AMA: How do I explain collapse to someone?*

*(and that the wars, climate disasters, democratic upheavals etc today are VERY different to crises in the past)?

This episode’s question has been asked by too many of you to mention. Many of us have been in situations where we try to talk about the domino’ing of crisis - AI, nuclear, climate, food insecurity, democratic decline, political polarisation, fertility collapse - and get told we’re just being a big old Henny Penny, and that crises happen all the time and humanity survives. The belief is that tech innovation, price mechanisms, progress (!) and human ingenuity will find a way to save us. However, this time is categorically different to past near misses and calamities. There are reams of science that prove it (sadly). So how do you explain this in a calm, convincing way at the next BBQ? Sarah provides a comprehensive rundown of all the points that one can make that set out a picture of how the collapse of complex systems works.

SHOW NOTES

Here’s where you can start reading the first chapter of the Book Serialisation. And here’s the table of contents.

Here’s the Meg Wheatley episode from the recent Collapse Series. 

Here’s the written version of the explainer (should you want a printable version on hand!) 

Want to ask Sarah your question…post it here.

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