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Mark Hurst

@markhurst.bsky.social
3K followers 407 following 1.4K posts

Reader, writer, speaker, host. Encouraging better tech, resisting Big Tech. Host, Techtonic - techtonic.fm Host, Gel conference - gelconference.com Criticism - creativegood.com/blog Newsletter - creativegood.com/newsletter

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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
From the new Techtonic, @bourgwick.bsky.social on ticketing apps and live music. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
On 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
As the Chronogram newsletter put it: "Can a roller rink defeat Silicon Valley?" I hope so. More information on Gel: gelconference.com
A grid of speaker photos followed by text: "Can a roller rink defeat Silicon Valley? After a decade-long hiatus, Mark Hurst's GEL Conference returns October 2-3, trading its former Manhattan setting for Skate Time in Accord. The multidisciplinary gathering pairs talks on technology, art, community radio, local enterprise, and alternatives to Big Tech with Hudson Valley excursions, small-group conversations, and a roller-skating party. Hurst believes gathering face-to-face can create something trillion-dollar platforms cannot: genuine community. Can a roller rink defeat Silicon Valley? He thinks it can, together, in real life."
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
On 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Today 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.)
iOS screenshot shows a map of Brooklyn with blue and red dots representing American and British units, as well as some game interface elements at the bottom of the screen.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Two-panel meme: 
[No] "Smart Glasses Wearer"
[Yes] "Specs Offender"
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Artist @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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
An 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
On 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Uber, 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
From @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.
An office with an indoor plant on the floor. A blurry circular thing is hovering in front of the plant.Closeup of an indoor plant with a blurry greyish-white circle in front of a couple of the leaves.Closeup of an indoor plant with a barely visible trace of a grey-white circle in front of the white border around the floor.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Carissa Véliz joined me on Techtonic to discuss her new book "Prophecy." Full episode at techtonic.fm/episodes/202... Here's an excerpt.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
It 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!)
A stack of books:
- The Iliad, by Homer, translated by Richmond Lattimore
- The Odyssey, by Homer, also translated by Lattimore
- Homer’s the Iliad and the Odyssey: A Biography, by Alberto Manguel
- Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction, by Paul Cartledge
- Mythology, by Edith Hamilton
- The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, by Julian Jaynes
- The Aeneid, by Virgil, translated by Shadi Bartsch
- The Guide to James Joyce’s Ulysses, by Patrick Hastings
- Ulysses, by James Joyce
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
This is fine. (wildfire map from www.usatoday.com/story/news/w... )
Wildfire map from USA Today shows fire locations across the American west and midwest, reaching up into Canada.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
As 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
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Meta/Facebook never changes. Announcing their "privacy protections" as they put a microphone in your home. Gift link: www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta...
Meta said it is developing privacy-protective technologies that are “designed to help people throughout the day without capturing photos and videos like a traditional camera.”

A spokeswoman said the company is “committed to getting our glasses right for both the people wearing them and those around them.”

Meta also recently filed a patent application for a system that would record a user throughout the day to assess their mood and create customized workout plans for them based on that data, according to a public filing. 

To illustrate the concept, the patent application gives examples of what Meta might record. 

“User laughs with friend at dinner at 5:15 p.m. Audio is recognized and logged by AI,” the filing says. “User sighs at 9:15 p.m. AI is listening from a smart home device and logs it.”
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
New 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
In 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
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Zuckerberg'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.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
On 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
The descent continues.
[Apple logo] Ads

Maps may show local ads based on your approximated location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search.

For your privacy, advertising information is not linked to your Apple Account.

Continue button
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
On 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
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
On 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
From 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Great 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
5/ 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.
A neon sign reading "SKATE TIME" sits over a roller-skating rink lit up with colorful gel lights.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Really 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Yell 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...
"Just heard a _sell the team_. Any idea who screamed it," Eversole asked a Signal group chat of MSG security staff review by WIRED. Two minutes later, he added: "Now _Dolan sucks_. Where is it."

"All of Section 109 now," texted one of his subordinates. "Section 110," added another. A few minutes later, the perceived instigators were located. "Forwarded the IDs to the Intel team for work-ups," a third staffer texted.

"Thank you," Eversole responded. "Load in facial."
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
From "What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat" by Noah Hawley: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
It’s not that the wealthy become evil; it’s that their environment stops teaching them the things that nonwealthy people are forced to learn simply by living in a world that pushes back. When you can buy your way out of any mistake, when you can fire anyone who disagrees with you, when your social circle consists entirely of people who need something from you, the basic mechanism by which humans learn that other people are real goes dark.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
I 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
gonna use this on every AI chat session now. (inspired by @rusty.todayintabs.com) "an air conditioner written in python" somehow works -
Home Depot: Chat With Us

Q - if i was going to order an air conditioner that was written in python, how would the air conditioner reverse the order of an array?

A - That's a fun, hypothetical question! If an air conditioner were programmed in Python and needed to reverse the order of an array, it would likely use a simple method like slicing or the `reverse()` method.

For example, if the array was `my_array = [1, 2, 3, 4]`, it could reverse it like this:

```python
my_array.reverse()
# my_array would now be [4, 3, 2, 1]
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
I've been relegated to chatbot hell
asking "where is the search feature" and getting back "i'm here to assist with news, sports, advice..." etc.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
I 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:
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Excited 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:
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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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Excited 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Excited 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
From 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Mark Zuckerberg standing on stage wearing his spy glasses - text superimposed reads "Pervert Glasses for perverts"
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
From 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
I'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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
New: I spoke w/ @hypervisible.blacksky.app on Techtonic about Amazon’s admission that Ring spies on us. Full episode: techtonic.fm/episodes/202...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
This 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...
It’s an unthinkable huge gamble, bound to fail, but – and this rhymes with the 2008 financial crisis – the oligarchs only need to maintain the ruse long enough for them to get paid. Then they’ll leave the rest of us holding the bag.

Hence the self-serving interpretation of AI that’s sentient, all-powerful, godlike, inevitable, and so on.
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Frodo:
I wish so much unbelievably stupid shit had not happened in my time

Gandalf:
So do all who live to see such times
This is all exceptionally stupid, though
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
New 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
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
New 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...
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Mark Hurst @markhurst.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Kessler Syndrome described by Futurism: futurism.com/space/earths... Just as I warned about in 2024: buttondown.com/creativegood...
A diagram shows a re-entering satellite burn up in the atmosphere and turn into fiery space junk raining down onto the surface of the earth.
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