Recording from the streets of Bangkok, Sascha Funk analyzes the city not as a tourist destination, but as a living motherboard. Using the framework of "Splintering Urbanism" and Marc Augé’s concept of the "Non-Place," we examine how global capital has bypassed local geography.

When a luxury condo and a slum occupy the exact same GPS coordinates but exist in entirely different dimensions, what happens to our shared reality? We apply Jean Baudrillard’s theory of the Simulacrum to understand how economic desperation is turned into a "cyberpunk aesthetic" for the global elite, and why the physical friction of a Muay Thai ring is one of the last remaining antidotes to the digital void.

Topics:

• Splintering Urbanism: How infrastructure bypasses the physical street.

• Marc Augé’s "Non-Place" and the erasure of geography.

• Baudrillard’s Simulacra: The aestheticization of poverty.

• The Fighter's Mindset: Why we need physical gravity in a frictionless world.

Keywords: Splintering Urbanism, Marc Augé, Baudrillard, Simulacra, Bangkok, Hyper-capitalism, Media Theory, Muay Thai, Non-Places, FUNK !T Podcast.

Prediction markets like Polymarket have turned the news cycle into a casino. But this isn't just about gambling; it's about the Gamification of Reality. We have moved from being "Citizens" (who try to influence outcomes) to "Speculators" (who simply profit from them).

In this episode, Sascha Funk explores the concept of "Financial Nihilism" and how apps have conditioned us to view war, coups, and elections as mere "events" in a game engine. We critique the idea that "The Market" is an oracle of truth and examine the ethical rot of betting on human disaster.

Keywords: Gamification, Guy Debord, Society of the Spectacle, Prediction Markets, Financial Nihilism, Media Theory, Postman, FUNK !T Podcast.

In the final week of Milano Cortina, we are witnessing the collision of "Sport" and "Surveillance Capitalism." When a curling match is decided by a capacitive touch sensor rather than a human eye, we have entered what Baudrillard called "Hyper-Reality"—where the digital model is more "real" than the physical event.

In this episode, Sascha Funk analyzes the "Double-Touch" scandal and the performative confession of Sturla Holm Lægreid through the lens of media theory. We discuss the "Panopticon" effect on athletes and why the obsession with high-definition accuracy is actually destroying the narrative of the games.

Keywords: Surveillance Society, Hyper-Reality, Panopticon, Winter Olympics 2026, Media Ecology, The Spectacle, FUNK !T Podcast.