Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 29/09/2026I got a little angry on Techtonic, reflecting on Jensen Huang's admission that he sees AI-based cognitive decline in kids (and himself: he doesn't know his own address) and he's OK with it all. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 042
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 22/09/2026From the new Techtonic, @bourgwick.bsky.social on ticketing apps and live music. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 020
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 15/09/2026On the new Techtonic, @byrontau.bsky.social explains how US Border Patrol is using surveillance to pull over American citizens that are tagged "suspicious" by AI. The dystopia deepens. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 142
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 10/09/2026On the new Techtonic I play several examples of AI voices trying, and failing, to make sense. The clip of @kitboga.bsky.social's "Piggly Wiggly" incident (oink oink) is worth the price of admission. I recommend the full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 060
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 08/09/2026As the Chronogram newsletter put it: "Can a roller rink defeat Silicon Valley?" I hope so. More information on Gel: gelconference.com 010
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 01/09/2026On the new Techtonic, I discuss quantum computers and other quantum tech with physicist Paul Davies - starting with the incredible precision of quantum theory. It's impressive tech, but also worrying because it's in the hands of unethical Big Tech oligarchs. Full ep: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 060
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Today is the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn. Makes me think of the iOS game I released in 2015 - Brooklyn 1776 - allowing players to play through the battle as the Americans. (The game is dormant - still have the Unity files - it would be fun to bring back as a browser game.) 040
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Artist @bengrosser.bsky.social made poetry out of Zuck's unhinged manifesto. We spoke on Techtonic about "redaction poetry" and how AI is infecting people's minds. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 013
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 18/08/2026I interviewed @gilduran.com about his book "The Nerd Reich," covering the tech oligarchs who are trying to destroy democracy. (Plus a bonus mention of @carissaveliz.bsky.social ) Listen to the full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... Podcast version: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... 14629
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 11/08/2026An easy way to solve the problems with data centers: build them next door to the oligarchs' mansions. (Since, you know, the oligarchs love their data centers so much!) From my new techtonic.fm episode, called "Data center disasters." Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 3122
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 04/08/2026On the new Techtonic I spoke with novelist Judson Merrill about conspiracy theories, the theme of his book "Paranoid Storytelling." Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 020
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Uber, Doordash, and Grubhub have made billions by exploiting delivery workers: offering no benefits, stealing tips, and firing workers by algorithm. I visited Los Deliveristas Unidos to interview NYC delivery workers to about their experience. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 265
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 22/07/2026From @futurism.com we learn about a newly invented drone that, once in flight, is nearly invisible: futurism.com/robots-and-m... Below are three screenshots from the video. The drone is noisy. But in a crowded restaurant or other loud environment it would be hard to detect. Not good. 011
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Carissa Véliz joined me on Techtonic to discuss her new book "Prophecy." Full episode at techtonic.fm/episodes/202... Here's an excerpt. 031
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 20/07/2026It took about a year to read nine books, starting with the Iliad and Odyssey, and I kept running into Odysseus until the very end. My reading odyssey – with Odysseus: buttondown.com/creativegood... (Forgot to include a pic of the books - now included below!) 121
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 16/07/2026This is fine. (wildfire map from www.usatoday.com/story/news/w... ) 113
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 15/07/2026As I said on Techtonic: Watch what you say in a (Google) Waymo self-driving car, because you're being spied on. If Google doesn't like what it sees or hears, you could be delivered to the police. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... More Techtonic: techtonic.fm 1106
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 15/07/2026Meta/Facebook never changes. Announcing their "privacy protections" as they put a microphone in your home. Gift link: www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta... 076
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026New on Techtonic: Predatory edtech and addictive devices from Google & others have infiltrated public schools. A conversation with tech & ethics professor Nicholas Smyth. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 051
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 24/06/2026In my interview w/Gerry McGovern on Techtonic on @wfmu.bsky.social this week, we discussed the physical nature of the digital economy and the hypocrisy of "greenwashing." Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... More Techtonic: techtonic.fm 041
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Zuckerberg's new Ray-Ban surveillance glasses are an attempt to turn customers into a distributed surveillance engine, feeding spy data into Meta's AI servers. This + much more on the new Techtonic episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... Excerpt below. 060
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 09/06/2026On Techtonic, @davekarpf.bsky.social says that fighting data centers could help pop the AI bubble and save democracy. Whole conversation is worth listening to. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 0145
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 02/06/2026On the new Techtonic, Berkeley CS professor @beenwrekt.bsky.social describes why VALUES and COLLECTIVE DECISIONS should drive technology, not the other way around. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... More Techtonic: techtonic.fm 010
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 27/05/2026On Techtonic I talked with @quinnslobodian.com & @bentarnoff.com about their book "Muskism" - which describes (among other things) how Musk enriched himself with memes. See clip below. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 182
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 19/05/2026From me on Techtonic: the students booing Eric Schmidt give me hope. Full episode, answering the question "when it is OK to use AI?" techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 020
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 05/05/2026Great conversation on Techtonic with Julie Scelfo, founder of MAMA - Mothers Against Media Addiction. Share this episode with any parents you know! Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 000
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 29/04/20265/ Yes, we're literally putting out chairs and a stage on a roller rink. Our venue is Skate Time, a revitalized retro roller skating rink in Accord, New York. After speaker talks and in-person experiences, we're OF COURSE going to host a roller-skating party on Friday night. With a live band. 110
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 28/04/2026Really enjoyed speaking w/ @profferguson.bsky.social about his important book "Your Data Will Be Used Against You." All your emails, search engine queries, social media activity, Alexa and Ring spy data - all of it is exposed with a single warrant. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 0132
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 27/04/2026Yell the wrong thing at Madison Square Garden and they'll find you and identify you - in your seating area. From "The Shocking Secrets of Madison Square Garden’s Surveillance Machine" in Wired: www.wired.com/story/madiso... 061
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 22/04/2026From "What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat" by Noah Hawley: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202... 2155
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 21/04/2026I spoke with astronomer Samantha Lawler - @sundogplanets.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy - about how Elon Musk has proposed to burn up in the sky one truck-sized satellite *per hour*. Unclear what that will do to the atmosphere, but it's not good. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 032
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 18/04/2026gonna use this on every AI chat session now. (inspired by @rusty.todayintabs.com) "an air conditioner written in python" somehow works - 2333
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 14/04/2026I interviewed Cindy Cohn from @eff.org on Techtonic about her memoir "Privacy's Defender." Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... Cindy gave a great quote about the surveillance monopolists: 130
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 07/04/2026Excited to share my Techtonic interview w/ @evanselinger.bsky.social & @foxcahn.bsky.social about their book "Move Slow and Upgrade." Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... In the excerpt below, Evan describes how the tech oligarchs see themselves as world-historical geniuses: 032
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 31/03/2026*Good* news from our tech dystopia, on the latest Techtonic: Facebook lost two trials, & shut down the metaverse, & their "pervert glasses" are being shunned. PLUS I made a special audio segment on SF ruining NYC food delivery. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 240
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 24/03/2026Excited to share my Techtonic interview with @cyberlyra.bsky.social - aka Janet Vertesi - about WHY and HOW to get off of Big Tech, and onto community-minded alternatives. Full episode, with lots of tips about what platforms to switch to: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 095
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 17/03/2026Excited to share this Techtonic episode featuring my visit to Repair Cafe El Barrio: volunteers repairing items, and guests who are ecstatic with the results. This is how we'll beat the billionaires: building community. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 3177
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 10/03/2026From the new Techtonic, with Jesse Jarnow - aka @bourgwick.bsky.social - as we talked about how to properly dispose of surveillance phones. Please pledge to @wfmu.bsky.social to support my (volunteer) show: pledge.wfmu.org/donate?progr... Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 091
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 03/03/2026From my newest Techtonic, with @wfmu.bsky.social station manager Ken Freedman. This after I played the clip of Sam Altman talking about "training human beings." Please pledge to WFMU to support my (volunteer) show: pledge.wfmu.org/donate/TD Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 061
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 24/02/2026I'm celebrating 400 episodes of Techtonic - with handpicked excerpts of past interviews, featuring @merbroussard.bsky.social @jasonkoebler.bsky.social @writearthur.bsky.social @byrontau.bsky.social & more. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 082
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 17/02/2026New: I spoke w/ @hypervisible.blacksky.app on Techtonic about Amazon’s admission that Ring spies on us. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 1187
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 13/02/2026This is right. All the consciousness talk is designed to benefit the oligarchs, regardless of the answer. As I put it in yesterday's column, asking "is it sentient?" is a self-serving interpretation of AI: buttondown.com/creativegood... 063
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 10/02/2026New on Techtonic: I speak w/Peter Dear about the history of science - then explain that *how we interpret AI* is in the balance right now. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... More Techtonic: techtonic.fm 010
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 03/02/2026New from me: on Techtonic I talked about how AI is spreading where it doesn't belong... like Google in schools. Full episode + links for more reading: techtonic.fm/episodes/202... 061
Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 31/01/2026Kessler Syndrome described by Futurism: futurism.com/space/earths... Just as I warned about in 2024: buttondown.com/creativegood... 150