Shows
Kroc PodGaia Wakes: When Earth Grows a BrainWhat happens when Earth itself starts to wake up? In this episode, Kroc School Prof. Topher McDougal joins us to talk about his new book Gaia Wakes, where he explores the idea of Earth’s emergent consciousness and the possibility of a global AI-powered governance system. From the collision of economics and ecology to the Butlerian Jihad of the Dune series, McDougal pushes us to rethink humanity’s role in an AI-dominated future.In this wide-ranging episode, we dive into Luddites, the idea of a grand bargain between humans and AI, and what it really means to have...
2025-10-1357 min
Sustainability In Your EarSustainability In Your Ear: Author Topher McDougal Asks If Earth Is Evolving A Planetary ConsciousnessWhat if Earth is developing a planetary collective intelligence emerging from the convergence of ecological crisis, new global information systems, and the data-crunching capabilities of artificial intelligence? This provocative question drives economist Topher McDougal's book, Gaia Wakes: Earth's Emergent Consciousness in an Age of Environmental Devastation. On this episode of Sustainability In Your Ear, explore McDougal's sweeping theory that our planet may be in the early stages of developing what he calls a "Gaiacephalos"—a planetary consciousness that could fundamentally reshape humanity's role in the global ecosystem. McDougal opens his book with a striking metaphor from Star Trek: The Next Ge...
2025-08-2540 min
The Conversation WeeklyThe trafficked American guns fuelling Mexico’s cartel violenceMore than two thirds of guns recovered at Mexican crime scenes originate in the U.S. For decades, Mexico has struggled with staggering levels of gun violence fuelled in large part by weapons trafficked across its northern border. Now an investigation published by The Conversation has arrived at a new estimate of the scale of this illicit gun trade between the U.S. and Mexico in 2022: 135,000 guns. Investigative journalist Sean Campbell and Topher McDougal, a professor of economic development at the University of San Diego, spent a year combing through multiple databases and court documents...
2025-05-2941 min
History of Philosophy Audio ArchiveHemlock #16: Gaia Wakes 2: Topher McDougal on Planetary Consciousness, AI Personhood and Risk, Economies of Predation and Production, Abolitionism for Sentience, and the Light at the End of the TunnelTOPHER'S BOOK:https://a.co/d/izl2PvHCome join the Patreon!https://patreon.com/c/HemlockPatreonBy the way here's what Google Gemini has to say about our conversation:In a conversation centered around author Topher McDougal's new book Gaia Wakes, McDougal and host William Engels delve into the complex relationship between humanity, technology, and the future of the planet. With the book's release imminent, McDougal notes increased media attention and requests to discuss his work. The discussion immediately touches upon the rapid, exponential growth of AI computing...
2025-05-181h 58
Absorb A Life-Enhancing Full Audiobook On Your Commute.Gaia Wakes by Topher McDougalPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/57804to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Gaia Wakes
Author: Topher McDougal
Narrator: Topher McDougal
Format: mp3
Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
Release date: 04-09-25
Ratings: Not rated yet
Genres: Science
Publisher's Summary:
Gaia Wakes presents a compelling new framework for understanding the past, present, and future of our planet. Starting from a strong foundation in economics and drawing on a vast range of multidisciplinary scholarship, Topher McDougal explores the possibility of a fifth transition towards an upgraded Earth: the development of a technologically enabled planetary brain capable of coordinating ecological functions and peering far into...
2025-04-0912h 17
History of Philosophy Audio ArchiveHemlock #12 - Gaia Wakes: My Conversation with Topher McDougal on AI, Climate Change, Nuclear Weapons, Planetary Consciousness, David Graeber, Gregory Bateson, Technological Lifeforms, and EvolutionFollow Topher's Work:https://tophermcdougal.com/Buy the book, Gaia Wakes:https://cup.columbia.edu/book/gaia-wakes/9781788218283Follow Topher on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/topherlmcdougalCome join me on Patreon:https://patreon.com/HemlockPatreonClarifications:Prokaryotes emerged 3.5-.3.8 billion years ago (BYA), eukaryotes/endocytosis emerged 2 BYA.Chapters(00:00:00)-Introduction to Gaia Wakes and Its Themes(00:09:06)-The Intellectual Clash of the Cold War(00:16:06)-The Dialectic of Predation and Domestication(00:50:01)-The Emergence...
2025-03-112h 47
At the Edge of it AllForensic Economics: Tracking the Impact of Black MarketsTopher McDougal, associate professor of economic development, talked to “At the Edge of it All” about his work researching illicit trade markets — like illegal gun sales. Without things like quarterly earnings reports to draw from, how do we figure out the economic scope of these underground industries and quantify their impact on society?
2023-03-0814 min