Simply put, biomimicry is the practice of learning from nature, then applying and adapting its genius. Lily Urmann and AMM discuss how to get started in your biomimicry journey, including reconnecting with nature, emulating what we uncover there, and explaining why—more than ever—the practice of biomimicry is a superior design approach and absolutely crucial to solving our greatest, most complex challenges.

Dr. Valeria Pizarro is a coral scientist in the Bahamas. We discuss what makes coral so fascinating to study, the present impacts that ocean acidification and increasing temperature have on reefs, the changes that she has observed over the past 20+ years, and what role should humans have in assistive practices like micro-fragmenting and coral farming.

After releasing their single "You & I", Josh and AMM sit down to vent their frustrations with the ever-saturated world of independent musicians and discuss everything from sticking out beyond the noise to mastering your craft and playing the long game. There's also a special visitor in this episode!

AMM and Ethen discuss the future of biomechanical adaptations to expand the range of human perception (What if there are new flavors we’ve never tasted yet?!), and along the way discuss how these advancements would affect audio recording and studio engineering, the impact on fashion with accessories like tails and wings, and the ethical and corporate implications of personal data rights and interfacing human sight with marketing and ad technology. 

The conversation then shifts to professionalism in the music industry, second-hand embarrassment in your audience, a shout out to Ben VanderHart at Yellow Racket Records, what to do with feedback or suggestions from a producer or engineer, the importance of paying attention to the details as an artist, and sharing ideas about how to nurture the creative wave that is building in Chattanooga and how to steward the growth process without rewarding elitism. 

Jermaine and AMM discuss the dissolving boundaries between major label artists and indie musicians, labels treating you like they’re customizing a video game character, artists prioritizing image and appearance above their music, and cutting through the noise and saturation of the music market. Recorded via Zoom, April 7th, 2020.

AMM and Elizabeth Lawrensen discuss ethnomusicology (the study of music in its social and cultural contexts) and the connection between music and politics, as well as the brass tacks of songwriting and being an artist with something to say about the world.

Wrapping up Season 1, AMM and Katy Richardson inspect many topics under the light of "Have we gone too far?". Protein candy? "Be fruitful and multiply"? Plastic surgery?

The conversation shifts to discussing how far away modern society is from living in the natural cycles of the sun and moon (circadian and circalunar rhythms). From "astroturfing" to societal inertia, to developing a humanizing gaze, to the differences in male/female physiology driving gender roles, to asking "if you could bury one idea or piece of information so that it would be forgotten by future generations, what would it be?".

AMM continues his discussion of sex dolls equipped with artificial intelligence with Karisa Kaye, sex and family therapist: the psychology of sex, attachment theory, the body's physiological response to sexual partners versus toys, and the far-reaching impacts of AI sex dolls becoming a societal norm. How do these sex dolls assist or obstruct humanity's path towards wellness?