Being in the World 086: B. Scot Rousse

In this spirited reunion, Tao Ruspoli welcomes back neuroscientist and writer Patrick House for a discursive meander through memory, addiction, architecture, mind control, and the seductive power of narrative. Recorded inside Tao’s newly finished Quonset hut in Yucca Valley, fresh from the seasonal migration to and from Bombay Beach, the episode unfolds like an improvised fugue—equal parts philosophical inquiry, campfire confession, and comedic eschatology.Together they explore the strange efficacy of hypnotherapy as Tao recounts his recent attempt to curb phone addiction with the help of a Bombay Beach practitioner named Fig. Patrick counters with his own story of self-invented ritual: “My Last Hundred Cigarettes,” a memoir-in-the-making that fuses constraint with narrative compulsion. What begins as a reflection on behavioral modification becomes an inquiry into the ontological status of placebo, the unconscious as moral engine, and the metaphorical terrain between desire and discipline.They talk about speciation by isolation, the etymology of "convivium," and the biological and philosophical implications of Bombay Beach as an aesthetic petri dish. The episode culminates in stories of murdered heiresses, screen-time shame, Mediterranean consciousness conferences, and the delightful absurdities of lives lived between logic and longing.Topics include: addiction as mythos, narrative as neuromodulation, Klaus von Bülow, modular architecture, hypnosis and the DSM, the nature of suggestion, and why every great podcast should be seasonal.

In this evocative and wide-ranging conversation, Tao Ruspoli is joined by artist, filmmaker, and systems architect Dulcinée DeGuere to unravel the conceptual fabric of Bombay Beach, Convivium, and the radical politics of community. From the ghostly traces of Georges Bataille’s Acéphale to the practical realities of water systems and website menus, the episode oscillates between myth and infrastructure, utopia and desert dust.Together, they trace the emergence of The Bombay Beach Institute for Industrial Espionage & Post-Apocalyptic Studies, interrogating the role of systems in anarchic spaces and the necessity of form even in acts of resistance. Dulcinée offers a compelling meditation on leadership, queer futurity, the politics of occupation, and why structure—when wielded with love—can be liberating rather than oppressive.The conversation becomes a lived example of “social sculpture,” as they discuss Convivium—a seasonal gathering and philosophical feast—where intimacy replaces spectacle and a new kind of aesthetic polity emerges. From critiques of neo-colonial utopias to a defense of being a “corporate bitch” in the service of radical imagination, this episode is both a blueprint and a love letter for those seeking alternatives to the dominant order.Topics include: Acéphale and regicide, Bombay Beach as a post-capitalist petri dish, decentralized art-making, systemic insurgency, the queering of public space, and what it means to retire—if only briefly—from capitalism.

B. Scot Rousse ("B") is a philosopher focused on existential phenomenology and its applications to AI. He holds a PhD from Northwestern University and is currently a visiting researcher at Topos Institute in Berkeley, a visiting scholar in philosophy at UC Berkeley, and the director of research at Pluralistic Networks, an educational and professional development company based in Oakland. B is also co-founder of Curiosity Craft, a company dedicated to helping families reclaim technology for shared discovery and learning rather than distraction. He has been drumming in punk bands his entire life. Some links from B:•⁠ ⁠B's philosophy newsletter: https://without-why.ghost.io-•⁠ ⁠The Dreyfus Skill Model Wikipedia page (written and cared for by B): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_model_of_skill_acquisition•⁠ ⁠B's scholarly writings: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=IUXiRcMAAAAJ&hl=en•⁠ ⁠B's start-up, Curiosity Craft: https://www.curiositycraft.ai/Waitlist•⁠ ⁠B's punk music: https://www.discogs.com/artist/2942613-B-Rouss

I had the incredible honor of delivering the commencement address to UC Berkeley Philosophy department's graduating class of 2024 during this time of momentous social upheaval. As an alumnus who studied under legendary professor Hubert Dreyfus, a pioneer in applying existential phenomenology to critique technology and "Artificial Intelligence" (AI), it was powerful to return and share reflections with these bright young minds. In my speech, I recounted how studying the work of Bertrand Russell and other great philosophers at Berkeley changed my life. Bert Dreyfus's courses in existentialism opened my eyes to how philosophy embodies everything from our skills to our cultural practices, inspiring me to switch my major and subsequently use film to explore the human condition. I shared stories from my philosophical journey putting theory into praxis - from studying flamenco in Spain, to making films examining monogamy and technology through an existential lens, to establishing a philosophy conference in Bombay Beach, on the shore of the Salton Sea. I explained how existential anxiety from the groundlessness of existence can transmute into awe and authenticity. Referencing the courageous student protests against injustice, militarism, and the violent suppression of Palestinian rights that have rocked campuses, I applauded the graduates for embodying philosophy's highest calling by questioning entrenched power structures and assumptions. Like the great philosophers before them, they must continue to challenge authority, respond authentically to circumstances, and take pride in being of no "value" to the status quo. Their critical thinking and reevaluation of values is urgently needed. I ended with an encouragement to creatively marry theory and praxis as modeled by philosophers like Dreyfus and Angela Davis, and to embrace the groundlessness of existence with wonder. Congratulations UC Berkeley Philosophy class of 2024 - go forth, be philosophers and change the world! Thank you to Alva Noe for the invitation, to Dulcinee DeGuere for help with editing both the speech and the video, to Patrick House for his deep insights, as well as to Mark Wrathall, Eric Kaplan, Aaron Bornstein and Iain Thomson for their suggestions.

"Filmmaker Tao Ruspoli and neuroscientist Dr. Patrick House engage in a wide-ranging discussion that explores the nature of truth, myth, and meaning. The conversation begins with an examination of the significance of the number 40 in various cultural and religious contexts, revealing how this seemingly arbitrary number has been imbued with profound meaning throughout history. Ruspoli and House delve into the power of storytelling, discussing how myths and folklore can shape our understanding of the world and ourselves, even when the stories themselves may not be factually accurate.The discussion then turns to the role of active and passive bearers of tradition, drawing fascinating parallels between the transmission of folklore and the spread of parasites in the natural world. Ruspoli shares personal anecdotes about his father's storytelling, while House offers insights from his research on mind-controlling parasites. The two explore the tension between the pursuit of factual accuracy and the value of "ecstatic truth," ultimately questioning the cultural and contextual nature of truth itself. Throughout the podcast, Ruspoli and House engage in a thought-provoking and often humorous dialogue that challenges listeners to reconsider their assumptions about the stories we tell and the truths we hold dear." -Claude

A tour of legendary, academy award winning production designer Dennis Gassner's home in the Hollywood hills. Dennis Gassner (born October 22, 1948) is an American-Canadian production designer. He is notable for his work on Bugsy, Big Fish, Into the Woods, and Blade Runner 2049, his collaborations with the Coen brothers and Sam Mendes, as well the James Bond films Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre, the latter two directed by Mendes. He has been nominated seven times for the Academy Award for Best Production Design, and has won once. Gassner was nominated for the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film for his work on Quantum of Solace, and won for his work on Skyfall.

A both very intimate and very expansive conversation with Dulcinee about creativity, addiction, mental health, technology, "artificial" "intelligence", politics, relationships, and more.

Poetry & Beats by Dulcinee DeGuere Piano and Synths by Tao Ruspoli The boundaries of your bias Trickle, trembling With a shudder that you deny Though it wraps you in a fog So taught your veins start to pop I’m trying to rupture something I can’t see But it dangles right in front of me Entangling my dreams with delusion And death The stench of which flirts, converts, and perverts The precious flames of what I thought I could be An animal A siren Anything other than this flesh How can I cauterize this wound This womb that pulses with fire, desire The dire necessity To rip skin from flesh And uncover what’s underneath But somehow, always We speak of other things Freedom, And the sun Because we’re scared of duration We’re just fucking impatient And no one taught me how to breathe Try, and try again Try, and try when Try, and try again Try, and try when Yucca Valley, California September 7, 2023

Tao and Dulcinee discuss the deals they've made with each other to successfully quit smoking, meditate, and drastically reduce phone time. They also discuss the nature of technology, art, artifacts, and how to remain human in a technological world.

Tao takes a walk with his friend Eric Kaplan, a TV writer (Futurama, Big Bang Theory, etc.) with a PhD in philosophy. They try to get to the bottom of what makes a good story and what makes a good storyteller. Yucca Valley July 13, 2023