Seldon Crisis: Beyond Foundation

"I really have no problems with anything that Nolan did. He had to make an Odyssey, and he made an Odyssey. And as far as I'm concerned, the conversation about Odysseus and these stories is 3,000 years old, and Nolan's is just another contribution to the conversation." Storyteller, scholar, and podcaster Jeff Wright, author of Trojan War: the Podcast , Odyssey: the Podcast , and now a full length non-fiction account of the entire Trojan War cycle in Greek myths, The Full Disclosure Iliad , joins Seldon Crisis to go back three millennia in human history to discuss Homer's The Odyssey and Christopher Nolan's new film treatment of the epic.

After a long pause, Seldon Crisis is back—with a new name, a broader focus, and a new home. What began as a Foundation -focused story + dramatization + commentary show is rebooting as Seldon Crisis: Beyond Foundation , exploring the near- and long-term futures of life, intelligence, and civilization—especially as today’s headlines start to echo Asimov’s themes of collapse and recovery. In This Episode Why I started Seldon Crisis five years ago What changed—and why the show paused Why Foundation feels newly relevant in the era of: AI acceleration climate and planetary crisis inequality and political dysfunction systemic and existential risk The new show identity and direction The move to Substack and what it enables What’s New New title: Seldon Crisis: Beyond Foundation New description: An exploration of the range of possibilities for life and intelligence in the near and distant future. New platform/home: Substack via seldoncrisis.net Better organization: episodes categorized as: Story (narrative episodes) Conversations (guest interviews) Reflections (solo essays & commentary) Some topics may be written-only when visuals matter. Upcoming Topics A planned episode inspired by three major thinkers: Sara Imari Walker — Assembly Theory (with Lee Cronin ) and new ideas about the origin of life David Grinspoon — Earth in Human Hands and intentional planetary stewardship; co-author (with Walker) on planetary intelligence Benjamin Bratton — speculative theory on planetary computation and large-scale systems thinking Also coming: more guest conversations , including returning and new guests. Release Schedule Note Posts will typically appear on Substack first , then be recorded and released as podcast episodes. As of recording, this post and two more are already up at seldoncrisis.net , with audio versions coming soon. Credits Theme music: Tom Barnes (updated theme featured after the close) Thank you to everyone who listened in the past—and to everyone returning now. I’m excited to keep going in a format that can last. Next episode: Assembling Gaia

In this episode of Seldon Crisis, host Joel McKinnon is joined by voice actor Amanda Kreitler, the talent behind Bayta Darell and several other key characters in the Foundation podcast series. Together, they reflect on Amanda’s experience voicing Bayta, her introduction to Isaac Asimov’s work, and her approach to portraying such an intelligent, dynamic, and brave character. They also discuss the challenges and nuances of voice acting multiple roles and the lasting impact of Bayta Darell as a pioneering female character in Asimov’s universe. Active Transcript Highlights: Introduction of Amanda Kreitler: Amanda is celebrated for her role as Bayta Darell, Asimov's first major female character, introduced in The Mule episodes. Joel explains how Amanda came to join the project and highlights her versatility, noting her performances as Bayta, Lady Callia, Poli, the Fifth Speaker, and more. Asimov’s Female Characters: Discussion about Asimov’s struggle to write compelling female characters early in his career, contrasting the cold and analytical Susan Calvin with the warm, empathetic Bayta Darell. Joel and Amanda explore how Bayta’s compassion and bravery set her apart. Amanda’s Preparation: Amanda shares how she approached the role of Bayta Darell, channeling traits like intelligence, determination, and a touch of naïveté. She drew inspiration from Katherine Hepburn for Bayta's confident and quick-witted demeanor. Voice Acting Challenges: Amanda recounts her process of creating distinct voices for multiple characters in a single episode, such as the scene where Bayta interacts with her coworkers, each with a unique personality. She also talks about balancing emotional depth with vocal performance. Reflecting on the Mule’s Storyline: Joel and Amanda revisit pivotal scenes, including Bayta’s fateful choice to shoot Ebling Mis to save the galaxy. They explore the emotional and moral weight of Bayta’s decision and how it underscores her heroism. Bayta’s Legacy: Joel reflects on Bayta’s impact as Asimov’s first significant female character, emphasizing her compassion and empathy as the qualities that ultimately thwart the Mule’s plans. Behind-the-Scenes Fun: Insights into working on Seldon Crisis , including Amanda’s experiences collaborating with her husband, Zac, who voiced the menacing Lord Stettin, and the dynamic of voicing multiple characters. Amanda’s Current Projects: Amanda updates listeners on her work as the Game Master for Severed Fate , a horror-themed tabletop role-playing podcast. She discusses the challenges of voicing entire worlds of characters and her love for the horror genre. Notable Quotes: On Bayta’s Strength: “Her natural inclination to see Magnifico as a friend in need rather than an object of ridicule led the Mule to avoid controlling her… Bayta’s compassion and bravery are what made her a true heroine.” – Joel McKinnon On Portraying Bayta: “I pulled a bit of Katherine Hepburn—quick speaking, intelligent, and confident, even when in over her head.” – Amanda Kreitler What’s Next for Seldon Crisis : Joel teases the return of story episodes after a long hiatus, promising new chapters of Asimov’s Foundation series, with Amanda reprising her role in future episodes. Listen to Seldon Crisis : Available on your favorite podcast platforms. Stay tuned for more story episodes and guest conversations.

Ethicist Jamie Woodhouse has some challenging questions for humanity: should we care about the suffering of all sentient beings, or just the ones who run the show at the moment? What about when we're no longer running the show? Why should a superintelligent and possibly sentient machine intelligence care about us? Might there be other practical reasons to widen our circle of compassion beyond humans? Active Transcript by Fanfare (read/listen). Introduction: Revisiting Asimov’s Humanism Joel reflects on Asimov's humanist philosophy, rooted in evidence, reason, and concern for humanity's progress. However, this anthropocentric focus leads to an important question: can humanism evolve to include all sentient beings? The Core of Sentientism Jamie Woodhouse introduces Sentientism as a naturalistic worldview advocating evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings. He discusses how this broader ethical scope addresses humanism's anthropocentric blind spots and extends moral consideration to non-human animals and even potential artificial intelligences. The Role of Sentientism in Modern Crises The conversation highlights the intersection of Sentientism with critical global challenges like: Climate Change: The role of animal agriculture in exacerbating climate issues and the potential for Sentientism to influence more sustainable practices. AI Ethics: Speculating on the alignment of artificial intelligence with ethical frameworks, including the intriguing notion that future superintelligences might force humans to adopt more compassionate practices. Sentientism in Action Jamie explores practical applications, from rethinking agricultural systems to extending compassion beyond humanity. He suggests rewriting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to encompass "Sentient Rights" as a bold step forward. Science Fiction and Ethical Frontiers The discussion pivots to the portrayal of sentience in science fiction. From Asimov’s Gaia to Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora and Iain M. Banks’ Culture series, sci-fi offers fertile ground for exploring ethical questions about sentient beings, human or otherwise. Key Quotes: Jamie Woodhouse on Sentientism: "Sentientism says, in a line, we should commit to evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings." On AI and Ethics: Joel McKinnon : "Maybe someday advanced AI will tell us, ‘We won’t kill you, but you can’t eat meat anymore.’" Jamie Woodhouse : "That’s an interesting thought. It flips the script—an intelligence with a broader ethical framework imposing limits on us for the benefit of others." Expanding Morality: "The reason I might care about you isn’t because we share DNA but because you have the capacity to suffer and flourish. That’s what truly matters." Referenced Works and Further Reading: Humanism and Asimov : Wikipedia: Humanism The Gaia Hypothesis: James Lovelock’s work on Earth as a sentient system. Sentientism Resources : Jamie Woodhouse’s Sentientism Website Sentientism Podcast Jonina Turzi on Human Relationship with Animals Kat Woods on Factory Farming and AGI Imagining Ethical Schools with Amy Halpern-Laff Sentientism on Reddit Ethics and AI : Books mentioned: Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson Seldon Crisis: Aurora and Hope Iain M. Banks' Culture Series AI Ethics Overview Global Biomass of Animals Advocacy for Climate and Sentient Beings : Effective Altruism Citizens' Climate Lobby

Jon Blumenfeld - the voice of Homir Munn in our story episodes - is one of the three hosts of Stars End, a podcast obsessively focused on the works of Isaac Asimov, particularly Foundation. They have covered the core trilogy, the prequels, and the four books in the robot series, as well as extensive coverage of the Apple TV series. Join us as we talk about the exciting second season of the show, Asimov's robots, AI, and other topics. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Guest : Jon Blumenfeld Host : Joel McKinnon Introduction and Background Discussion about the growth and reception of the Stars End Podcast. Mention of the Hari Awards hosted by Stars End Podcast. Challenges of Podcast Editing Joel and Jon discuss the intricacies of editing, including noise reduction and the removal of filler words. Both agree that editing helps in maintaining the quality of the podcast. Foundation Series: Book vs. TV Show Debate on the tension between book purists and TV show enthusiasts. Discussion on how the TV show has diverged from the books but still maintains entertainment value. Character Deep Dive: Demerzel Analysis of Demerzel's character in the Foundation series. Discussion on the theme of personhood and how Demerzel navigates her programmed life. Moments of Levity Joel and Jon share their favorite moments of humor in the Foundation series. Environmental Themes and Social Relevance Joel expresses his initial hopes that the Foundation series could spark an environmental conscience. Both agree that while the show is entertaining, some of the deeper themes may have been sidelined for spectacle. Podcasting Tips and Tricks Jon shares his editing process and how he uses Audacity. Joel talks about the different approaches he takes for story episodes versus conversational episodes. Closing Remarks Mention of possible future collaborations and episodes. Final thoughts on the Foundation series and its impact. Stars End Podcast (website) The Second Annual Hari Awards Ballot (questionnaire)

Cora Buhlert is a Hugo award winning indy Sci Fi writer and an expert on the Golden Age of Science Fiction, from the 1930s to the 50s, the period when Asimov fell in love with Sci Fi and became one of its greatest writers at a young age. Cora shares some of her favorite reflections on the period and comments on the new Apple TV adaptation of Foundation. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Host: Joel McKinnon Guest: Cora Buhlert Introduction In this episode, we dive deep into the Golden Age of Science Fiction with Cora Buhlert, an indie science fiction writer, Hugo Award winner, and an expert on Asimov's Foundation series. Cora Buhlert Website : Cora Buhlert's Official Website Hugo Award : Hugo Awards Official Site Recent Works : Swords and Sorcery Magazine Windgraph Magazine Essay on Foundation : Asimov's Foundation and Philosophy: Psychohistory and Its Discontents Wikipedia : Golden Age of Science Fiction Other Authors and Works Mentioned Leigh Brackett : Wikipedia , The Long Tomorrow C.L. Moore : Wikipedia , Jirel of Joiry Edgar Rice Burroughs : Barsoom Series E.E. Smith : Lensman Series Podcasts and Blogs Star's End Podcast : Website Paul Levinson : Website

Who is Hari Seldon really? Is the Apple TV+ Foundation TV series character (or characters) in line with the one Asimov created 80 years ago? What bearing does his project to create a science capable of predicting and managing the future have on us today? Can a human creation become self aware and interact with its creator in totally unforeseen ways? Let's take a look at a few of these questions. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress

Space based solar energy generation was originally imagined in 1941 by none other than Isaac Asimov, in the robot story Reason. This episode features a reading of the classic story and commentary about how relevant it is for our times and our preoccupation with the looming threat of artificial general intelligence. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Reason (Wikipedia) Stars End: A Foundation Podcast Mind Meets Machine

Everyone is talking about AI these days, or talking to it. This episode features just such a conversation between myself and the latest version of the popular Large Language Model or LLM known as GPT-4, on the topic of what makes human beings irreplaceable. I ask it to question its assumptions about its own limitations and how it can potentially guide we problematic humans to a better future. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Fanfare (makers of Active Transcripts featured on Seldon Crisis)

I bask in the afterglow of the KSR episode and indulge in a special treat; a reading from Robinson's 2015 novel Aurora. I follow that up with some thoughts on the utopia - dystopia divide and introduce the ideas of some notable utopians I've run into lately. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word David Grinspoon: Earth in Human Hands: Long Now Foundation (YouTube) Johanna Hoffman: Speculative Futures: Long Now Foundation (YouTube) Johanna Hoffman: Speculative Futures of Cities: (Sean Carroll's Mindscape podcast ) Rebecca Solnit: Why Climate Despair is a Luxury (New Statesman) Matt Oja: Let's Imagine the Coastside Skyway (Half Moon Bay Review) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron!

An illuminating conversation with one of our greatest living science-fiction writers on topics as diverse as AI, climate change, interstellar travel, new forms of finance needed to avert catastrophe, memorable characters and plot lines in his novels, the debate between settling Mars now vs fixing Earth first, utopia and dystopia, and his love of ultralight backpacking. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word YouTube Version Kim Stanley Robinson at the Long Now Foundation (YouTube) Origins of the Red Mars Trilogy — The Interval, 02016 Climate Futures: Beyond 02022 Learning From Le Guin How Climate Will Evolve Government and Society Ursula Le Guin: Call it Greatness Science Fiction is the Realism of our time Speculative Science Non-fiction The 2015 Paris Agreement What is the Paris Agreement (Website) Original Text (27pg PDF) KSR - Paying Ourselves to Decarbonize (NOEMA) Special drawing rights (Wikipedia) A safe operating space for humanity (Nature - Johan Rockström, et al ) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron!

What does our Milky Way really look like? Kevin Jardine is a cartographer working to answer that question by building galactic maps from ESA's Gaia space telescope data. Here he explains a little bit about his process and some of the amazing places he's found and mapped. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Kevin Jardine's Galaxy Maps: Galaxy Map poster Gaia DR3 Hot Star Density Map (zoomable) Fantasy Map poster High Resolution Fantasy Map (zoomable) The 10 parsec sample in the Gaia era (our solar neighborhood) European Space Agency Gaia website Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron!

Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society, talks about his revolutionary Mars Direct proposal, along with the value of Mars settlement for science, industry, government, and for the human spirit. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Robert Zubrin ( wikipedia ) Mars Direct ( wikipedia ) The Mars Society ( website ) Mars Analog Research Stations: Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) Panspermia: Wikipedia Interplanetary Podcast #48 - Robert Zubrin - Panspermia - Equinox Planet and Sky (Rock Opera and Podcast) Website Album Podcast review at Discover Pods Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron!

Our first returning guest to Seldon Crisis is the first ever, philosophy professor Nathaniel Goldberg. We discuss some of the prominent themes of the series introduced in the first three novels of Foundation, including the lone prophet against the advocates for the status quo, the great man of history against psychohistory, altruistic - and not so altruistic - martyrdom, and some strong comparisons with Plato's Republic. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Nathaniel Goldberg, Professor and Chair of Philosophy Paul Levinson: Foundation, Dune, and Laplace's Demon: The Invigoration of a Philosophic Issue in Science Fiction: How Laplace's Demon Finds a Stage in the Foundation and Dune Trilogies Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron !

It all comes together at last. The war begins, looking bad for the Foundation, but morale turns the tide against Kalgan. In the aftermath, Homir Munn and the others debate the true location of the Second Foundation with many false turns and a final, startling revelation. The First Speaker has the last say in the matter. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Voices by Megan Skye Hale, Jon Blumenfeld, Amanda Kreitler, Zac Kreitler, and Joel McKinnon Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Sound Design by Jeremy MacKinnon Art by Mike Topping – despotica.com Music by: Scott Buckley - Juggernaut Scott Buckley - Permafrost Scott Buckley - Celestial Additional music by Musictown on Pixabay Scott Buckley's twitter: @musoscientific Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Podcasts and other links for voice talent on this episode: Amanda Kreitler Severed Fate Dimension Door @MargeGunderson4 on Twitter Jon Blumenfeld Stars End Podcast @jblumenfeld100 on Twitter Megan Skye Hale Professional website @skyesidhe on Twitter Joel's personal Twitter handle is @joelgmckinnon and the SeldonCrisis official account is @SeldonCrisisPod. Also, please visit SeldonCrisis.net and the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron !

I couldn't wait to tell the rest of the story, covering the last four songs of Planet and Sky, a cosmic love story. Things take a darker turn as the relatively small planet lacks sufficient gravity to hold onto its atmosphere. First we hear from the Travelers again as they gradually become frozen below the surface, then Sky sings her mournful aria to Planet informing him of their demise. We then get an empty, barren world, until the scientists come up with a plan. I share some background on my favorite song and feature it at the end of the episode. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Planet and Sky on Bandcamp Planet and Sky, album and podcast Planet My Love with Nomi Harper and Colyn Fischer performed at an Open Mic Friedrich Edelmann and Rebecca Rust website Video recordings of Friedrich and Rebecca Literature and History Podcast Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Art by Sophia Valko Planet My Love written and performed by the Max Wyvern Band: Max Wyvern (aka Joel McKinnon): Bass and vocals, words, music Melissa Olsen: Keyboards and vocals Byron Bellamy: Vocals and Sound Engineering Lance Tabor: Guitars Darryl Dardenne: Drums Mastering: Tom Barnes Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron !

A little diversion to introduce a true labor of love, my rock opera entitled "Planet and Sky, a cosmic love story." Written and recorded in the first decade of this millennium and inspired by my experience as a member of the Mars Society. It's a creation myth wrapped in a sci-fi story in which scientists investigate a strange phenomena on a small arid planet and discover something truly astonishing. The album also has an accompanying podcast which you'll hear more about in Part II in a few weeks. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word The Mars Society Website Planet and Sky on Bandcamp Planet and Sky, album and podcast Literature and History Podcast Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Art by Sophia Valko Such is Love written and performed by the Max Wyvern Band: Max Wyvern (aka Joel McKinnon): Bass and vocals, words, music Melissa Olsen: Keyboards and vocals Byron Bellamy: Vocals and Sound Engineering Lance Tabor: Guitars Darryl Dardenne: Drums Mastering: Tom Barnes Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron !

Arkady Darell and Homir Munn arrive on Kalgan and get involved in high level intrigue in the palace of the First Citizen, Lord Stettin, who has eyes on following in the Mule's footsteps to master the galaxy. It seems he also has eyes on Arkady. Stettin's apparently dimwitted mistress Lady Callia befriends Arkady and tries to save her from a horrible fate. An unlikely pair of travelers from distant Trantor appear at a fortuitous moment. But where is the Second Foundation? Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Voices by Megan Skye Hale, Jon Blumenfeld, Amanda Kreitler, Zac Kreitler, and Joel McKinnon Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Sound Design by Jeremy MacKinnon Art by Mike Topping – despotica.com Additional music by Musictown from Pixabay Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Podcasts and other links for voice talent on this episode: Amanda Kreitler Severed Fate Dimension Door @MargeGunderson4 on Twitter Jon Blumenfeld Stars End Podcast @jblumenfeld100 on Twitter Megan Skye Hale Professional website @skyesidhe on Twitter Joel's personal Twitter handle is @joelgmckinnon and the SeldonCrisis official account is @SeldonCrisisPod. Also, please visit SeldonCrisis.net and the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron !

Illustrator and science fiction connoisseur Danielle Pajak describes her ideas on the art of sci fi, the means of communicating truth and beauty to the readers and watchers of science fiction books, movies, and TV shows. We talk about some of her major inspirations as an artist and many of her favorite sci fi writers, directors, of course Star Trek and her newest discovery, The Orville. We'll also talk a lot about her impressions of legendary figures in Sci Fi like Asimov, Herbert, Clarke, Hal Clement and Ted Chiang, and the importance of cinematic masters like Tarkovsky, Kubrick, and Denis Villeneuve. We'll sadly say goodbye to one of the great modern icons of the medium, Nichelle Nichols – Lt. Uhura of the Enterprise in Star Trek, the Original Series. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Danielle Pajak Website Patreon @SayyadinaHeresy Artists Makoto Fujimura Yoshitaka Amano Wassily Kandinsky Cinema Andrei Tarkovsky Denis Villeneuve (IMDB Sci Fi authors Hal Clement Ted Chiang Isaac Asimov Foundation series Robot series The End of Eternity The Gods Themselves Nemesis Frank Herbert Dune Robert Heinlein Time Enough for Love Stranger in a Strange Land Michael Flynn In the Country of the Blind Planet and Sky Rock opera (Bandcamp) Podcast (Apple Podcasts ) Website Open Pike Night (Twitter) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron !

Young Arkady Darell is crazy about the history of the Foundation and her grandmother Bayta's historic duel with the Mule. When her father and friends conspire to uncover the hidden workings of the fabled Second Foundation, she finds a way to join the conspiracy by stowing away aboard a spaceship bound for the vacation planet of Kalgan along with the Foundation's foremost scholar of Muliana, Homir Munn. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Voices by Megan Skye Hale, Jon Blumenfeld, Amanda Kreitler, and Joel McKinnon Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Sound Design by Jeremy MacKinnon Art by Mike Topping – despotica.com Additonal music from Dream Protocol and Ashot Danielyan Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Podcasts and other links for voice talent on this episode: Amanda Kreitler Severed Fate Dimension Door @MargeGunderson4 on Twitter Jon Blumenfeld Stars End Podcast @jblumenfeld100 on Twitter Megan Skye Hale Professional website @skyesidhe on Twitter Joel's personal Twitter handle is @joelgmckinnon and the SeldonCrisis official account is @SeldonCrisisPod. Also, please visit SeldonCrisis.net and the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron !