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PODCAST

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

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

science earth sciences

All Episodes

09:34

A Brief Clarification on Human Behavior | Frankly 78

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/11/29

(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 world, only three to four percent of humans are going to do the right thing and appeal to the ‘better angels’ of their nature. Today’s Frankly is a follow-up and clarification of what he meant. It’s true that humans are deeply influenced by our evolutionary past. It is also true that our current economic structures, cultural norms, and the inner

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01:19:35

Fires in the Rainforest: The Impossible Economics of...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/11/20

(Conversation recorded on October 2nd, 2024) For millions of years, the Amazon Rainforest has been home to a stunning array of plant and animal species, has shaped our world’s climate, provided for millions of humans, and, as today’s guest likes to put it, served as “the heart of the planet.” But what economic and political factors are putting this vital ecosystem at risk, and what can be done to keep the “world’s heart” beating for future generations of all species? In this conversation, Nate is

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28:30

The Battles of Our Time | Frankly 76

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/11/15

(Recorded November 11, 2024) In today’s complex geopolitical landscape, battles and tensions seem to exist everywhere we look. Power shifts and compounding crises are opening up new landscapes for change. As we inhabit and define an unpredictable world order, we will increasingly face “battles” at the individual and community level, too. Now comes the real work for pro-social, pro-future, systems-aware humans. In today’s Frankly, Nate describes some of the battles - or polarities - of our time: the

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01:11:45

Carbon Sink to Carbon Source? How the Amazon...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/11/13

(Conversation recorded on September 25th, 2024) The Amazon Rainforest is one of the Earth's most vital systems, playing a key role in maintaining the balance and stability of our climate. Yet this extraordinary ecosystem, which influences global rainfall patterns and regulates temperatures, is increasingly threatened by human activity. What is the current status of the ancient Amazon Rainforest, and how could its trajectory shape the entire planet for thousands of years to come? In today’s

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25:10

Planetary Health Check: The State of Earth’s Critical...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/10/13

(Conversation recorded on September 25th, 2024) There has been much discussion lately of Planetary Boundaries – the 9 biophysical systems and processes that regulate the functioning of life support systems on Earth, and ultimately the stability and resilience of the Earth system as a whole. But how close are we, today, to pushing these systems past their ability to function and recover? In this special release episode, Nate is joined by Kari Stoever, Chief of Strategic Partnerships & Policy at

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18:02

The Lament of the Bigfoot | Frankly 74

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/10/11

(Recorded October 7, 2024) In a polarized and fractured society, those who draw attention to the ecological devastation wrought by human activities, and those who champion the importance of protecting non-human life, increasingly face the label of being ‘anti-human.’ In this Frankly, Nate reads a poem he wrote 20 years ago this month “The Lament of the Bigfoot” which highlights the disproportionate role humans have on the ecosystems they inhabit and reflects on how his attitudes have both changed

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01:41:03

Inner Development Goals: Cultivating Change from the...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/10/09

(Conversation recorded on September 5th, 2024) The deeper we dive into the complexity of the metacrisis, the more it becomes apparent that the changes we desire in our communities, governments, and societies must start with individual mindsets and behaviors. But what practices can help us cultivate this shift in consciousness? Today, Nate talks with Erik Fernholm about The Inner Development Goals, a framework designed to foster the skills and capacities needed to tackle the existential challenges

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01:39:33

History for Tomorrow: Uncovering Future Possibilities...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/09/25

(Conversation recorded on August 5th, 2024) While the global crises we face are on a larger scale than anything before, there is rich wisdom to glean from past civilizations who have faced existential challenges and survived – or even thrived. What lessons might we learn from history that could offer guidance for our future? In this episode, Nate is joined by social philosopher Roman Krznaric to discuss ways we might govern or lead during moments of crisis, using the lens of former and current

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01:45:49

Bioregional Futures: Reconnecting to Place for...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/09/04

(Conversation recorded on July 24th, 2024) In the past century of abundant energy surplus, humanity’s globalized, large-scale approach to problem-solving has yielded remarkable benefits and innovations. However, as we face a future with reduced energy resources, mounting waste, and a biosphere in danger, the negative impacts of this approach are increasingly overshadowing its gains. How should we evaluate and change these tactics as we look to build future societies that can better attune with

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39:51

Ask Me Anything - Your Questions About TGS Answered |...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/08/16

(Recorded August 11, 2024) The content of The Great Simplification (on Youtube and in real life) can be complex, nuanced and multi-faceted. In today’s Frankly, Nate offers reflections on a selection of viewers’ direct questions about the myriad topics covered on this channel. The goal of this podcast is to integrate the head, the heart and the hands by building a generative conversation between many more humans. The learning process about upcoming constraints and opportunities will continue to be

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02:00:54

The Population Problem: Human Impact, Extinctions,...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/08/14

(Conversation recorded on July 25th, 2024) Show Summary: Human overpopulation is often depicted in the media in one of two ways: as either a catastrophic disaster or an overly-exaggerated concern. Yet the data understood by scientists and researchers is clear. So what is the actual state of our overshoot, and, despite our growing numbers, are we already seeing the signs that the sixth mass extinction is underway? In this episode, Nate is joined by global ecologist Corey Bradshaw to discuss his

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14:29

The Reality Party | Frankly #66

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/07/19

Recorded July 16 2024 Description Following the attempted assassination of former United States President Donald J. Trump, Nate reflects on the dysfunctional social dynamics which have brought many of us to high levels of tribalism and mistrust toward others and divorced from the deeper challenges facing us in coming decades. As humans, we all - for the most part - share the same enjoyments in life - beautiful nature, autonomy, music, healthy, tasty food, clean water, friends, and family

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01:47:22

Silicon Dreams and Carbon Nightmares: The Wide...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/07/17

(Conversation recorded on June 27th, 2024) Show Summary: Artificial intelligence has been advancing at a break-neck pace. Accompanying this is an almost frenzied optimism that AI will fix our most pressing global problems, particularly when it comes to the hype surrounding climate solutions. In this episode, Daniel Schmachtenberger joins Nate to take a wide-boundary look at the true environmental risks embedded within the current promises of artificial intelligence. He demonstrates that the

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23:32

And Then What?: Using Wide-Boundary Lenses | Frankly 65

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/07/12

(Recorded July 8 2024) There are many so-called ‘solutions’ out there that, upon first glance, seem like great ideas - yet when we look beyond the narrow scope of the immediate benefits, we discover a slew of unintended (and often counterproductive) consequences. Today’s Frankly offers a series of examples of modern issues using a “wide-boundary” lens - and in the process demonstrates the importance of asking “...and then what?” when thinking about our responses to future events and constraints

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01:33:05

Eat, Poop, Die: Animals as the Arteries of the...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/07/10

(Conversation recorded on June 14th, 2024) Show Summary: If plants are considered the lungs of the Earth, cycling CO2 into oxygen for animals to breathe, then animals act as the heart and arteries, spreading nutrients across the Earth to where it’s needed most. This is the metaphor that today’s guest, conservation biologist Joe Roman, uses when describing his work studying how animals such as whales, otters, salmon, and midges provide vital ecosystem services, and how destruction of their

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01:33:28

Living Your Questions: A Pathway Through the...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/07/03

(Conversation recorded on May 16th, 2024) Show Summary: At the intersection between science and spirituality lies some of the most profound questions we can ask ourselves about the future - the answers to which could mean the difference between humanity’s mere survival or a flourishing. Today’s episode with Peabody-award winning broadcaster Krista Tippett is an exploration into what it means to be human in our modern world and engage as individuals in the inner work required to create outward

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01:44:56

Material World: The Key Resources Underpinning Modern...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/06/12

(Conversation recorded on May 7th, 2024) Show Summary: In contrast to ‘The Great Simplification’, some might call the events of the last few hundred years a ‘Great Complexification’ in terms of relationships, governance, supply chains, and many other human activities. Today’s conversation with economics journalist Ed Conway focuses on the six essential resources that underpin our modern economies – sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium - and dives into the (often unseen) environmental and

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01:10:29

The Next Generation's Dilemma: Confronting the...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/06/09

(Conversation recorded on May 8th, 2024) Show Summary: As the human predicament continues to accelerate, the conversations regarding the future are still dominated by older generations - yet it is their younger successors who will face the brunt of these issues throughout their lives. Today’s Reality Roundtable with Priscilla Trịnh, James Branagan, and Natasha Linhart, focuses on Generation Z’s perspective of the metacrisis, how learning the reality of the human predicament has affected their

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17:50

Nuclear Conflict: 7 Key Questions for Sustainable...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/05/31

(Recorded May 28, 2024) Description In this week’s Frankly, Nate offers an update on the current state of conflict between NATO and Russia and the increasing threat of escalation, followed by 7 high-level questions about how to think about war, the human predicament and our work for a more stable future. While these issues may seem too looming and overwhelming for our everyday lives, the society-ending (world-ending?) ramifications of them would trump every other issue if the worst were to happen

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01:34:22

Vanessa Andreotti: "Hospicing Modernity and...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/05/29

(Conversation recorded on March 25th, 2024) Show Summary: In this episode, Nate is joined by educator and researcher Vanessa Andreotti to discuss what she calls “hospicing modernity” in order to move beyond the world we’ve come to know and the failed promises that “modernity” has made to our current culture. Whether you refer to it as the metacrisis, the polycrisis, or - in Nate’s terms - the human predicament, Vanessa brings a unique framing rooted in indigenous knowledge and relationality to aid

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