Being Team Human in Crazy Town

Being Team Human in Crazy Town

Author: Post Carbon Institute March 25, 2026 Duration: 54:29

Have you ever had that feeling in your gut, when you suddenly realize that the person you’re talking with might have a screw or two loose? What about when you’re the one others are trying to slowly back away from at the punch bowl? The question of who’s the real nut often arises for us collapse-aware folks living here in Crazy Town. Since Mr. Peanut is no longer returning their phone calls, Rob, Jason, and Asher invite Douglas Rushkoff, media theorist, professor, and host of the Team Human Podcast to answer the question. In this far ranging conversation, they discuss why “leveling down” might be the best strategy for navigating late stage capitalism and bringing ourselves back into right relationship with each other and the planet. Originally recorded on 2/24/26.

Sources/Links/Notes:

  1. Team Human
  2. Douglas Rushkoff YouTube Channel
  3. Douglas Rushkoff, “You Are Not Crazy,Substack, January 7, 2026
  4. Douglas Rushkoff, “Survival of the Richest,Medium, July 5, 2018
  5. Jesse Armstrong, Mountainhead, 2025 film
  6. Dan Fogelman, Paradise, Hulu, 2025 series
  7. Prospera
  8. Neom
  9. California Forever
  10. Jack Manno, Privileged Goods, 1999 book


Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:

  1. Tech Bros on Acid with Douglas Rushkoff (Bonus episode of Crazy Town)
  2. It’s All Paradox with Douglas Rushkoff (Bonus episode of Crazy Town)



Trying to make sense of a world that often feels like it's lost the plot? That's the space where Crazy Town lives. Hosted by Asher, Rob, and Jason from the Post Carbon Institute, this fortnightly conversation navigates the disorienting headlines and deeper systemic crises-from climate chaos and ecological overshoot to the relentless engine of runaway capitalism-with a necessary blend of sharp analysis and dark humor. They’re not just diagnosing the "Great Unraveling" of our social and environmental fabric; they’re actively exploring what a transition to a genuinely sustainable and equitable society could look like, all while trying to keep their own wits about them. This podcast is for anyone who looks at the status quo and senses the profound delusions holding it together, offering listeners a mix of grounded understanding and candid discussion that’s as engaging as it is urgent. Tune in for conversations that are both a reality check and a search for a viable path forward.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 165

Crazy Town
Podcast Episodes
How to Have Sex with Yourself: The Bizarre Cult of the Singularity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:52
Meet Ray Kurzweil, who combines Moore’s Law with nanobots in a faux recipe to cheat death. Please share this episode with your friends and start a conversation.For an entertaining deep dive into the theme of season five…
What the Phuck Is a Phalse Prophet? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:40
Meet the unelected leaders of Crazy Town, who keep our collective heads in the sand while the planet burns. Please share this episode to your friends and start a conversation.For an entertaining deep dive into the theme…
Bonus: Drawing Insights with Stuart McMillen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:24
Stuart McMillen is a systems thinker disguised as a cartoonist. His long-form comics condense important academic topics into understandable and entertaining works of art. Stuart tackles topics in the fields of ecology, e…
Bonus: An Inconvenient Apocalypse with Bob Jensen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:47
Bob Jensen has written a book with Wes Jackson titled An Inconvenient Apocalypse: Environmental Collapse, Climate Crisis, and the Fate of Humanity. With a title like that, Jason and Bob have lots of heavy ground to cover…
Bonus: Human Rights and Multispecies Justice with Danielle Celermajer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:54
Asher is joined in Crazy Town by Danielle Celermajer, author and professor at University of Sydney, for a far-ranging conversation about human rights and the more-than-human world. Dany shares how her personal relationsh…
Bonus: A Climate Scientist Goes to Jail with Peter Kalmus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:32
Climate scientist and activist Peter Kalmus returns to Crazy Town, but this time with a green badge of courage. Earlier this year, he locked himself to the entrance of the JP Morgan Chase building in downtown Los Angeles…
Bonus: Tech Bros on Acid with Douglas Rushkoff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:28
Douglas Rushkoff revisits Crazy Town, where he and Asher discuss why so many billionaires, academic institutions, and "serious" people are drawn to longtermism - the view that our top priority should be ensuring that hum…
Bonus: Angry Birds and Hairbrained Humans with Mary Roach [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:42
In her latest book "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law," Mary Roach approaches the topic of human-wildlife conflict with entertaining stories, scientific insight, and a healthy dose of wit and humor. There are plenty of an…