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 transcribed(Recorded January 27th, 2025) We live in an era where artificial intelligence increasingly dominates the headlines with promises of revolutionary ad...
(Conversation recorded on October 30th, 2024) Human consumption of fossil fuels - especially oil - is a topic filled with complexity, tension, and...
(Recorded January 20th, 2025) We are alive at a critical juncture for human civilization, and the biosphere, where the pursuit and accumulation of pow...
(Conversation recorded on December 18th, 2024) With the increase in geopolitical conflicts, supply chain challenges, and unprecedented natural dis...
(Conversation recorded on December 11th, 2024) The past century has been marked by the rise of globalization in every sense of the word - through...
(Conversation recorded on December 4th, 2024) It is an unfortunate reality that the countries least responsible for the climate and ecological cri...
(Conversation recorded on November 25th, 2024) The crises that our world is facing seem to be constantly growing, leading to enormous and devastatin...
This year on The Great Simplification, we heard from 54 guests, 18 Reality Roundtable panelists, and Nate shared his thoughts across 31 Frankly episod...
(Recorded December 16, 2024) As we wrap up another year of thought-provoking discussions on The Great Simplification, Nate takes us on an imaginativ...
(Conversation recorded on November 7th, 2024) Long-time listeners of The Great Simplification may have a good grasp of the many impending crises t...
(Recorded December 5, 2024) It's not everyday that a stranger thanks you for 'ruining their life'. In this heartfelt Frankly, Nate reflects on a pow...
(Conversation recorded on November 5th, 2024) It is no secret that population dynamics significantly impact global stability. But what's really be...
(Conversation recorded on December 2nd, 2024) One of the central ecological challenges of our time is addressing the plastic and petrochemical pollu...
(Recorded November 26, 2024) As we piece together the different facets of our reality, the systems synthesis which emerges confronts us with some un...
(Conversation recorded on October 22nd, 2024) The human system as we know it today – which powers our economies, global supply chains, and social...
(Recorded November 21, 2024) Two weeks ago, in a Frankly called The Battles of Our Time, Nate commented on human behavior and said that, in today's...
(Conversation recorded on November 11th, 2024, prior to a ceasefire declared between Israel and Lebanon on November 27th, 2024) If you've followed T...
(Conversation recorded on September 24th, 2024) It is frequently true that those who will inherit the greatest consequences of our climate crisis...
(Recorded November 12, 2024) In last week's Frankly, Nate shared his thoughts on some of the polarities we'll need to harmonize as we journey towards...
(Conversation recorded on October 2nd, 2024) For millions of years, the Amazon Rainforest has been home to a stunning array of plant and animal spec...
