(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")In this episode, I talk to Dr. Sørina Higgins, a professor of English literature at Signum University. We discuss how speculative fiction can teach us to take care of our planet, both ecologically and societally.Authors and works discussed include: Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars, Octavia Butler's Kindred, Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, and superhero fiction. (**NO SPOILERS** for any works.)Real world topics discussed include: climate change, racial and economic justice, terraforming, space colonization, permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and small scale activism.Dr. Higgins also tells us about TexMoot 2022, a speculative fiction conference that is currently seeking submissions for papers and round table discussion prompts from the general public (not just academics). Check the link below!    LINKS:
TexMoot 2022: Call for Submissionshttp://texmoot.org/call-for-papers  
  
TexMoot 2022 general infohttps://signumuniversity.org/event/texmoot-2022/  
  Register for TexMoot 2022:https://registration.signumuniversity.org/events/texmoot-2022/  
  Signum Universityhttps://signumuniversity.org/  SorinaHiggins.comhttps://sorinahiggins.wordpress.com/  Daily Choiceshttps://sorinahiggins.wordpress.com/daily-choices/
  Sørina Higgins' author pagehttps://amzn.to/3rEDrEY      Sørina Higgins on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/SorinaHiggins
  
Signum University on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/SignumU
  
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(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")**No spoilers** for any of the works discussed in this episode.
LINKS:
Breaking Down: Collapse "Episode 70 - Pop Culture & Collapse"https://collapsepod.buzzsprout.com/1403161/9909499
 
"Climate science meets a stubborn obstacle: Students"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/us/education-climate-change-science-class-students.html
 
"Before and after 'The Day After Tomorrow': A U.S. study of climate change risk perception."https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/before-and-after-the-day-after-tomorrow/
 
"Cli-fi (climate fiction) on the big screen changes minds about real climate change"https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/08/world/climate-change-movies-eprise/index.html
 
"Michael Crichton on science and storytelling"https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2019/02/13/michael-crichton-on-science-and-storytelling/
 
"Sci-fi and Jurassic Park have driven research, scientists say"https://theconversation.com/sci-fi-and-jurassic-park-have-driven-research-scientists-say-42864
 
"Many paleontologists today are part of the 'Jurassic Park' generation"https://www.npr.org/2018/07/10/627782777/many-paleontologists-today-are-part-of-the-jurassic-park-generation
"The death of Bill Paxton reminds us that 'Twister' changed meteorology"https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2017/02/26/the-death-of-bill-paxton-reminds-us-that-twister-changed-meteorology/?sh=8d2d28e6b7e0
 
"25-Year Anniversary of Twister and Its Far-Reaching Impacts"https://okcfox.com/weather/fox-25-weather-wise/25-year-anniversary-of-twister-its-far-reaching-impacts#:~:text=Meteorology%20majors%20increased%20by%2010,and%20her%20team%20chase%20tornadoes
 
"How 'Twister' made metereology cool in Oklahoma and beyond"https://www.oklahoman.com/article/5499438/how-twister-made-meteorology-cool-in-oklahoma-and-beyond
 
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
Ko-Fihttps://ko-fi.com/popmythology
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(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")Since the very day of its release, Don’t Look Up has been spurring intense discussion and debate about its symbolic depiction of climate change as an existential threat, and the struggle of climate activists to get governments and people to mobilize and take action against it. In this episode, I explain why it is so difficult for people to understand the urgency of the threat, and what we must do to rectify this before it’s too late.
 
LINKS:
 
Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change, by George Marshall
https://amzn.to/3GaZqbJ
 
“At the End of the World, It’s Hyperobjects All the Way Down.”
https://www.wired.com/story/timothy-morton-hyperobjects-all-the-way-down/
 
Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World, by Timothy Morton
https://amzn.to/3teUyPf
 
Being Ecological, by Timothy Morton
https://amzn.to/3r1p38w
 
Please support this podcast to help make it sustainable: • Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/popmythology
 • Ko-fihttps://ko-fi.com/popmythology

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")We interview Dr. Althea Rizzo, Geological Hazards Program Coordinator, of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM), about WITHOUT WARNING! WILDFIRE, a comic book produced in partnership between OEM and Dark Horse Comics with the objective to help kids and teens get informed about, and prepared for, wildfires (and other hazards). 
WITHOUT WARNING! WILDFIRE is available for free at Dark Horse Digital, the website for the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, and on iOS and Android apps. It’s also available on Kindle, Comixology, Google Play and Apple Books. 
 
The first two comics in the series, Without Warning! Earthquake  and Without Warning! Tsunami are available online from the same sources as well. 
 
Support this podcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/popmythology
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/popmythology
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")In this episode, we talk to Muncie Central High School English teacher Katey O'Connor about teaching V FOR VENDETTA and how her students practiced civil disobedience when their class projects, which drew parallels between the book and real-life issues, were censored. We also discuss the wave of book banning and the hysteria over race, gender, and sexuality that's sweeping schools across the U.S. 
NOTE: In our opinion, there are no spoilers for 'V for Vendetta' in this episode. But out of an abundance of caution, here are 3 time marks where something is mentioned that *might* be perceived as micro-spoilers:
9:56 - 10:06
10:21 - 10:30
10:50 - 10:56
Even if you have only seen the 2005 film, there are absolutely no new spoilers for the book (or vice versa). 
 
LINKS:"School removes student project about fascism after cops complain"
https://www.vice.com/en/article/3abqp8/muncie-school-removes-student-project-about-fascism-after-cops-complain
 
"Police in schools continue to target Black, Brown, and Indigenous students with disabilities. The Trump administration has data that's likely to prove it."
https://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/police-in-schools-continue-to-target-black-brown-and-indigenous-students-with-disabilities-the-trump-administration-has-data-thats-likely-to-prove-it/
 
"Conservatives are just openly endorsing book burning now"
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/11/virginia-school-board-book-burning
 
"Texas House committee to investigate school districts' books on race and sexuality"
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/26/texas-school-books-race-sexuality/
"Let's talk about Muncie Central High and V for Vendetta..." by Beau of the Fifth Column (YouTube video mentioned by Katey O'Connor)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrHxTU-k47M&t=229s
 
Leah Moore's tweet about Alan Moore's statement
https://twitter.com/leahmoore/status/1462425010816040963
 
Student Voices (Muncie Central High School student activism page)https://www.facebook.com/MuncieStudentVoices/
Muncie students' BLM t-shirt fundraiser on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1617898138587004&id=100011005005621
 
Muncie students' BLM t-shirt fundraiser on Twitter
https://twitter.com/MrsBoudreau/status/1462645762404323329
(Or make a donation to Elayna Justice on Venmo at @elaynajustice )
 
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
http://cbldf.org/
 
"I understood the assignment" TikTok compilation (mentioned by Katey O'Connor)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Gy6yA1bvI
 
Katey O'Connor on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/katey.oconnor.3
 
Katey O'Connor on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/OConnorKatey
 
Support our Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/popmythology

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")Content Warnings: Extreme climate change, Ecological/societal collapse, Natural disasters, Hurricanes (loss of shelter, power), Past personal crises
 
Spoiler Warning: FOUNDATION S1 E1, “The Emperor’s Peace” (No spoilers before the 2:00 time mark and after the 6:00 time mark)
 
LINKS
 
Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos (the best single source to understand Deep Adaptation)
https://amzn.to/3qEJidu
 
"Deep adaptation: A map for navigating climate tragedy" (the paper mentioned in this episode)
https://www.lifeworth.com/deepadaptation.pdf
 
Article criticizing the Deep Adaptation paper & movement
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/faulty-science-doomism-and-flawed-conclusions-deep-adaptation/
 
Professor Jem Bendell’s response to the article above
https://jembendell.com/2020/07/15/letter-to-deep-adaptation-advocate-volunteers-about-misrepresentations-of-the-agenda-and-movement/
 
“To criticize Deep Adaptation, start here”
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/criticise-deep-adaptation-start-here/
 
Prof. Bendell’s general response to overall criticism
https://jembendell.com/2020/02/27/the-worst-argument-to-try-to-win-response-to-criticism-of-the-climate-science-in-deep-adaptation/
 
How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way That Makes a Difference, by Dr. Rebecca Huntley
https://amzn.to/3cuCo2i
 
"Does hope inspire more action on climate action than fear? We don't know"
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/12/5/16732772/emotion-climate-change-communication
 
“Does anticipating the possibility of collapse motivate prosocial behaviors?”
http://iflas.blogspot.com/2020/06/does-anticipating-societal-collapse.html
“Climate science and collapse: Warnings lost in the wind”
https://jembendell.com/2020/06/15/climate-science-and-collapse-warnings-lost-in-the-wind/
 
International Scholars Warning on Societal Disruption & Collapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0frHoqXLB0&list=WL&index=93
 
Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet by Dr. Tom Murphy
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9js5291m
 
Do the Math (Dr. Tom Murphy’s blog)
https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/
 
"Society could collapse in a decade, predicts math historian" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/peter-turchin-cliodynamics-society-collapse_n_586f1e22e4b02b5f85882988
 
Ages of Discord: A Structural-Demographic Analysis of American History, by Dr. Peter Turchin
https://amzn.to/3HFODre
 
Curated playlist of all podcasts/interviews mentioned in episode
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1c8KrxJi9hTDLzWHPdyvlF?si=a111ffcd6d7546a0
 
Support our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/popmythology
 

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")In this episode, we use DUNE to springboard into a discussion about the growing crisis of water scarcity in the face of climate change and what we can do about it. 
  LINKS:
All of Earth's water in a single spherehttps://www.usgs.gov/media/images/all-earths-water-a-single-sphere
Mapping the strain on our waterhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/08/06/mapping-strain-our-water/
10 violent water conflictshttps://reliefweb.int/report/world/editor-s-pick-10-violent-water-conflicts
Interstate water wars are heating up with the climatehttps://theconversation.com/interstate-water-wars-are-heating-up-along-with-the-climate-159092
Collapse by Jared Diamondhttps://amzn.to/3bUlREz
This Mayan city died out after poisoning its own water. Our cities could be next.https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/.premium-death-knell-for-mayan-city-inadvertently-poisoned-its-own-water-supply-1.8953324
The End of Abundance by David Zetlandhttps://amzn.to/3C06aGr
What About Water? with Jay Famigliettihttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-about-water-with-jay-famiglietti/id1485919205
Curated podcast playlist re: water scarcity & water conflicthttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Mstq0W7Lq6Weob2xH01qT?si=c2b4e45253204e71&nd=1
Support our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/popmythology

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")This "episode zero" describes what this podcast will be about and its origin story. It also clarifies certain terminology and concepts that are often used vaguely and misunderstood.LINKS:
How do you know when a society is about to fall apart? - NY Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/magazine/societal-collapse.html
Are we on the road to civilization collapse? - BBChttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190218-are-we-on-the-road-to-civilisation-collapse
 
Society is right on track for a global collapse, new study of 1970s report finds - Live Sciencehttps://www.livescience.com/collapse-human-society-limits-to-growth.html 
Are we witnessing the fall of the United States? - The Weekhttps://theweek.com/articles/958509/are-witnessing-fall-united-states 
Interview with John Michael Greer - Breaking Down: Collapse (podcast)https://collapsepod.buzzsprout.com/1403161/7916929-episode-22-interview-with-john-michael-greer
Support our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/popmythology