The Great Simplification is a podcast that explores the systems science underpinning the human predicament. Through conversations with experts and leaders hosted by Dr. Nate Hagens, we explore topics spanning ecology, economics, energy, geopolitics, human behavior, and monetary/financial systems. Our goal is to provide a simple educational resource for the complex energetic, physical, and social constraints ahead, and to inspire people to play a role in our collective future. Ultimately, we aim to normalize these conversations and, in doing so, change the initial conditions of future events.
379 episodes transcribedRecorded December 17 2023 Description In this final Frankly of 2023, Nate outlines some global themes that are worth keeping an eye on in 2024. Fr...
On this episode, Arthur Berman returns to unpack the complexity underpinning the oil trends of the last 75 years and what new data can tell us about a...
On this Reality Roundtable, Nate is joined by four professionals with decades of experience working with low-income communities, Stephanie Hoopes, Pet...
In this week's Frankly, we join Nate in a fascinating thought experiment imagining participants in this week's COP 28 in Dubai are liberated from the...
On this special 100th episode, Nate is interviewed by his friend and colleague in the metacrisis space, Kate Raworth. The conversation is a reflection...
On this episode, Nate is joined by co-founder of GMO Financial Holdings, Jeremy Grantham, to discuss how finance, human population, ecology, and pollu...
In this Frankly, a follow up to "One Ring to Rule Them All", Nate unpacks the common misconception that AI is the answer to all our energy and ecologi...
On this episode, political economist Helen Thompson and Nate discuss how energy and geopolitics have interconnected over the past century, building to...
Show Summary: On this Reality Roundtable, Nate is joined by small-scale farmer Jason Bradford, permaculturist and documentarian Andrew Millison, re...
(Conversation recorded on November 2nd, 2023) Show Summary: On this episode, Nate is re-joined by risk expert Chuck Watson for a candid discuss...
Recorded October 31 2023 Description In this Frankly, Nate expands on our conventional definition of "taxes" to highlight nine other categories that...
On this episode, Nate is joined by 'permaculture' author and educator David Holmgren to discuss his experience within the movement and what it might l...
Recorded October 27 2023 Description In this forty-seventh Frankly, Nate reflects on…..Franklys. As real time global events move faster and faster...
On this episode, Nate is joined by climate scientist and policy ambassador Sir David King to unpack the current situation regarding Earth's climate sy...
On this Special episode Nate speaks once again with risk expert Chuck Watson for a critical assessment of the unfolding situation around Israel which...
On this episode, Nate is joined by energy industry professional Joris van der Schot to explain the basics of oil refineries, their limitations, and ot...
On this Reality Roundtable, philosopher and writer Dougald Hine, social scientist and farmer Chris Smaje, and ecologist and farmer Pella Thiel join Na...
In this Frankly, Nate shares his perspective on the recent events in the Middle East and how they could lead to a shortening of the timeline to The Gr...
On this episode, Art Berman returns to give a broad update on the state of global oil - from BRICS+ and shale oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve a...
In this Frankly, Nate refers to a favorite timeless book series, The Lord of the Rings, to describe 'the nine rings for mortal men' - behavioral tende...
