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 transcribedA few months ago, we invited viewers to share the projects, initiatives, and lifestyle changes they've embraced after becoming aware of the global cha...
As we deepen our understanding of the existential challenges facing humanity, the path from our industrialized lifestyles to ones that respect planeta...
Language is one of humanity's most unique and powerful tools. We are amazingly good at imagining the pictures created through words - almost to the po...
While the wealth of the world's richest individuals continues to accumulate year after year, funding billions into AI, technology, and innovation, our...
As the world is increasingly shaped by the dominance of 'Big Tech' – including the race for Artificial Intelligence – the outsized impact on our democ...
The rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape of recent years can be hard to follow. With economic conflicts between global superpowers and violent clas...
The human brain has proven to be particularly good at breaking down all sorts of things into categories and dichotomies - even our perception of the w...
The threats facing the United States' stability seem to be escalating daily - from aging electric grids and deteriorating infrastructure to rising inf...
Western culture, particularly in the United States, is often characterized by a profound discomfort and suppression of grief. Without healthy outlets...
As the world continued its increasingly chaotic series of events this week - with disruptive events in everything from politics to artificial intellig...
Caught between increasing energy prices and rising carbon emissions, the idea of reducing our energy consumption is a practical and forward-looking ne...
The period of relative peace and stability we've known - enabled by the energy surplus of the Carbon Pulse and the ecological stability of the Holocen...
(Conversation recorded on January 2nd, 2025) When looking at our global challenges, it can be easier to focus on the external factors that could b...
(Recorded February 18th, 2025) Individually and collectively, we have become fixated on the pursuit and accumulation of wealth. But what is wealth?...
(Conversation recorded on November 22nd, 2024) The first few months of the new year have brought a cacophony of political news and power plays, brin...
(Recorded February 12th, 2025) Deception and self-interest seem to be increasingly prevalent in our modern cultural reality. From the highest levels...
(Conversation recorded on November 12th, 2024) In today's modern era, the overwhelming flood of information that constantly flows our way can leav...
(Conversation recorded on January 21st, 2025) Many of us are familiar with the problem of plastics as a distant issue in the ocean, primarily affect...
Link to record and submit your story There are further directions on the video submission site to set you up for success when recording. Most of all,...
(Conversation recorded on November 6th, 2024) The vision of a carbon-free, net-zero society is often framed around the promise of transitioning aw...
