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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

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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01:11:54

Luther Krueger: "Goldilocks Tech? A Solar Oven Overview"

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/04/17

On this episode, Nate is joined by Solar Oven collector and educator Luther Krueger to discuss the ins and outs of solar cooking. In the western world, most of us are used to indoor, gas or electric stoves, typically powered by fossil fuels, and in a third of the world, people are still using solid fuels - wood, coal, or dung - which come with many health and environmental risks. Solar ovens are an alternative which makes use of passive solar energy at a range of temperatures and can be made from

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15:15

7 Meta Questions About Our Global Metabolism |...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/04/04

Recorded April 4 2024 Description Based on this week’s podcast episode with Geoffrey West, which covered how biological scaling applies to human economies, this week’s Frankly is a reflection on what this might mean for the future of our societies. Throughout history and up to today, there are scaling patterns driving our social and infrastructural metabolism - potentially shedding light on some long debated questions about the limits of our ability to design our societies. Do we as humans have

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01:41:17

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/04/03

On this episode, physicist Geoffrey West joins Nate to discuss his decades of work on metabolic scaling laws found in nature and how they apply to humans and our economies. As we think about the past and future of societies, there are patterns that emerge independently across cultures in terms of resource use and social phenomena as the size of a city grows. Does Kleiber’s law, which describes the increasingly efficient use of energy as an animal gets larger - also apply to human cities? How have

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23:45

The Fellowship of the Ring - ‘Bend Not Break' Version...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/03/29

In this Frankly, Nate recasts his favorite book series, the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, with some speculative “archetypes” of our human world grouped by various timelines. The eventual reduction in energy and material accessibility will likely alter the archetypes that we’re familiar with today - perhaps to become something not helpful to larger society. What categories of human archetypes in the future will have the potential to best influence their communities and the Earth

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01:09:43

Riane Eisler: "Domination and Partnership in Society"

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/03/27

On this episode, Nate is joined by systems scientist Riane Eisler to discuss her decades of work studying ‘domination’ and ‘partnership’ societies throughout history and what it might mean to transition to more sustainable societies in the future. What we value at the individual and family level directly translates to the way we frame our governance systems - societies that emphasize empathy and caring also implement the same types of policies and values. How could we foster the more cooperative

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15:06

Information Bifurcation | Frankly #57

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/03/22

Recorded March 19 2024 Description In this Frankly, Nate reflects on ten dichotomies that he sees prevalent in our current culture of information consumption and media. We are increasingly bombarded with news from traditional media outlets as well as emerging smaller platforms. Yet interpreting these inputs depends on the individual and societal lenses we use, alongside the presentation of and quality of the information itself. Further, how are academic and scientific sources of information

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01:33:59

Patrick Knodel: "Question Everything - Towards...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/03/20

On this episode, Nate is joined by impact investor Patrick Knodel to discuss how philanthropy and non-profit work might make positive change beyond the superficial level. The power of understanding the values and lived realities of other cultures is often overlooked but is central to finding meaningful interventions and support. Through connecting with people across the globe, Patrick has a deep sense of how to create projects that span beyond single issues, and support the autonomy of communities

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56:44

Chuck Watson: "NATO in Ukraine: from Proxy to...

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/03/15

On this special episode, risk analyst Chuck Watson returns to discuss the current state of the conflict in Ukraine and the potential for escalation. With the conflict centered around resource control, cultural clashes, and political posturing - will European countries now push to keep the United States involved with the conflict? More, are we seeing the full picture from the perspective of western media? Who is really winning this 'open secret war' and what is the context behind the various

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24:41

Peak Oil, AI, and the Straw | Frankly #56

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/03/08

Recorded March 5 2024 Description In this Frankly, Nate shares his perspective on the new all-time high in oil production in the context of AI’s growing influence in the financial markets and technology space. While ‘all liquids’ just hit an all time high, the varying categories of what is considered oil obfuscates a long plateau that is starting to decline. However, given AI’s expanding reach, it may not only invent ways of getting a higher percentage of Original Oil In Place to our economies,

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01:22:38

Samantha Sweetwater: "Life at the Center”

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ·

2024/03/06

On this episode, thought leader and ceremonial guide Samantha Sweetwater joins Nate to share her journey through mysticism and guiding others through their own unique spiritual paths. Strengthening relationality is a critical component for fostering deeper connections to nature - including fellow humans - and subsequently creating more cooperative, peaceful societies. Within a culture which predominantly values linear processes, Samantha’s work has centered around finding a balance between

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