The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

Conversations on ecology, economics, energy and human behavior AI summary

Nate Hagens Visit website › Science · EN · 442 episodes · latest 2026-11-13

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What it is about

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 normalize these conversations and, in doing so, change the initial conditions of future events.

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
Nate Hagens, 2025

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Latest episodes

How the End of Energy Abundance Rewrites Civilization | Rules of the Downslope Part 1

2026-11-13 · 30 min

This week, Nate explores the shifting rules of human civilization as society moves from the upslope to the downslope of the Carbon Pulse. The conditions of abundant fossil energy that have rewarded growth, scale,…
Print or Default (or Both?): The US Debt Trap Accelerates

2026-11-11 · 1 hr 37 min

(Conversation recorded on November 4th, 2026) The Great Recession, the dot-com bubble, the Mexican debt crisis: for every major financial crisis in the last 50 years, the U.S. has answered with more borrowing and more…
Who Won the Election?: The Blue Tsunami and the Superorganism | Frankly 165

2026-11-06 · 11 min

This week, Nate offers a reflection on the U.S. midterm elections, separating the relief of a clear outcome from the deeper questions that remain unsolved. He considers what has changed politically and what hasn't…
Saving Bats to Save Ourselves: How to Stop the Tragedy of the Commons with Iroro Tanshi

2026-11-04 · 55 min

(Conversation recorded on September 24th, 2026) One in five mammal species on Earth is a bat, yet they remain some of the most overlooked and misunderstood creatures in conservation. Bats pollinate crops, control pests,…
7 Ways Growth Ends | Frankly 164

2026-10-30 · 47 min

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…
A Shattered Market?: The Counterintuitive Story of the Hormuz Oil Crisis with Rory Johnston

2026-10-28 · 1 hr 37 min

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…
5 Things That Keep Us Whole: Staying Grounded in an Unraveling World | Frankly 163

2026-10-23 · 17 min

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…
Earth's Oldest Teachers: How to Live Well on Earth with Robin Wall Kimmerer

2026-10-21 · 1 hr 25 min

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…
7 Rungs of a Runaway System: How Civilization Descended Into Crisis | Frankly 162

2026-10-16 · 30 min

In this week's Frankly Nate unfurls a metaphorical "ladder" that traces the systems-oriented forces shaping the economic Superorganism. He outlines seven rungs that trickle down to affect the behaviors and events we…
Optionality Collapse: We're Investing in a Future That Won't Exist with Indy Johar

2026-10-14 · 1 hr 29 min

Traditional financial management tells us that, if we invest right, we'll be able to retire and sink into a future of comfort and stability – and even pass on your wealth to your children and grandchildren. But this…

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Publisher details

Oldest episode in feed: 01/2022 · over 4 years
Typical length: 1 hr 1 min
Format: Episodic Newest first, episodes stand alone

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