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Artwork for The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

Nate Hagens
Climate Change
Artificial Intelligence
Biodiversity
Human Behavior
Ecology
Sustainability
Renewable Energy
Energy
Plastic Pollution
Oil
Environmental Crisis
Fossil Fuels
Mental Health
Geopolitics
Technology
Education
Environmental Stewardship
Economic Superorganism
Community Resilience
Global Economy

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 c... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes428Founded5 years ago
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Earth SciencesNatural SciencesScience

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Artwork for The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

Latest Episodes

The United States, a global superpower for the last several decades, is now locked into a battle for control over the region with the bulk of the world's remaining fossil fuel reserves. Despite U.S. military strength, Iran is not backing down, equipp... more

This week, Nate zooms out from recent headlines about climbing diesel prices, a thinning U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and inflationary bond markets to ask the deeper question: what is the real work that's required of us as the systems that under... more

For years, the climate movement ran on the promise that, if we all rally hard enough, we could have it all: continue with our current system and save the planet. Yet the events of the past few decades have shown that this isn't quite the case, and in... more

YouTube

This week's Frankly begins with a deceptively simple question Nate was asked in conversation: what would change his mind about The Great Simplification thesis? Nate uses the question as a jumping-off point to examine what evidence would actually caus... more

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Recent Guests

Sarah Wilson
Philosopher and writer; New York Times bestselling author; host of Wild podcast; author of I Eat the Stars
Author and commentator on existential risk and climate/civilizational collapse
Episode: Radical Simplicity: The Opportunities of a World in Collapse with Sarah Wilson
Roman Yampolskiy
AI safety expert and founder in the field; tenured at University of Louisville
University of Louisville / Cyber Security Lab
Episode: Banning Superintelligence: Are We Building Humanity's Replacement? with Roman Yampolskiy
Charles Eisenstein
American author, public speaker, and teacher focusing on civilization, consciousness, money, and human cultural evolution
Author (Sacred Economics, The Ascent of Humanity)
Episode: The Collapse of Our Mythology: Can Humanity Choose What's Next? with Charles Eisenstein
Greg Elliott
Author of The Psychopathic Selection Hypothesis; Siemens Solutions Consultant; co-founder of Orbyfy; founder of Institute for Symbolic Selection
Institute for Symbolic Selection; Orbyfy; Siemens
Episode: The Psychopathic Selection Hypothesis: The Rules of the Game Keep Us Trapped with Greg Elliott | TGS 231
Ed Conway
Economics journalist
Sky News
Episode: Material World: The Key Resources Underpinning Modern Economies with Ed Conway | Archive TGS 127
Richard Schwartz
Therapist, founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS Institute
Episode: Your Anxiety Is Normal: A New Psychology for a World in Crisis with Richard Schwartz & Steffi Bednarek
Steffi Bednarek
Climate psychologist, Gestalt psychotherapist, systems thinker, IFS therapist
Center for Climate Psychology
Episode: Your Anxiety Is Normal: A New Psychology for a World in Crisis with Richard Schwartz & Steffi Bednarek
Olivier Hamant
Biologist and biophysicist
Michael Serres Institute; Director of Research at INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment)
Episode: The Optimization Trap: Why Too Much Efficiency Makes Us Fragile with Olivier Hamant
Jeff Currie
Energy commodity analyst; Chief Strategy Officer at Altis Partners
Altis Partners
Episode: The End of Globalization: Why Abundance Is an Illusion with Jeff Currie

Host

Nate Hagens
Host of The Great Simplification; specializes in systems thinking, energy, and societal design

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 2.3k ratings
  • Landfills

    I appreciate how some of your guests view the individual as having agency over the path of the super-organism. I disagree. I think of it how Bill Rees puts it; whatever resources I forgo aren’t now saved, they are taken up by another individual.

    I would love to hear a round table with landfill experts, that’s a story worth exploring to understand the logistics required to build up a landfill.

    Thanks for great work TGS team!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WilderLander
    United States21 days ago
  • John churchill sounds dangerously hierarchical and exclusive

    Hierarchy can be good as a scaffold but this is a very odd take and use on the term third person and post modernism especially if you look at how all that has been used before. Also plenty of people were “we” based long before 100 years ago and this is not linear. Too “good guys vs bad guys” framed, like if you don’t become exactly this way you are some lower. There are lots of other avenues. I fear this this could lead to non dual coming to mean “become one like me”

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Graciey8888
    United States2 months ago
  • Bill Rees

    I feel like Bill is one of the few who tells it how it really is. A lot of people don’t paint the picture like he does, they gloss over it or avoid it all together.

    Bill is essential listening to enlighten people about the reality.

    I’d love to hear if you could do an episode about landfills too.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WilderLander
    United States3 months ago
  • Lies by omission

    M Every conveniently left out that Israel bombs Lebanon daily and has likely killed over 100k in gaza. He did claim Iran “has sworn to destroy Israel”. US attacked first killing 150 schoolgirls. Nice line about police as well. Real expert stuff.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    CthulhusButtPug
    United States3 months ago
  • Can host please be more modest

    That would be great, guests are amazing

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    justusbruns
    Netherlands5 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are consistently high-quality and thought-provoking.
Listeners praise clear, insightful framing of complex topics.
Overall positive feedback on depth and empathy in interviews.
Some critics want more practical solutions for immediate crises.
A mix of praise and critique on production quality and pacing.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Banning Superintelligence: Are We Building Humanity's Replacement? with Roman Yampolskiy
Q: What are your thoughts on the potential for governance and stopping progress in AI development?
The guest argues that progress should focus on safe, useful tools rather than creating general superintelligence, and that a permanent, global pause or ban may be necessary to prevent existential risk.
Your Anxiety Is Normal: A New Psychology for a World in Crisis with Richard Schwartz & Steffi Bednarek
Q: How does IFS intersect with the idea of a global “economic superorganism” and what does self-energy look like at that scale?
The interview explores treating the economy as a living system with parts that protect growth; self-energy at a collective level would require leaders who model compassionate, non-polarizing leadership and create structures that allow parts to be acknowledged and addressed ethically.
Your Anxiety Is Normal: A New Psychology for a World in Crisis with Richard Schwartz & Steffi Bednarek
Q: What practical steps can listeners take to start applying IFS in their own work or communities?
Begin by recognizing parts in yourself, practice compassionate curiosity, use dialogues to let exile parts speak, and introduce self-leadership in leadership roles and community structures to support systemic change.
Your Anxiety Is Normal: A New Psychology for a World in Crisis with Richard Schwartz & Steffi Bednarek
Q: What role does spirituality or mysticism play in IFS, and is this compatible with secular contexts?
Self is described as a universal, non-dogmatic essence that can be understood across traditions. The framework can incorporate spiritual dimensions without requiring particular beliefs, focusing on the experiential, experiential encounters of self and parts.
Your Anxiety Is Normal: A New Psychology for a World in Crisis with Richard Schwartz & Steffi Bednarek
Q: How can IFS be scaled from individuals to cultures and institutions?
By using IFS as a lens to view relational fields in organizations, recognizing silenced voices, exiles in organizations, and systemic patterns, and by fostering self-led leadership at the top to influence broader culture.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, systems-focused show that probes the forces shaping the human-nature predicament across ecology, energy, economics, and geopolitics. Conversations center on how complex feedbacks, constraints, and scarce resources drive long-term outcomes, with frequent emphasis on resilience, robustness, and practical action at household and community scales. Guests range from scientists and policy experts to energy strategists and sustainability practitioners, offering rigorous analysis paired with actionable ideas for individuals and organizations navigating a rapidly changing world. A distinguishing thread is connecting deep technical understanding to real-world decisions, from local land stewardship and regenerative finance to global supp... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Planet: Critical
2. Accidental Gods - The Thrutopian Podcast
3. Breaking Down: Collapse
4. Emergence Magazine Podcast
5. Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 5 years ago and published 428 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Sarah Wilson
2. Roman Yampolskiy
3. Charles Eisenstein
4. Greg Elliott
5. Ed Conway
6. Richard Schwartz
7. Steffi Bednarek
8. Olivier Hamant

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