The Funny Thing about Intelligence and Power

The Funny Thing about Intelligence and Power We have spent centuries treating cognitive ability as a sacrament, using it to justify hierarchies and decide who deserves a seat at the table. But as intelligence becomes a commodity, the foundations of that power are shifting. This episode explores what happens when we stop performing expertise and start prioritizing presence. Key Reflections The End of the Intelligence Cult: For generations, we used degrees and abstract thought as measures of hu

Dr. Stephanie Bennett is a professor of communication and media ecology at Palm Beach Atlantic University. For over two decades, she has explored the "invisible architecture" of our digital lives. A fellow traveler in the tradition of Neil Postman, Dr. Bennett’s work examines how our technological environment shapes the soul. She is the author of several books, including Silence, Civility, and Sanity: Hope for Humanity in a Digital Age and her newest release, Relationships on the Run. Key Discu

Episode Summary: In this episode, we move beyond the common debate of whether technology is "good" or "bad" to explore a more fundamental reality: technology is no longer just a tool we pick up; it is the environment we inhabit. Drawing on the prophetic work of French sociologist Jacques Ellul, Bob explores how we have migrated from a natural wilderness defined by seasons and storms to a "silicon wilderness" defined by algorithms and efficiency. We look at the anxiety of the disconnected screen

In this episode of The Human Voice, Bob Hutchins sits down with Baratunde Thurston—Emmy-nominated host, writer, comedian, and creator of the podcast Life With Machines. From his roots in Washington, D.C., shaped by a mother who was a computer programmer and activist, through Harvard philosophy and a decade of stand-up, Baratunde has built a career at the intersection of culture, technology, and storytelling. Their conversation ranges from the everyday signals of progress—like coffee shop Wi-Fi

Or find me on LinkedIn → Let’s keep asking better questions. —Bob Hutchins

In this thought-provoking episode, Bob Hutchins explores a radical possibility: that we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of humanity's 500-year relationship with the written word. Drawing from media theorists Walter Ong and Harold Innis, Bob examines how generative AI might fundamentally transform not just how we communicate, but how we think and connect as human beings. Since Gutenberg's printing press, we've been compressing the entirety of human experience into alphabetic symbols—a