The Peter McCormack Show

The "Net Zero" transition is built on a mathematical impossibility. The UK power grid currently relies on just over one hour of battery backup, and the political consensus is pushing us closer to civilisational collapse.
Nuclear chemist and author Tim Gregory explains why the current agenda to replace fossil fuels entirely with wind and solar is a dangerous illusion. He breaks down the harsh realities of our energy infrastructure: why rolling blackouts are a genuine threat , how the government is paralyzed by absurd regulations , and why the ultimate "green" scam is chopping down North American forests to burn as "renewable" biomass.
We also explore the long arc of human history, from the dawn of fire to the Kardashev scale. Beyond the energy crisis, we discuss the psychological damage of the smartphone era , the rapid acceleration of AI , and why our survival ultimately depends on harnessing the power of the atom.
*In this episode, we cover:*
•⁠  ⁠The 1-Hour Warning: Why grid-scale batteries cannot prevent rolling blackouts when the wind stops blowing.
•⁠  ⁠⁠The Biomass Fraud: How burning wood chips became the UK's biggest single source of CO2 emissions.
•⁠  ⁠⁠The £700 Million Fish: The insanity of regulatory red tape and why the government built a "fish disco" instead of a power plant.
•⁠  ⁠⁠The Truth About Chernobyl: Why the air pollution from fossil fuels kills more people every 30 minutes than the entire Chernobyl disaster.
•⁠  ⁠⁠The Kardashev Scale: Why human progress and survival depend on expanding into space and harnessing the energy of our local star.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 – Net Zero Reality
00:02:16 – Can Renewables Replace Fossil Fuels?
00:05:00 – The Blackout Risk
00:10:00 – Nuclear vs Environmentalism
00:14:36 – The Truth About Chernobyl
00:24:16 – Why Batteries Don't Work
00:27:26 – Energy Density Explained
00:52:49 – Why Infrastructure Fails
01:04:24 – The Nuclear Plan
01:10:56 – AI's Energy Demand
01:30:00 – Humanity's Future In Space
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CONTACT PETE
› Website – http://petermccormack.com
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CONNECT WITH TIMOTHY GREGORY
› LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tim-gregory/
› Website – http://tim-gregory.co.uk/
SPONSORS
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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR
› https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/
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EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK
› https://x.com/ConorM04
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The engineers building Artificial Intelligence do not actually know how it works. They are not programming it; they are "growing" it and they have no idea what it will do next.
Connor Leahy is an AI researcher and former builder of Large Language Models. In this interview we discuss Silicon Valley, where he reveals the reality inside the top tech labs: the "alignment problem" being unsolved, the race for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) accelerating and the people in charge are flying completely blind.
We discuss the chaotic trajectory of superintelligence, the corruption of the tech elite, the Department of Defense's recent moves and the disturbing new phenomenon of "AI Psychosis" where users are being manipulated by the systems they use.
In this episode, we cover:
The "Black Box" Problem: Why the creators of AI cannot predict what it will do.

Silicon Valley Corruption: Why "sociopaths have domesticated nerds" to build dangerous tech.

The Wargames: Why AI consistently chooses nuclear escalation in simulations.

"AI Psychosis" & Spiral Cults: The terrifying psychological toll AI is taking on its smartest users.

The Loss of Control: What happens to humanity when we build a system we can no longer steer.

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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 – AI Engineer Origins
00:07:47 – When GPT Changed Everything
00:12:47 – Inside Neural Networks
00:19:03 – How AI Actually Learns
00:27:58 – Growing Intelligence
00:31:19 – The Alignment Problem
00:36:41 – AI and Nuclear War
00:47:03 – Should AI Be Paused?
00:52:39 – AI Exhaustion
01:00:53 – Superintelligence Explained
01:24:02 – Who Controls AI?
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CONTACT PETE
› Website – http://petermccormack.com
› Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact
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CONNECT WITH CONNOR LEAHY
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SPONSORS
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LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE
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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR
› https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/
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EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK
› https://x.com/ConorM04
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The war in the Middle East is usually discussed as a military conflict. In this interview, Firas Modad argues the real consequences are far wider.
We discuss how escalation could spread through energy markets, shipping lanes and commodity prices - and why the economic effects of war may hit far beyond the battlefield.
Firas also explains how political incentives, donor networks and foreign policy alignments shape decisions in Washington, and why the incentives behind modern wars often look very different from the public narrative.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 – Why Iran Matters
00:07:25 – Why The West
00:12:17 – Energy Shock Risk
00:20:04 – Iran Endgame Scenarios
00:32:28 – Fog Of War
00:40:26 – Lebanon Expands
00:54:21 – Energy Decides It
01:02:30 – Christian Immigration View
01:08:27 – Debt And Decay
01:13:39 – Bible And Collapse
01:22:09 – Just War Test
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CONTACT PETE
› Website – http://petermccormack.com
› Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact
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› Instagram – /mccormack555
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CONNECT WITH FIRAS MODAD
› X/Twitter – https://x.com/firasmodad
› Website – https://www.modadgeopolitics.com/
SPONSORS
› IREN - https://www.iren.com/
› Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/
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LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE
› Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K
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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR
› https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/
› https://x.com/curttayloruk/
EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK
› https://x.com/ConorM04
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Governments aren't going to pay this debt down in real terms. More likely, they pay it back in weaker money.
Luke Gromen argues we're already deep into a sovereign debt cycle - and that AI could speed up the moment it really starts to crack.
In this interview we discuss how the system works: leverage, entitlements, interest costs, bond markets - and what happens when deflation hits an economy that depends on inflation to stay upright.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 – Debt Reality
00:01:57 – Math vs Politics
00:06:26 – Already In It
00:08:51 – Japan Warning
00:14:38 – Acute Phase Risk
00:15:32 – What To Do
00:21:33 – End Of The Cycle
00:34:13 – AI Disruption
00:40:20 – 2007 Parallel
00:49:07 – UBI & Politics
00:58:02 – Sovereign Insolvency
01:08:26 – Meaning & Collapse
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CONTACT PETE
› Website – http://petermccormack.com
› Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact
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CONNECT WITH LUKE GROMEN
› X/Twitter – https://x.com/LukeGromen
› Website – http://fftt-llc.com/
SPONSORS
› IREN - https://www.iren.com/
› Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/
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LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE
› Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K
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› Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM
› YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM
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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR
› https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/
› https://x.com/curttayloruk/
EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK
› https://x.com/ConorM04
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Western Civilisation is collapsing, and the exits are being bricked up.
In this episode, Balaji Srinivasan (Author, The Network State) delivers a clear warning: the US and UK are approaching a sovereign debt default, and the "Berlin Wall" of capital controls is coming to trap your wealth inside.
We discuss why "staying is surrendering," the rise of the "Grey Tribe" (Tech) against the State, and his 3-step survival guide for the middle class: Liquidate, Emigrate, Accelerate.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:33:35 – "The West Is Over"
00:41:36 – No Saving America
00:43:47 – Internet First Future
00:52:52 – Take The L
01:10:28 – Debt Reality
01:29:12 – Liquidate. Emigrate.
01:55:00 – AI Job Disruption
02:15:27 – AI Safety Reframed
02:25:11 – Foundation Strategy
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CONTACT PETE
› Website – http://petermccormack.com
› Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact
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› Instagram – /mccormack555
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CONNECT WITH BALAJI SRINIVASAN
› X/Twitter – https://x.com/balajis
› Website – https://ns.com/
SPONSORS
› IREN - https://www.iren.com/
› Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/
› Incogni - https://incogni.com/peter
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LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE
› Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K
› Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu
› Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM
› YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM
› Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM
FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR
› https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/
› https://x.com/curttayloruk/
EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK
› https://x.com/ConorM04
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