Adventures in Nutopia

Lucy Cooke's Bitch tells a wildly different story of reproduction, gender and sexual habits in the animal kingdom to those passed down to us by Darwin, Dawkins and other highly influential male scientists. Bitch challenges outdated preconceptions and biases around the female of the species being sexually coy, monogamous and passive and males being sexually dominant and promiscuous. It also challenges broader expectations around male and female roles and why binary ways of looking at the world and ourselves are increasingly being challenged. David meets up with zoologist, broadcaster and author Lucy Cooke in a woodland in Sussex to talk birdsong, bonobos, same sex parenting, sex changing fish, menopausal whales, parthenogenesis and murderous meerkats. Trigger warning: this episode contains discussions about vomit bubbles and sexual cannibalism. With guest Lucy Cooke http://www.lucycooke.tv/

Alan Turin's 'automatic machine' remains the blueprint for nearly all of our modern computer systems. In an early paper however Turin wrote: 'of course another type of machine is possible. This is the Oracle Machine and I will not speak of that.' Our guest for this mini episode however, will. James Bridle is the author of Ways of Being and an artist whose work deals with the ways in which the digital, networked world reaches into the physical, offline one. James shares their thoughts on why computers can't do random and what our computers of the future might look like. We also touch on the role that randomness play in evolution and how it can radicalise our political systems. With James Bridle and special guest ORAC www.jamesbridle.com

Are our listening habits changing? What effects can sounds like drones and sine tones have on us physically and emotionally? Can we imagine a future in which we might receive audio prescriptions for wellbeing? Why does music played badly make us laugh? Does beetroot really taste better if serenaded with sound? And what might the national anthem of Nutopia sound like? With guests Richard Norris, Paul Devereux, Fiona Miller, Jude Rogers, David Velez and Harry Sword. https://pauldevereux.co.uk/ https://richardnorris.bandcamp.com/ https://fionasallymiller.bandcamp.com/ https://davidvelez.bandcamp.com/music https://oddfellowscasino.bandcamp.com/ https://greyhoundliterary.co.uk/authors/harry-sword

If our capitalist economic model of perpetual growth was presented as a myth it would read something like the Sorcerer's Apprentice. As for our economic unit of measure, in a speech in 1968 Robert Kennedy described GDP as 'measuring everything except that which is worthwhile'. Are there economic models out there that might allow for a paradigm shift from the need for constant growth to a system that is more sustainable, regulated, and nurturing of life? In this episode David attempts to get his head around doughnut economics, de-growth and how our financial systems might be radically reimagined. With guests Sir Tim Smit, Kate Raworth, David Barmes, Timothee Parrique, Inez Aponte and Sara Osterholzer. https://www.edenproject.com/ https://www.kateraworth.com/ https://positivemoney.org/ https://timotheeparrique.com/ https://www.resilience.org/resilience-author/inez-aponte/ https://saraosterholzer.com/ https://revbilly.com/

While Series Two edges a little closer to completion here's a short appetiser serving up some words of wisdom from The Eden Project's founder, who we'll meet properly in a future episode.

While western medicine excels at repairs and crisis management it remains, for many, too mechanical and reductive in its approach to important issues such as mental health, diet and lifestyle. With health practitioner Peter Deadman and Dr Laura Marshall Andrews we'll explore new (and very old) alternative approaches to health, from social prescription to the Chinese system of yangsheng and the magic of tea. We'll also meet tech pioneer Sarah Ticho, championing the use of VR for tackling our phobias and anxieties. Warning: this episode contains giant spiders. https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://uk.bookshop.org/books/what-seems-to-be-the-problem-9780008445027/9780008445027 https://www.instagram.com/sirateeko/ https://peterdeadman.co.uk/

We delve into the nature of rituals, why they're important and how to create our own meaningful ones. With chief druid of Anglesey Kristoffer Hughes we'll learn about the power of death rituals and the pagan eightfold wheel of the year; we'll experience the May Day ritual of Jack in the Green in Hastings, spend a night with musician Sam Lee singing with nightingales and end with a discussion of the film with the most chilling ritualistic finale ever: The Wicker Man. https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://www.angleseydruidorder.co.uk/kristoffer https://samleesong.co.uk/ https://hastingstraditionaljackinthegreen.co.uk/

What makes people fall for conspiracy theories like QAnon? Is it possible to 'change' our minds? Might the idea of reality tunnels be the single most important thing to teach the next generation? Counter-culture philosopher Robert Anton Wilson certainly thought so, as do our guests: authors John Higgs, Journey to Nutopia co-founder Michelle Olley and theatre director Daisy Campbell. With their help we'll reveal experiments to challenge our own belief systems, learn more about Robert Anton Wilson and discover why it's best to keep a set of false teeth in your back pocket. https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/journeytonutopia https://druidry.org https://www.drbramwell.com/ https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/ https://johnhiggs.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Olley https://the-mycelium.com/team/ https://www.monbiot.com/