Failed Utopia

Failed Utopia

This is a podcast about utopian ideas and paradise lost. We look at utopian concepts from the past, present and future, as well as utopian societies and communes, which promise the world to eager followers but inevitably fail when it all starts to unravel. Some of these utopias just fall apart, while others devolve into true horrors and even brutal cults. I’ll break down what these groups’ leaders were thinking, what attracted their devotees in the first place, and how it all went wrong.

Episodes

February 28, 2023 15 mins

Over twenty years ago, Dubai began constructing the world's largest artificial archipelago of islands, designed to be a lavish oasis for the super-rich. Today, the islands stand mostly empty and some are sinking back into the sea, but the developers and government of Dubai refuse to give up on the mind boggling mega-project. Let me tell you about this astonishing feat of engineering, how it did work--kind of, but also hasn’t pa...

Mark as Played

Why most New Year’s resolutions fail, the Babylonians and Romans, putting our hands on a peacock, setting and getting goals, habit formation, motivation vs. discipline, believing you deserve to have what you want, and what procrastination really is (you’re not lazy).

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741

Domestic Violenc...

Mark as Played

The Theranos saga continues. Updates on Elizabeth Holmes' sentencing and Sunny Balwani's trial and verdict.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

Theranos Full Explainer: https://failedutopia.com/theranos/

Holmes Trial & Verdict Updates:

YouTube https://youtu.be/P9xR6jn84kU

Audio only https://failedutopia.com/theranos-update/

Written and produced by Anna Roberts

Burning palm tree artwork b...

Mark as Played
November 22, 2022 28 mins

Colonialism and utopianism, as Thomas More coined the term, have been linked since the early sixteenth century when European explorers began taking stock of newly accessible lands that would later become colonies. Colonists had the expectation of achieving a much better life by settling in "new" lands, while producing a dystopia for the original inhabitants. Optimistic colonists didn’t always find what they expected, but fo...

Mark as Played

Let’s talk about an environmental catastrophe that turned a tourism and wildlife paradise into a toxic wasteland. This is something that we’re starting to see happening all over the world and that’s only going to become more of a problem in the future thanks to climate change. 

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Mark as Played
October 25, 2022 38 mins

The Church of Love: Chonda-Za, Love Angels, lonely hearts, and a whole lot of questionable love letters. Plus, self-delusion and seeing things for what they are.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741

Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233

VictimConnect, a referral helpline for victims of crime: 1-855-484-2846

For veter...

Mark as Played
October 11, 2022 30 mins

In Part 2, hopefully we’re gonna have a little more fun talking not about techno-utopia, but actual physical utopian communes based around the love of crypto. Cryptoland, Cryptopia, Satoshi Island, Bitcoin Beach, Bitcoin City, and actually, the entire country of El Salvador.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

Mark as Played
September 27, 2022 30 mins

Cryptocurrency is one of the most buzzy techno-utopian ideas out there. Is it really a disruptive technology of the future? Or a bunch of esoteric, elitist, crypto-bro BS? Even a scam? Let's talk about what crypto is and what it's good for... or not.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

Mark as Played
September 13, 2022 20 mins

The Farm was once the largest hippie commune in U.S. history, and it still exists today albeit in a somewhat different form.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

Written and produced by Anna Roberts

Burning palm tree artwo...

Mark as Played
August 30, 2022 31 mins

A spiritual Indian utopia that’s over 50 years old, but still very much a work in progress.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Written and produced by Anna Roberts

Burning palm tr...

Mark as Played
August 16, 2022 31 mins

On this episode, the fascinating story of Biosphere 2, the largest closed ecological system ever created… or, how eight people went nuts and almost starved in a vivarium for humans.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources


Written and produced by Anna Roberts

Burning palm tree artwork by Perry...

Mark as Played
March 15, 2022 28 mins

The Helicon Home Colony was the brainchild of the renowned author and muckraking journalist Upton Sinclair. It lasted less than 6 months and went down in a literal blaze. "We stood in the snow and watched our beautiful utopia flame and roar, until it crashed in and died away to a dull glow."

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

Mark as Played

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/P9xR6jn84kU

Updates on the verdict in the trial of former Theranos founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, including charges, sentencing, appeal, Ramesh Sunny Balwani's upcoming trial on the same charges, and more.

Full Theranos explainer episode: https://failedutopia.com/theranos/

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-...

Mark as Played
December 21, 2021 11 mins

In this replay from 2020, find out about the secretive alternative community that only gets talked about once a year.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741

Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233

VictimConnect, a referral helpline for victims of crime: 1-855-484-2846

For veterans, Make The Connection


Writt...

Mark as Played
December 14, 2021 21 mins

Picture a chain of tropical islands with white sand beaches, turquoise blue waters, breathtaking sunsets, palm trees swaying in a tropical breeze, and a culturally rich population of native people fishing the bountiful waters of their homeland as they have for generations. Sounds pretty ideal, right? Maybe even the closest we’ve ever gotten to an actual utopia. But there are a couple of problems.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed...

Mark as Played
November 23, 2021 29 mins

Today, Elizabeth Holmes testifies in her own defense in a trial for criminal charges stemming from the collapse of the company she infamously founded, Theranos. The startup claiming to revolutionize the medical industry, and at one point valued at $9 billion, went down in a blaze of allegations of fraud as one of the worst disasters in Silicon Valley history. What went wrong?

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links...

Mark as Played
November 16, 2021 14 mins

VIDEO VERSION on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZYtpBV2EfUU

This is my results update on my etheric surgery with Mother God in the 5th dimension and the 5D full disclosure team, also known as psychic surgery from a cult leader who’s been deceased for several months.

Previous Love Has Won & 5D Full Disclosure episodes:

https://failedutopia.com/love-has-won/

https://failedutopia.com/love-has-won-updates-5d-full-disclosure/

Connect on Faceb...

Mark as Played
November 9, 2021 50 mins

This is an update about Love Has Won, now known as 5D Full Disclosure. I have a bunch of new information for you guys, and there have been some developments in this case. Today I’ll be updating you on the criminal cases related to the discovery of Amy Carlson’s body, some things that aired recently in a special on Dateline NBC, what the group is up to now, and my personal experience getting etheric surgery by Mother God from the fi...

Mark as Played
October 26, 2021 30 mins

Vampire lore has fascinated humans for centuries, starting as far back as the Greeks. From Nosferatu and Dracula to Interview with the Vampire and Twilight, everybody loves a good vampire story. But way before team Edward and team Jacob, a much less attractive teen was taking the vampire thing way too far.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Cri...

Mark as Played
October 12, 2021 38 mins

This is the continuation of the previous Earth: Climate Crisis episode. Renewable energy, pros and cons of nuclear, geoengineering, why carbon emissions will rise for the foreseeable future, climate vs. economics, and more.

Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.

Links & Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741

Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233

VictimC...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

    Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.