The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens
Episodes
Andrew Millison: "Geomorphology, Permaculture, and The Good Work"
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, permaculture expert and educator Andrew Millison joins us to unpack how we can better design our societal infrastructure and agricult...
Paul Martin: "Hydrogen - The Decarbonization Problem"
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, chemical engineer Paul Martin joins The Great Simplification to talk about all things hydrogen. There are many 'Fuels of the Future' ...
A Bigger Boat | Frankly #26
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this Frankly, Nate shares some context about how he thinks about the recent global banking and financial market news. How do the catalysts triggeri...
Jodi Archambault: "Relationships, Reciprocity and Resiliency"
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Jodi Archambault, a member of the Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota tribes, joins the podcast to share her experiences as an activist, gover...
Loss Aversion | Frankly #25
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this Frankly, Nate reflects on his experiences in the financial industry with the cognitive bias Loss Aversion and the ways it may manifest to the ...
Gareth Roberts: "Geology, Optimism, & Something Completely Different"
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, geologist and entrepreneur Gareth Roberts joins Nate on the podcast to discuss the geological science behind how we find, extract, an...
Nina Simons: "Dancing With Contradictions - A Systems View"
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, author and social entrepreneur Nina Simons reminds us that in a fact driven culture, sometimes it's important to return to the emotio...
Jonathan Haidt: "Social Psychology in an Age of Social Fragmentation"
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Nate is joined by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. Professor Haidt is one of the leaders in the understanding of human biases and predisposi...
Olivia Lazard: "Peace and Power in the Mineral Age"
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, environmental peacemaker and mediator Olivia Lazard joins Nate to unpack the relationship between mineral deposits, conflict-vulnerab...
Gaya Herrington: "Humanity's Soul: Life or Growth?"
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Nate speaks with econometrician and sustainability researcher Gaya Herrington about her new book, Five Insights for Avoiding Global C...
NOT for Sale | Frankly #24
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded January 30, 2023 Description This week, Nate reflects on one of the biggest questions humanity is facing - what is and is NOT for sale? Th...
David Sloan Wilson: "Chickens, Cooperation and a Pro-social World"
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson joins Nate to unpack how evolution can be used to explain and understand modern human behav...
The Mordor Economy | Frankly #23
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Description This week, Nate walks through the path we are currently on en route to the Great Simplification - a path towards a "Mordor Economy". Based...
Erica Thompson: "Models, The Hawkmoth Effect, and the Future"
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Dr. Erica Thompson joins Nate to unpack her recent book Escape From Model Land. Erica explores the pitfalls of conventional science m...
Arthur Berman: "Peak Oil - The Hedonic Adjustment"
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, petroleum geologist Arthur Berman returns to unpack the development and drawbacks of 'peak oil'. Art explains how our institutions ha...
William E. Rees: "The Fundamental Issue - Overshoot"
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Nate is joined by systems ecologist William E. Rees. Professor Rees outlines why most of the challenges facing humanity and the biosp...
The Simple Story of Civilization with Tom Murphy | Frankly #22
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Nate invites colleague Tom Murphy, professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego and writer of 'Do the Math', to unpack h...
Giorgos Kallis: "Cultural Surplus and 'Dépense'"
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Nate is joined by ecological economist and degrowth scholar Giorgos Kallis. He and Nate discuss the science and philosophy behind the...
Reflections, Predictions, and Interventions | Frankly #21
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As The Great Simplification podcast celebrates its first anniversary, Nate reflects on an incredibly busy year and what he learned from the wide array...
DJ White: "Ocean Effectivism" | The Great Simplification #51
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Show Summary: On this episode, Nate is joined by Eco-interventionist and long time friend DJ White. DJ is not necessarily a household name, but has...
Daniel Schmachtenberger: "Bend Not Break Part 5: Criteria and Categories for Response" | The Great Simplification #50
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Show Summary: On this 5th and final installment of the Bend Not Break series with Daniel Schmachtenberger, we unpack the framework and mindset needed ...
Staying Warm Data with Nora Bateson | Frankly #20
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Winter has come - and for some people it's colder and more expensive than the recent past. This week Nate reconnects with Nora Bateson to discuss how ...
Simon Michaux: "The Arcadians"
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, mining and geology expert Simon Michaux returns to give a preliminary framework for responses to the coming energy and material const...
Tomas Björkman: "The Great Transformation - Metamodernism and The Future"
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, author and social entrepreneur Tomas Björkman joins Nate to discuss his recent projects promoting inner development based on his boo...
"Islands" | Frankly #19
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are some pretty amazing things that can be tracked via analytics on Youtube and other podcast servers - including from where the people tuning i...
Patrick Ophuls: "Energy, Politics, and The Future"
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, ecologist, political scientist, and author Patrick Ophuls joins Nate to discuss his new book, The Tragedy of Industrial Civilization and The Fu...
Energy Gratitude | Frankly #18
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, most of the United States celebrates Thanksgiving. As we think about the things we are grateful for - family, food, football, dogs etc. -...
Vandana Shiva: "Agroecology and The Great Simplification"
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, ecology activist and regenerative agriculture advocate Vandana Shiva joins me to discuss how her lifetime of work has shaped the way she sees t...
Russia - Be Careful What We Wish For | Frankly #17
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We were reminded this week of how precarious and dangerous the ongoing NATO/Russia situation is. An errant missile in Poland on Tuesday nearly started...
Jon Erickson: "Illusions, Power and the Political Economy"
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Nate is joined by Sustainability Science and Policy Professor Jon Erickson. He and Nate dive into Jon's new book The Progress Illusio...
7 Boundaries of Climate Concern | Frankly #16
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the midst of the COP27 in Egypt and one of the warmest Wisconsin Novembers on record, this week's Frankly is a reflection on the boundaries with wh...
Arthur Berman: "The Devil is in the Diesel"
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, petroleum geologist Arthur Berman returns to discuss recent diesel shortages and go into depth on the importance of diesel and the co...
7 Realities - No Matter Who Wins
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the upcoming election, citizens of the USA once again align our beliefs and dreams with our 'favored'' political party, while often showing disda...
Betsy Taylor: "Finding Hope in Nature-Based Solutions"
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Nate is joined by environmental and social activist Betsy Taylor. She and Nate have a wide ranging conversation about climate, consum...
7 Shades of Jekyll and Hyde | Frankly #14
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Its nigh Halloween. Monsters (in costume) and revelry. As humans - we each possess a rational, caring 'Dr. Jekyll' and an atavistic, emotional, reacti...
Daniel Schmachtenberger: "Bend not Break #4: Modeling the Drivers of the Metacrisis"
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this fourth installment of conversations with Daniel Schmachtenberger, we dive deeper into the nuances of humans using energy, materials and techno...
The Quiet Part Out Loud | Frankly #13
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Of all the challenges facing our culture, the fact that humans use social sorting mechanisms to solve physical world problems looms as perhaps the gre...
Marty Kearns: "Building Networks in Uncertain Times"
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Nate is joined by Marty Kearns, a civic organizer and networking specialist. He and Marty discuss why both networks and communities w...
The Speed Bump | Frankly #12
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the improved standard of living that modern finance has enabled, it has also created an unsustainable economic system rife with systemic risk....
Mary Evelyn Tucker: "Religion, Ecology, and the Future"
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, religious scholar Mary Evelyn Tucker unpacks the entanglement of religion and ecology from an academic perspective. She and Nate discuss wh...
In Spite Of... | Frankly #11
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We are a product of evolutionary processes - certain categories of behaviors made our ancestors more 'fit' depending on the environmental/social circu...
Ayan Mahamoud: "East Africa and the Poly-Crisis"
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Nate talks with Ayan Mahamoud, a climate and resilience planner from Djibouti. They discuss the growing challenge the poly-crisis pos...
The 7 Stages of Climate Awareness | Frankly #10
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is often described as one of the single most important and existential issues of our time - that there is no greater threat to humanity...
Sebastian Heitmann: "Gigacorns"
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, venture capitalist and entrepreneur Sebastian Heitmann discusses his work in tech innovation towards more sustainable futures. Techno...
Creatures United | Frankly #9
24 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week's Frankly is a reflection in response to (and support of) Gerardo Ceballos' new project Creatures United, launching this week at Stanford Un...
Martin Sheringer: "The Growing Threat from Chemical Pollution"
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Professor of environmental chemistry Martin Sheringer joins Nate. Together, they discuss Sheringer's most recent paper on PFAS - the ...
The 6th Pool..? | Frankly #8
17 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this segment of Frankly, Nate responds to the predicament of increased use of forests, especially in Europe, for heating fuel in the face of declin...
Douglas Rushkoff: "The Ultimate Exit Strategy"
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Author and Professor Douglas Rushkoff joins Nate to discuss how human behavior interacts with technology and how we have arrived at a...
Growth Until Not | Frankly #7
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week there was a livestream debate highlighting the key points of the Green Growth and DeGrowth perspectives - this week's Frankly adds a...
Steve Vavrus: "Arctic Fever? Taking the Arctic's Temperature"
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Climate Scientist Steve Vavrus joins Nate to discuss the Arctic and its critical impact on climate science. Why are the effects of wa...
Kiril Sokoloff: "What's the Most Important Question in Today's World?"
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with legendary financial icon Kiril Sokoloff to take a bird's eye view of the global energy/financial situation. Why is the f...
The End Of Abundance | Frankly #6
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this segment of Frankly, Nate opines on the significance of French President Macron's statement we are nearing the "end of an era of abundance'. Na...
Kris De Decker: "Low Tech: What, Why and How"
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with inventor, researcher and author Kris De Decker to understand the concept of "low tech" and its relevance in a high tech ...
Timothée Parrique: "Degrowth: Slow is the New Cool"
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with social scientist and researcher at the School of Economics and Management of Lund University, Timothée Parrique. What i...
Daniel Schmachtenberger: "Bend not Break #3: Sensemaking, Uncertainty, and Purpose"
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with founding member of The Consilience Project, Daniel Schmachtenberger. In Part 3 of their series, Schmachtenberger and Hage...
Steve Keen: "Mythonomics"
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Economist, Author, and Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategy, Resilience, and Security at University College in ...
Josh Farley: "Money, Money, Money"
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Show Summary: On this episode we meet with ecological economist and Professor in Community Development & Applied Economics and Public Administration, ...
FAQs from Episodes 1-25 of The Great Simplification | Frankly #5
23 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this segment of Frankly, Nate's former student Lizzy curates and asks some of the most frequently asked questions sent in by listeners during The G...
Joan Diamond: "From Kool-aid to Lemonade"
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with Executive Director of Stanford University's Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Joan Diamond. Diamond hel...
Joe Tainter: "Surplus, Complexity, and Simplification"
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with archaeologist, historian, and Professor at Utah State University, Joe Tainter. What are the key differences between compl...
Peter Whybrow: "When More is Not Enough"
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author Peter Whybrow. Whybrow gives us an overview of why humans tend to consume excess...
Meeting the Future Halfway | Frankly #4
02 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this Frankly, Nate unpacks the choice of the podcast title "The Great Simplification", and how he thinks about responses - rather than solutions - ...
Gerardo Ceballos: "Will the Ongoing Population Extinctions Lead to a 6th Mass Extinction?"
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with ecologist and conservationist Dr. Gerardo Ceballos. Ceballos discusses animal populations, the sixth mass extinction, hi...
Jason Bradford: "A Hybrid Path to the Future of Farming"
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Jason Bradford, who is an author, activist, farmer, and teacher, talks about the energy intensity of our modern industrial agricultur...
Energy Blindness | Frankly #3
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nate explains how our culture is "energy blind" and the implications. The YouTube video, featuring charts and graphs, of this podcast is available now...
Tim Watkins: "From Living Like Gods to Living Your Own Story"
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with author, social scientist, policy researcher, and mental health advocate Tim Watkins. Watkins gives us a bird's eye view ...
Aza Raskin: "AI, The Shape of Language, and Earth's Species"
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with cofounder of the Earth Species Project, cofounder of the Center for Humane Technology, and cohost of the podcast Your Un...
Vicki Robin "Money and LIfe's Energy"
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Show Summary: On this episode, we meet with social innovator, writer, and speaker, Vicki Robin. Robin unpacks how the machine of community begins. H...
Daniel Schmachtenberger: "Bend not Break #2: Maximum Power and Hyper Agents"
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with founding member of The Consilience Project, Daniel Schmachtenberger. In the second of a four-part series, Nate and Daniel...
Dr. Simon Michaux: "Minerals and Materials Blindness""
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Associate Professor of Geometallurgy at the Geological Survey of Finland, Dr. Simon Michaux. Why do humans ignore import...
Thomas Murphy: "Physics and Planetary Ambitions"
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Professor of Physics at UCSD and the Associate Director of CASS, the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Tom Mur...
Chuck Watson: "Nuclear War - All the Questions You Were Afraid to Ask"
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Show Summary: On this episode, we meet again with risk expert Chuck Watson. How can we avoid a nuclear conflict? Watson gives a primer on how to red...
Tristan Harris: "Social Media: Bringing the Ring to Mordor"
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Co-Founder of the Center for Humane Technology and co-host of Your Undivided Attention Podcast, Tristan Harris. Harris e...
Daniel Pauly: "Peak Fish and Other Ocean Realities"
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Professor at the University of British Columbia and Founder of Sea Around Us, Dr. Daniel Pauly. Dr. Pauly shares the rol...
John Gowdy: "Superorganisms, Crazy Ants, and Fire Apes, Oh My!"
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Ecological Economist, John Gowdy. Gowdy explores the revolution in biology and its significance in society. How do diffe...
Jamie Wheal: "Neuro-anthropology and Culture Architecture"
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Executive Director of the Flow Genome Project, Jamie Wheal. Jamie discusses the evolutionary importance of music as a co...
Dennis Meadows: "Limits to Growth turns 50 - Checking In"
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Professor Emeritus of Systems Management and author, Dennis Meadows. Meadows revisits Limits to Growth 50 years after it...
Rex Weyler: "Crisis in the Ecology Movement"
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with ecologist, writer, and Greenpeace cofounder, Rex Weyler. Weyler explains how the ecology movement was hijacked by the en...
Are Americans Willing to Risk Nuclear War? | Frankly #2
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An important dialogue with Chuck Watson on: 1) Why the U.S. public is naïve about what nuclear war means 2) The mechanics on how nuclear war with Rus...
Nora Bateson: "Complexity Between The Lines"
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with award-winning filmmaker, writer, educator, and President of the International Bateson Institute, Nora Bateson. Nora brin...
What War in Ukraine means for Energy & Money | Frankly #1
12 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In addition to regular Wednesday longform podcasts, this video is #1 of new series of short takes, "Frankly" which are framings and context on current...
The Human Superorganism - TGS Animated Series Preview
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The second part of The Great Simplification Animated Series is now available! Visit http://thegreatsimplification.com to view now.
Paul Ehrlich: "Was the Population Bomb Defused?"
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with Professor Emeritus of Population Studies at Stanford University and author of The Population Bomb, Paul Ehrlich. Ehrl...
Peter Ward: "Oceans - What's the Worst that Can Happen?"
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with author and paleobiologist Peter Ward. Ward helps us catalogue the various risks facing Earth's oceans, how the Atlantic ...
Josh Farley: "The Past, Present, and Future of Human Cooperation"
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with ecological economist and Professor in Community Development & Applied Economics and Public Administration, Josh Farley. ...
Energy Blind - TGS Animated Series Preview
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The first part of The Great Simplification's animated series is now available! Visit thegreatsimplification.com to view now.
Herman Daly: "Toward an Ecological Economics"
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we meet with ecological economist and professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, Herman Daly. Daly discusses the biophysical u...
Daniel Schmachtenberger: "Bend Not Break Part 1: Energy Blindness"
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with founding member of The Consilience Project, Daniel Schmachtenberger. In the first of a five-part series, Nate and Daniel ...
Chuck Watson: "From MAD to NUTS: Risk, Nukes, & Climate Change"
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with risk expert and consultant, Chuck Watson. Watson analyzes the types of risk we face in the modern world - from climate ...
Arthur Berman: "Oil: It Was The Best of Fuels, It Was The Worst of Fuels"
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with petroleum geologist and expert in U.S. shale, Arthur Berman. In the discussion, Berman explains oil from the ground-up. W...
Dr. Shanna Swan: "Sperm and Our Future"
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we meet with one of the world's leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologists, Dr. Shanna Swan. Dr. Swan discusses how chemic...
Richard Gephardt: "Democracy: Old School vs New Reality"
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we welcome the Honorable Richard A. Gephardt to explore the challenges and opportunities present in our modern democracy. In his first...
Trailer
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens is a podcast that explores money, energy, economy, and the environment with world experts and leaders to und...