The Wisdom & Action Podcast Human Fracking, AI, and the Capture of Attention with D. Graham Burnett
Mar 29, 2026
D. Graham Burnett, Princeton historian of science and founder of Friends of Attention, explores how attention is being colonized. He discusses diverse resistance strategies, tactical uses of AI and platforms, and attention as a spiritual practice. Short, sharp ideas on community rules, education, and fighting the attention economy populate the conversation.
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Build A Diverse Movement Against Attention Extraction
- Do build a diverse movement against attention extraction rather than a single strategy.
- D. Graham Burnett urges coordinating groups from neo-Luddites to activists and using many tactics like social media and local action with caution.
You Can Use The Master's Tools Strategically
- True resistance can use the master's tools if done strategically and with awareness of their effects.
- Burnett compares historical trade-for-weapons tactics and recommends 'tacking' across the attention wind with a keel (stable values).
Sail Upwind Against The Attention Economy
- Do set a clear strategy and institutional 'keel' when engaging attention economies; tack across the wind rather than charging head-on.
- Burnett borrows Chris Hayes's sailing metaphor to recommend steady principles and tactical pivots.
