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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
Renewable Energy
Sustainability
Energy
Plastic Pollution
Oil
Environmental Crisis
Fossil Fuels
Mental Health
Geopolitics
Technology
Education
Global Economy
Environmental Stewardship
Economic Superorganism
Community

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes438Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Earth SciencesNatural SciencesScience

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Artwork for The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

Latest Episodes

In this week's Frankly, Nate examines the possibility that global economic growth is approaching its limits, reframing it as a historically unusual period in human history enabled by an extraordinary inheritance of fossil fuels. By tracing the relati... more

With headlines reporting that oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz are recovering to pre-war levels, it seems that the oil supply chains have stabilized – yet prices and availability don't tell the same story. Over two billion barrels of expected... more

YouTube

In the face of increasing chaos in our world, Nate turns inward in this week's Frankly to examine a more personal question: what allows an individual to remain grounded, authentic, and capable of contributing meaningfully in turbulent times? He draws... more

Many of us question the core principles of individualism, competition, and transaction our current civilization is founded on. But with an entire culture steeped in these ideals, we don't know where to look for a different way forward. Thankfully, ag... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Rory Johnston
Oil market researcher, Commodity Context founder and lecturer at the University of Toronto
Commodity Context
Episode: A Shattered Market?: The Counterintuitive Story of the Hormuz Oil Crisis with Rory Johnston
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Plant ecologist, bryologist, writer, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Episode: Earth's Oldest Teachers: How to Live Well on Earth with Robin Wall Kimmerer
Indy Johar
Architect and founder of Project 00; founder of DarkMatter Labs
Project 00; DarkMatter Labs
Episode: Optionality Collapse: We're Investing in a Future That Won't Exist with Indy Johar
Art Berman
Arthur Berman, petroleum geologist with over 40 years of oil and gas industry experience
Independent consultant to E&P companies and capital groups
Episode: A World-Changing Event: We're Not Going Back to January 2026 with Art Berman
Zeke Hausfather
Climate scientist and systems analyst
Berkeley Earth; Frontier; Carbon Brief
Episode: Climate Uncertainty: The Coolest Year for the Rest of Our Lives? with Zeke Hausfather
Robert A. Pape
Geopolitical analyst, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Episode: The Escalation Trap: Is America's Strategy in Iran Backfiring? with Robert Pape
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

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
  • Favorite Podcast

    I seldom feel compelled enough to write a review, but the Great Simplification is my absolute favorite podcast. It takes subjects I feel are generally artificially siloed and instead weaves them together to provide a more comprehensive, systemic perspective of all the issues that affect us today. Thank you, Nate, for your perspective. It’s much appreciated.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    lsaoster
    United States2 months ago
  • 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 States2 months ago
  • Love your podcast

    I deeply admire Nate and his open and humble approach to this difficult topic. Nate explores the nature of or civilization’s most pressing problems with a sincere and non-prescriptive attitude together with countless amazing and important thinkers and doers.

    Thank you for your amazing work, Nate.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    malt5939
    Denmark3 months 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 States3 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 States5 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.

A Shattered Market?: The Counterintuitive Story of the Hormuz Oil Crisis with Rory Johnston
Q: What do you think the chances are as all this real-time game of risk unfolds that new alliances within the Gulf Coast countries themselves emerge from this, and what would the implications for oil and products be?
Johnston says Gulf states are pursuing pipeline projects to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, while their strategies differ. He also sees countries diversifying security partnerships and relying less on the United States, changes that could reshape regional energy routes and relationships.
A Shattered Market?: The Counterintuitive Story of the Hormuz Oil Crisis with Rory Johnston
Q: What are the big surprises as you've watched this conflict unfold this summer and into the fall?
Johnston highlights China's sharp import reduction, the market's expectation of a future oil surplus, and political pressure from the White House as major factors that softened or complicated the market response.
Earth's Oldest Teachers: How to Live Well on Earth with Robin Wall Kimmerer
Q: What is the Honorable Harvest?
Kimmerer describes it as a practical ethic for consuming from the natural world: ask permission, listen, take no more than half, share, express gratitude, avoid disruptive tools, and give something back.
Earth's Oldest Teachers: How to Live Well on Earth with Robin Wall Kimmerer
Q: How do you bridge science and Indigenous knowledge?
Kimmerer says both ways of knowing inquire of the land, but use different tools. Western science emphasizes objective, material observations, while Indigenous science also values subjective intelligence, emotional intelligence, and spiritual tools.
The Escalation Trap: Is America's Strategy in Iran Backfiring? with Robert Pape
Q: What are the risks of pursuing tactical nuclear options?
Tactical nuclear usage would trigger severe global repercussions, undermine the 80-year nuclear taboo, and likely devastate U.S. Treasury debt markets due to loss of confidence and skyrocketing borrowing costs, making it a highly dangerous and ill-advised option.

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. Wild with Sarah Wilson
4. Breaking Down: Collapse
5. RUSHKOFF

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 5 years ago and published 438 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. Rory Johnston
2. Robin Wall Kimmerer
3. Indy Johar
4. Art Berman
5. Zeke Hausfather
6. Robert A. Pape
7. Sarah Wilson
8. Roman Yampolskiy

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