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 transcribedIn this week's Frankly, in a continuation of his 'This Week's Learnings' series, Nate updates viewers on things he learned in the past week, and the...
To best understand this episode, please watch this ~2 minute video on the biotic pump. It's widely known that Earth's forests provide home to countl...
In this week's Frankly, Nate weighs the value of a pound of gold with other things that we derive worth from in our lives – from dollars and bitcoin t...
Water has always been a fundamental force shaping our planet – both in sustaining life across ecosystems and in guiding the organization and survival...
In the next 25 years, the International Organization for Migration estimates that one billion people will be displaced from their homes due to climate...
In this week's Frankly, Nate unpacks some key blindspots of "the walrus movement"—a placeholder label that's a gentle nod to those championing bold so...
Our personal concept of identity shapes every decision we make – ranging from life-altering choices to our smallest daily preferences. Identity influe...
In this week's Frankly, Nate shares an excerpt from his daily life that mirrors a larger observation on the human predicament. A grocery shopping trip...
In Western culture, topics surrounding death and dying are often considered taboo and are generally avoided in everyday conversations. But this reluct...
Insects, bugs, creepy-crawlies – these small animals are often considered a nuisance (or worse) by humanity, bringing up an ongoing desire to kill or...
In this week's Frankly, Nate reflects on a moment of unexpected insight during a morning bike ride, which catalyzed a larger meditation on the modern...
Money, debt, and finance shape the lives of everyone globally, including through the policies and actions of national central banks – yet even those w...
In this Earth Day presentation, recorded earlier this year, Nate offers nine broad paths for individuals to cultivate resilience in an increasingly un...
Packaging is an unavoidable feature of modern life. It's so embedded in our products and systems that even the most environmentally-minded consumers s...
In this week's Frankly, Nate shares a handful of things he's learned in the past few days that have implications for the Great Simplification. Nate co...
Economic theory has come to wield outsized influence over our societal goals, decisions, and policies – often relying on models that claim to optimize...
In today's Frankly, Nate imagines that he's looking back from an unspecified point in the future (even from beyond his lifetime), and ponders the core...
When facing the realities of our world, the urge to drown in grief or shut down into apathy is becoming more and more common. As we are flooded with i...
In today's Frankly, Nate reads and responds to questions from viewers of the channel, offering reflections on a wide range of topics from current even...
Recently, the risks about Artificial Intelligence and the need for 'alignment' have been flooding our cultural discourse – with Artificial Super Intel...
