Explore every episode of the podcast General Intellect Unit
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 111 - Exit Code 0 | 01 Apr 2024 | 01:03:52 | |
In which the show ends, and Kyle & June reflect on the project. Thank you all. Links: | |||
| 110 - Aesthetics of Democratic Economic Planning | 08 Mar 2024 | 02:08:07 | |
In which Kyle interviews Eric Meier on his recent exhibition "Art, Design, Aesthetics of Democratic Economic Planning". If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 101 - Entangled Life, Part 1 | 03 Jul 2023 | 01:44:54 | |
In which we read "Entangled Life" by Merlin Sheldrake. The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them. They can change our minds, heal our bodies and even help us avoid environmental disaster; they are metabolic masters, earth-makers and key players in most of nature's processes. In Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake takes us on a mind-altering journey into their spectacular world, and reveals how these extraordinary organisms transform our understanding of our planet and life itself. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 057 - The Capitalocene, with Bob Neubauer, Part 3 | 20 May 2020 | 01:47:41 | |
In which we read the responses to Moore's work, with returning guest Bob Neubauer. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 056 - Socialist Labour Time Planning, with Tom O'Brien, Part 2 | 02 May 2020 | 00:46:14 | |
In which we continue or discussion of "Soviet planning and the labor-time calculation model: implications for 21st-century socialism" by Seongjin Jeong. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 055 - Socialist Labour Time Planning, with Tom O'Brien, Part 1 | 25 Apr 2020 | 00:57:39 | |
In which we are joined by Emancipation Network superstar Tom O'Brien to discuss "Soviet planning and the labor-time calculation model: implications for 21st-century socialism" by Seongjin Jeong. Part two will air next week. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 054 - The Capitalocene, with Bob Neubauer, Part 2 | 22 Apr 2020 | 01:30:15 | |
In which we pick up part two of our discussion of Jason Moore's "The Capitalocene", with returning guest Bob Neubauer. In the third episode we will re-convene with Bob to discuss some of the responses to Moore's work, and to situate these episodes in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 053 - The Capitalocene, with Bob Neubauer, Part 1 | 08 Apr 2020 | 01:32:50 | |
In which we are joined by returning guest Bob Neubauer, to discuss "The Capitalocene Part I: on the nature and origins of our ecological crisis" by Jason Moore. In part two, we will discuss the second essay. In the third episode we will re-convene with Bob to discuss some of the responses to Moore's work, and to situate these episodes in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 052 - Down and to the Left, with Tom O'Brien | 16 Mar 2020 | 00:57:29 | |
In which we chat with Tom O'Brien (host of From Alpha To Omega) about the Coronavirus pandemic, and what it all means for the future of society. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 051 - Riding for Deliveroo, with Callum Cant | 04 Mar 2020 | 01:26:03 | |
In which we talk to Callum Cant about his new book, "Riding for Deliveroo: Resistance in the New Economy". "What is life like for workers in the gig economy? Is it a paradise of flexibility and individual freedom? Or is it a world of exploitation and conflict? Callum Cant took a job with one of the most prominent platforms, Deliveroo, to find out.
His vivid account of the reality is grim. Workers are being tyrannised by algorithms and exploited for the profit of the few – but they are not taking it lying down. Cant reveals a transnational network of encrypted chats and informal groups which have given birth to a wave of strikes and protests. Far from being atomised individuals helpless in the face of massive tech companies, workers are tearing up the rulebook and taking back control. New developments in the workplace are combining to produce an explosive subterranean class struggle – where the stakes are high, and the risks are higher.
Riding for Deliveroo is the first portrait of a new generation of working class militants. Its mixture of compelling first-hand testimony and engaging analysis is essential for anyone wishing to understand class struggle in platform capitalism." If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 050 - Organizing for Power, Part 2 | 19 Feb 2020 | 01:19:03 | |
In which we continue our discussion of "Organizing for Power: Stealing Fire from the Gods", by Amelia Davenport. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 049 - Organizing for Power, Part 1 | 06 Feb 2020 | 01:16:13 | |
In which we read "Organizing for Power: Stealing Fire from the Gods", by Amelia Davenport. Part two will air in two weeks. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 048 - Cooperative Self-Management, with Loomio | 15 Jan 2020 | 01:58:28 | |
In which we interview the worker-owners of Loomio, a decision-making software cooperative. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 100 - Tree Stories | 24 May 2023 | 01:37:20 | |
In which we read "Tree Stories" by Stefano Mancuso. We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us through our first one hundred episodes, and we look forward to the next hundred. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 047 - Organisational Closure and Autopoiesis | 11 Dec 2019 | 01:21:42 | |
In which we read "A Study of Organizational Closure and Autopoiesis", by Harish Jose. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 046 - Eliza, Part 2 | 13 Nov 2019 | 01:11:15 | |
In which we finish our discussion of Eliza, a game by Zachtronics. "After abandoning her high-powered tech career and a mysterious three-year absence, Evelyn Ishino-Aubrey resurfaces working as a proxy for a virtual counseling app called Eliza. Her job consists solely of reading a script provided to her in real-time by an AI, leaving her no autonomy over what she says. Is Eliza a technological marvel that brings therapy to those who otherwise couldn’t access it? Or is it an ineffective replacement and another vector for technology companies to gain control over our lives and humanity?" If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 045 - Eliza, Part 1 | 31 Oct 2019 | 01:12:02 | |
In which we play Eliza, a game by Zachtronics. "After abandoning her high-powered tech career and a mysterious three-year absence, Evelyn Ishino-Aubrey resurfaces working as a proxy for a virtual counseling app called Eliza. Her job consists solely of reading a script provided to her in real-time by an AI, leaving her no autonomy over what she says. Is Eliza a technological marvel that brings therapy to those who otherwise couldn’t access it? Or is it an ineffective replacement and another vector for technology companies to gain control over our lives and humanity?" If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 044 - Digital Socialism, Part 2 | 09 Oct 2019 | 00:58:21 | |
In which conclude our reading of "Digital Socialism?" by Evgeny Morozov. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 043 - Digital Socialism, Part 1 | 25 Sep 2019 | 00:57:08 | |
In which we read "Digital Socialism?" by Evgeny Morozov. Part 2 will air in a few weeks. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 042 - The Implausibility of Intelligence Explosion | 11 Sep 2019 | 01:35:53 | |
In which we are joined by our friend Matt, to discuss two articles by François Chollet, "The Implausibility of Intelligence Explosion", and "What Worries Me About AI". If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 041 - (Re)Designing Freedom, with Swampside Chats, Part 2 | 01 Sep 2019 | 00:58:29 | |
Part two of our collaboration episode with Swampside Chats, in which we (re)read Stafford Beers "Designing Freedom". If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 040 - (Re)Designing Freedom, with Swampside Chats, Part 1 | 22 Aug 2019 | 00:59:04 | |
A collaboration episode with Swampside Chats, in which we (re)read Stafford Beers "Designing Freedom", and zoom off on all kinds of tangents along the way. Part two will air next week. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 039 - The Necessity of Extended Autopoiesis | 07 Aug 2019 | 00:57:32 | |
In which we read "The Necessity of Extended Autopoiesis" by Nathaniel Virgo. (Our reading of) this text treks through cybernetics, gaia theory, deleuzian metaphysics and biology, converging on an understanding of the relation between bodies and processes. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 038 - The Viable System Model | 15 Jul 2019 | 01:44:48 | |
In which we discuss the Viable System Model, by Stafford Beer. We read "The VSM Guide" by Jon Walker, and "The Viable System Model as a Framework for Understanding Organizations" by Raul Espejo and Antonia Gill. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 099 - Neither Vertical nor Horizontal, Part 4 | 03 May 2023 | 01:38:46 | |
In which we finish our reading of "Neither Vertical nor Horizontal", by Rodrigo Nunes. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 037 - The People's Republic of Walmart, Part 2 | 19 Jun 2019 | 01:26:59 | |
In which we continue reading "The People's Republic of Walmart" by Leigh Phillips and Michal Rozworski. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 036 - The People's Republic of Walmart, Part 1 | 05 Jun 2019 | 01:18:57 | |
In which we read "The People's Republic of Walmart" by Leigh Phillips and Michal Rozworski. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| Extra - GIU Community Discord Server | 18 May 2019 | 00:00:54 | |
We're launching a community discord server for our patrons! Support us on Patreon at the $5 per month level or above to get access! Links: | |||
| 035 - Climate Technology, Gender, and Justice, with Tina Sikka | 15 May 2019 | 01:02:54 | |
In which we are joined by Tina Sikka to discuss her new book "Climate Technology, Gender, and Justice: The Standpoint of the Vulnerable". If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 034 - Platform Capitalism, with Bob Neubauer | 01 May 2019 | 01:45:20 | |
In which we are joined by Bob Neubauer to discuss Nick Srnicek's 2016 book "Platform Capitalism" If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 033 - Retrospective | 17 Apr 2019 | 01:56:42 | |
In which we talk about our first thirty-something episodes, and take time to tie some threads together. No, this isn't a clip-show. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| Extra - Emancipation Network | 07 Apr 2019 | 00:01:02 | |
We are joining forces with our friends at Swampside Chats, and From Alpha To Omega, to form the Emancipation Network, a Marxist podcast network and research collective. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 032 - The Inherent Instability of Disordered Systems | 03 Apr 2019 | 00:57:09 | |
In which we (struggle to) read a math paper, The Inherent Instability of Disordered Systems, by Taeer Bar-Yam, Owen Lynch, and Yaneer Bar-Yam. This paper introduces us to the Multi-scale Law of Requisite Variety, and the importance of organisation at multiple scales. The paper also furnishes a proof that disordered systems will inevitably become ordered by forces in their environment. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| Extra - Book Giveaway: People's Republic of Walmart | 16 Mar 2019 | 00:00:54 | |
Hey there folks! We're giving away two copies of People's Republic of Walmart, by Leigh Phillips and Michal Rozworski. All of our patrons will automatically be included in the draw, while non-patrons can enter their email address in this form to add themselves to the draw. Winners will be selected at random on the 31st of March, and will be contacted via Patreon message or email to arrange delivery. To keep this fair, if we don't hear back from an entrant within two weeks, we'll draw another winner for that book. Why are we doing this? Well, Shane accidentally placed three separate pre-orders for this book over the course of two years, so there's two spare copies floating around. Check out this post on our Patreon page for more details: https://www.patreon.com/posts/25294050 | |||
| 031 - Designing Freedom | 13 Mar 2019 | 01:57:23 | |
In which we discuss Stafford Beer's 1974 book "Designing Freedom". Beer makes the case for a total overhaul of our institutions and organisational methods, by way of management cybernetics. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 098 - Neither Vertical nor Horizontal, Part 3 | 26 Apr 2023 | 01:33:33 | |
In which we continue our reading of "Neither Vertical nor Horizontal", by Rodrigo Nunes. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 030 - Organising Tech, with Wendy Liu & Jason Prado | 20 Feb 2019 | 01:11:47 | |
In which we talk to Wendy Liu and Jason Prado about tech, worker organising, and open source. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 029 - The Player of Games, with Fraser Simons | 06 Feb 2019 | 02:00:41 | |
In which we are joined by Fraser Simons to discuss The Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 028 - Xenofeminism, Part 2 | 23 Jan 2019 | 01:09:49 | |
In which we continue our discussion of the Xenofeminist Manifesto, with Kira Magrann. The next book we read will be Designing Freedom, by Stafford Beer. If you want to read along with us before the episode airs, you can get the book free from the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/DesigningFreedom If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 027 - Xenofeminism, Part 1 | 09 Jan 2019 | 01:04:16 | |
In which we are joined by Kira Magrann to discuss the Xenofeminist Manifesto. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 026 - Reflections On Metaphorum 2018 | 19 Dec 2018 | 00:44:50 | |
In which we discuss Shane's experience at the Metaphorum Conference 2018. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
(Hacked) Syntegration badge:
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| 025 - Sketches Of Another Future, ft. Andrew Pickering | 28 Nov 2018 | 00:56:39 | |
In which we interview Andrew Pickering, author of The Cybernetic Brain. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 024 - Transforming Technology, Part 3 | 14 Nov 2018 | 00:58:26 | |
In which we conclude our reading of Transforming Technology. This chapter ties up the theory of the Technical Code, explores Formal and Substantive Bias, and opens up opportunity for radical change of technological society. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| Extra - State Of The Unit 2018 | 01 Nov 2018 | 00:09:39 | |
An extra episode, for our one-year anniversary, in which we talk about scheduling issues and plans for the year ahead. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 023 - Transforming Technology, Part 2 | 31 Oct 2018 | 00:53:03 | |
In which we read chapter two of Transforming Technology. This chapter covers the transition to a Socialist society, the role of technology and labour process in that transition, and offers a theory of why previous attempts have largely failed. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 022 - Transforming Technology, Part 1 | 17 Oct 2018 | 01:34:48 | |
In which we begin a three-part series on Andrew Feenberg's 2002 book: "Transforming Technology". This book "rethinks the relationships between technology, rationality, and democracy, arguing that the degradation of labor--as well as of many environmental, educational, and political systems--is rooted in the social values that preside over technological development." If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 097 - Neither Vertical nor Horizontal, Part 2 | 18 Mar 2023 | 01:31:58 | |
In which we continue our reading of "Neither Vertical nor Horizontal", by Rodrigo Nunes. If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 021 - Accelerate | 26 Sep 2018 | 01:50:33 | |
In which we talk about Accelerationism, it's bizarre history, and it's recent Left-wing manifestations. We read from three articles: "Accelerationism: how a fringe philosophy predicted the future we live in" by Andy Beckett, "Terminator vs. Avatar: Notes on Accelerationism" by Mark Fisher, and "#Accelerate, Manifesto for an Accelerationist Politics" by Alex Williams and Nick Srnicek. (PS: We will never miss an opportunity to dunk on Nick Land.) If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links:
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| 020 - Yeoman Coders | 24 Aug 2018 | 01:08:20 | |
In which we discuss the politics of Open Source software, starting from Gavin Mueller's article "Microsoft and the Yeoman Coders". If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||
| 019 - The Cybernetic Brain, Part 2: Stafford Beer | 25 Jul 2018 | 02:00:34 | |
In which we conclude our two-part discussion of The Cybernetic Brain, by Andrew Pickering. This episode covers the chapter on Stafford Beer, and the final chapter, "Sketches of Another Future". If you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Links: | |||