Exploitation of technological advancements leads to a multipolar trap where individuals and societies compete to avoid being left behind.
Efficiency often leads to increased consumption rather than conservation, as seen throughout history.
Access to energy resources is a driving force behind evolutionary success and societal development.
The inexorable drive to exploit resources and seek competitive advantage creates pressure for individuals and societies to engage in resource exploitation and destructive behaviors within the superorganism.
Deep dives
The Inevitability of Multipolar Traps
Humans have a tendency to exploit technological advancements to increase efficiency and access more energy and resources. This leads to a phenomenon known as the multipolar trap, where different groups or individuals compete and race to exploit resources or adopt destructive behaviors in order to stay competitive. This trap arises because if one group refrains from these behaviors, others will still engage in them, leading to an overall negative outcome. The inexorability of these behaviors means that individuals and societies must race to avoid being left behind or disadvantaged.
The Jevons Paradox and Surplus Generation
The Jevons paradox highlights the fact that increases in efficiency often lead to increased consumption rather than conservation. For example, in agriculture, the adoption of more efficient tools such as the plow led to a surplus of food production, which in turn fueled population growth, division of labor, and increased complexity in society. This pattern is seen throughout history, where increased efficiency in accessing energy and resources does not lead to reduced consumption, but rather enables the emergence of new industries and activities that require even more resources.
The Maximum Power Principle and Energy Access
The maximum power principle states that organisms and ecosystems self-organize in order to access energy gradients. In the context of human societies, this principle means that access to energy resources is a driving force behind evolutionary success and societal development. Humans have uniquely harnessed exosomatic energy, using tools, technology, and exosomatic systems to access and utilize vast amounts of energy beyond what their own bodies could provide. This has enabled exponential population growth and the development of complex societies.
The Superorganism and Racing to Exploit Resources
The concept of the superorganism suggests that human societies function as a complex interconnected system, where individual actions and behaviors collectively shape the trajectory of the whole. Within this superorganism, the inexorable drive to exploit resources and seek competitive advantage leads to a 'race to the bottom' mentality. If one group refrains from exploiting resources, others will fill the void and gain an advantage. This creates a systemic pressure on individuals and societies to engage in resource exploitation and adopt destructive behaviors as a means of survival and progress within the superorganism.
Atoms, Energy, and Bits: Three Key Components of the Materials Economy
The podcast episode discusses the importance of atoms, energy, and bits in the materials economy. Atoms refer to physical materials and resources, such as copper, steel, and other finite resources. Energy is crucial for moving and transforming atoms, and it plays a pivotal role in various industrial processes. Bits, on the other hand, represent digital information and computational power. The podcast highlights the interdependence and coupling between atoms, energy, and bits. It emphasizes how the price and availability of energy impact the entire market and influence technological advancements. The episode also touches on the challenges of achieving sustainability and the need to reconsider our reliance on externalizing costs and depleting non-renewable resources.
The Jevons Paradox and its Application to Energy and Bits
The Jevons Paradox is discussed as it applies to energy and bits. It is explained that when energy or digital information becomes cheaper, the overall market expands and more of it is consumed. This paradox holds true for various sectors, including computation, where increased efficiency leads to more total consumption of computational resources. The podcast acknowledges that the paradox also applies to many aspects of the materials economy. It highlights the need to address the externalities and perverse incentives that arise from the increase in efficiency and consumption in order to achieve sustainability.
The Challenge of Transitioning to a Sustainable Market
The podcast explores the challenges of transitioning to a sustainable market. It emphasizes the need to redefine success metrics beyond mere profitability. The discussion revolves around the inherent tension between market dynamics and the long-term viability of resources, particularly energy and atoms. The episode raises important questions about the future of the market and how to ensure that it operates within the bounds of finite resources and respects the externalities associated with consumption and extraction. It calls for reevaluating our current economic system and finding better ways to incentivize sustainability and responsible resource management.
Recognizing and Addressing Externalities in the Materials Economy
The podcast highlights the significance of externalities in the materials economy. It stresses the need to account for the wider costs and impacts of extraction, production, and consumption beyond immediate profitability. The discussion acknowledges the challenges of valuing and mitigating externalities, particularly in a market-oriented system. It emphasizes that sustainable solutions must consider the long-term consequences and seek to internalize these costs. The episode calls for greater transparency, regulatory vigilance, and the development of binding systems that align economic incentives with sustainability goals.
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 explore the relationship between energy, information, technology, the Superorganism, and the maximum power principle.
How can we maximize returns on agency? Nate and Daniel explain the importance of hyper agents: those humans who have an outsized influence on what’s happening in the world.
About Daniel Schmachtenberger:
Daniel Schmachtenberger is a founding member of The Consilience Project, aimed at improving public sensemaking and dialogue.
The throughline of his interests has to do with ways of improving the health and development of individuals and society, with a virtuous relationship between the two as a goal.
Towards these ends, he’s had particular interest in the topics of catastrophic and existential risk, civilization and institutional decay and collapse as well as progress, collective action problems, social organization theories, and the relevant domains in philosophy and science.
For Show Notes and Transcript visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/20-daniel-schmactenberger
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