen around the world, there are visionaries taking steps to demonstrate that, yes, we have options in how we choose to live and the future we imagine for ourselves and the planet.This emerging and powerful sense of new possibility is transforming, among many other endeavors, how we think about and create a sense of community — the ways we work, live and...
2024-01-0547 min
Portals of Perception064 - The Next Renaissance Part 1: The Art of MetamorphosisWhat would it take for us to see the ecological and cultural crises sweeping the planet as possible harbingers of a higher transformation and metamorphosis, a second global Renaissance? Big economic and political change can be traumatic, for individuals and communities. What if the global upheavals shaking our modern way of life actually are part of a natural cycle in evolution, a necessary correction in aiding the appearance of updated human potential?Considering the possibility of a new global Renaissance could also mean revisiting and questioning some of the pillars of modernity that have marked social and...
2023-12-2258 min
Leading With PurposeSylvie Barbier and Rufus Pollock on failure and fostering a wiser cultureSylvie Barbier and Rufus Pollock are the partners in business and life who strive to build wiser future through culture, space and community through co-living hubs, businesses, research and activism. With a unique approach to business, the pair explore new and innovative methods of leadership. Talking with The Ethics Centre’s Dr Simon Longstaff they uncover the realities of being a leader, the importance of failure and fostering a wiser culture. Leading With Purpose is a podcast series with valuable insights on leadership, business sustainability, social responsibility and ethical decision making. Hosted by Dr Simon Long...
2022-11-1524 min