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Failed Utopia

Arts & Culture Podcasts

This is a podcast about utopian ideas and paradise lost. We look at utopian concepts from the past, present and future, as well as utopian societies and communes, which promise the world to eager followers but inevitably fail when it all starts to unravel. Some of these utopias just fall apart, while others devolve into true horrors and even brutal cults. I’ll break down what these groups’ leaders were thinking, what attracted their devotees in the first place, and how it all went wrong.

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United States

Description:

This is a podcast about utopian ideas and paradise lost. We look at utopian concepts from the past, present and future, as well as utopian societies and communes, which promise the world to eager followers but inevitably fail when it all starts to unravel. Some of these utopias just fall apart, while others devolve into true horrors and even brutal cults. I’ll break down what these groups’ leaders were thinking, what attracted their devotees in the first place, and how it all went wrong.

Language:

English

Episodes

Dubai's Artificial Islands

2/28/2023
Over twenty years ago, Dubai began constructing the world's largest artificial archipelago of islands, designed to be a lavish oasis for the super-rich. Today, the islands stand mostly empty and some are sinking back into the sea, but the developers and government of Dubai refuse to give up on the mind boggling mega-project. Let me tell you about this astonishing feat of engineering, how it did work--kind of, but also hasn’t panned out the way they hoped, and why they’ll probably never let...

Duration:00:15:56

New Year's Resolutions

1/31/2023
Why most New Year’s resolutions fail, the Babylonians and Romans, putting our hands on a peacock, setting and getting goals, habit formation, motivation vs. discipline, believing you deserve to have what you want, and what procrastination really is (you’re not lazy). Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741 Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233 VictimConnect, a referral...

Duration:00:29:07

Bonus Episode: More Theranos Updates (Elizabeth Holmes Sentencing & Sunny Balwani Trial)

11/23/2022
The Theranos saga continues. Updates on Elizabeth Holmes' sentencing and Sunny Balwani's trial and verdict. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources Theranos Full Explainer: https://failedutopia.com/theranos/ Holmes Trial & Verdict Updates: YouTube https://youtu.be/P9xR6jn84kU Audio only https://failedutopia.com/theranos-update/ Written and produced by Anna Roberts Burning palm tree artwork by Perry Vasquez Intro music by Elliot Middleton Merchandise:...

Duration:00:06:52

Roanoke: The Lost Colony

11/22/2022
Colonialism and utopianism, as Thomas More coined the term, have been linked since the early sixteenth century when European explorers began taking stock of newly accessible lands that would later become colonies. Colonists had the expectation of achieving a much better life by settling in "new" lands, while producing a dystopia for the original inhabitants. Optimistic colonists didn’t always find what they expected, but for centuries they continued to emigrate and settle, driven by utopian...

Duration:00:28:29

Paradise to Hellscape: Salton Sea and Other Terrible Places

11/8/2022
Let’s talk about an environmental catastrophe that turned a tourism and wildlife paradise into a toxic wasteland. This is something that we’re starting to see happening all over the world and that’s only going to become more of a problem in the future thanks to climate change. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Ghost towns and toxic fumes: How an idyllic California lake became a disasterHow California’s Salton Sea went from vacation destination to toxic nightmareAs the...

Duration:00:13:48

The Church of Love (Chonda-Za)

10/25/2022
The Church of Love: Chonda-Za, Love Angels, lonely hearts, and a whole lot of questionable love letters. Plus, self-delusion and seeing things for what they are. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741 Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233 VictimConnect, a referral helpline for victims of crime: 1-855-484-2846 For veterans, Make The Connection Useful Delusions: The...

Duration:00:38:34

Cryptocurrency Part 2

10/11/2022
In Part 2, hopefully we’re gonna have a little more fun talking not about techno-utopia, but actual physical utopian communes based around the love of crypto. Cryptoland, Cryptopia, Satoshi Island, Bitcoin Beach, Bitcoin City, and actually, the entire country of El Salvador. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources Tragic Cryptoland trailerCryptoland websiteWhen Your Island Paradise Goes Bankrupt...Thailand’s Crypto Utopia — ‘90% of a cult, without all the...

Duration:00:30:55

Cryptocurrency Part 1

9/27/2022
Cryptocurrency is one of the most buzzy techno-utopian ideas out there. Is it really a disruptive technology of the future? Or a bunch of esoteric, elitist, crypto-bro BS? Even a scam? Let's talk about what crypto is and what it's good for... or not. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources Computer Scientists Say Crypto Industry Is Misleading the Public About Blockchain TechnologyWhy This Computer Scientist Says All Cryptocurrency Should “Die in a Fire”The...

Duration:00:30:06

The Farm

9/13/2022
The Farm was once the largest hippie commune in U.S. history, and it still exists today albeit in a somewhat different form. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources https://thefarmcommunity.comhttps://www.thefarm.orgWhat life is like when you’re born on a communeStephen Gaskin obituary“40 Years on the Farm” documentaryWritten and produced by Anna Roberts Burning palm tree artwork by Perry Vasquez Intro music by Elliot Middleton Merchandise:...

Duration:00:20:31

Auroville

8/30/2022
A spiritual Indian utopia that’s over 50 years old, but still very much a work in progress. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Better to Have Gone: Love, Death, and the Quest for Utopia in AurovilleBulldozing a dream? Auroville’s importance as an experiment in alternative livingBulldozers, violence and politics crack an Indian dream of utopiaWritten and produced by Anna Roberts Burning palm tree artwork by Perry Vasquez Intro music by Elliot Middleton Merchandise:...

Duration:00:31:34

Biosphere 2

8/16/2022
On this episode, the fascinating story of Biosphere 2, the largest closed ecological system ever created… or, how eight people went nuts and almost starved in a vivarium for humans. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources https://biosphere2.orgBiosphere 2: What Really Happened?Spaceship Earth Written and produced by Anna Roberts Burning palm tree artwork by Perry Vasquez Intro music by Elliot Middleton Merchandise: www.failedutopia.com/shop Support this...

Duration:00:31:34

Helicon Home Colony

3/15/2022
The Helicon Home Colony was the brainchild of the renowned author and muckraking journalist Upton Sinclair. It lasted less than 6 months and went down in a literal blaze. "We stood in the snow and watched our beautiful utopia flame and roar, until it crashed in and died away to a dull glow." Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Autobiography of Upton SinclairUtopia, New Jersey: Travels in the Nearest EdenRadical...

Duration:00:28:28

Theranos Update (Fraud Trial & Verdict for Elizabeth Holmes)

1/20/2022
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/P9xR6jn84kU Updates on the verdict in the trial of former Theranos founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, including charges, sentencing, appeal, Ramesh Sunny Balwani's upcoming trial on the same charges, and more. Full Theranos explainer episode: https://failedutopia.com/theranos/ Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741 Domestic...

Duration:00:11:41

Replay: Holiday Special!

12/21/2021
In this replay from 2020, find out about the secretive alternative community that only gets talked about once a year. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741 Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233 VictimConnect, a referral helpline for victims of crime: 1-855-484-2846 For veterans, Make The Connection Written and produced by Anna Roberts Burning palm tree...

Duration:00:11:52

Marshall Islands

12/14/2021
Picture a chain of tropical islands with white sand beaches, turquoise blue waters, breathtaking sunsets, palm trees swaying in a tropical breeze, and a culturally rich population of native people fishing the bountiful waters of their homeland as they have for generations. Sounds pretty ideal, right? Maybe even the closest we’ve ever gotten to an actual utopia. But there are a couple of problems. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources National Suicide...

Duration:00:21:02

Theranos

11/23/2021
Today, Elizabeth Holmes testifies in her own defense in a trial for criminal charges stemming from the collapse of the company she infamously founded, Theranos. The startup claiming to revolutionize the medical industry, and at one point valued at $9 billion, went down in a blaze of allegations of fraud as one of the worst disasters in Silicon Valley history. What went wrong? Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:...

Duration:00:29:37

Bonus Episode: Etheric Surgery Update

11/16/2021
VIDEO VERSION on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZYtpBV2EfUU This is my results update on my etheric surgery with Mother God in the 5th dimension and the 5D full disclosure team, also known as psychic surgery from a cult leader who’s been deceased for several months. Previous Love Has Won & 5D Full Disclosure episodes: https://failedutopia.com/love-has-won/ https://failedutopia.com/love-has-won-updates-5d-full-disclosure/ Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links &...

Duration:00:14:22

Love Has Won UPDATES (5D Full Disclosure)

11/9/2021
This is an update about Love Has Won, now known as 5D Full Disclosure. I have a bunch of new information for you guys, and there have been some developments in this case. Today I’ll be updating you on the criminal cases related to the discovery of Amy Carlson’s body, some things that aired recently in a special on Dateline NBC, what the group is up to now, and my personal experience getting etheric surgery by Mother God from the fifth dimension. Yes, I got psychic surgery from a deceased...

Duration:00:50:01

Vampire Clan (Rod Ferrell)

10/26/2021
Vampire lore has fascinated humans for centuries, starting as far back as the Greeks. From Nosferatu and Dracula to Interview with the Vampire and Twilight, everybody loves a good vampire story. But way before team Edward and team Jacob, a much less attractive teen was taking the vampire thing way too far. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741 Domestic Violence...

Duration:00:30:45

Earth: Climate Crisis Part 2

10/12/2021
This is the continuation of the previous Earth: Climate Crisis episode. Renewable energy, pros and cons of nuclear, geoengineering, why carbon emissions will rise for the foreseeable future, climate vs. economics, and more. Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website. Links & Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741 Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233 VictimConnect, a referral helpline for victims of crime:...

Duration:00:38:28

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