Factually! with Adam Conover We All Feel Like the World's Ending Because It Is (Kind Of) with Lizzie Wade
Nov 26, 2025
Lizzie Wade, a science writer and author of 'Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World', dives into the pervasive feeling that the world is ending. She reveals how historical events like the Black Death reshaped societies and explores modern doomerism. Lizzie argues that apocalypses, while destructive, often lead to new opportunities and social transformations. The conversation highlights how cooperation often arises in the wake of disasters, reminding us that from chaos, we can craft better futures.
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Apocalypse As World Replacement
- Apocalypse often means the end of one social world and the birth of another, not literal annihilation.
- Lizzie Wade argues we will live into the new world and should shape it rather than assume total extinction.
Cities Prepared For The Plague
- The Black Death hit Eurasian cities fast, killing half the population in 12–18 months in some places.
- Cities like London pre-built mass graves and processed the crisis through religious frameworks.
Death Reshaped Social Orders
- The Black Death disproportionately killed the most vulnerable, amplifying preexisting inequality.
- Massive mortality created labor scarcity that reshuffled wages, mobility, and long-term inequality patterns.
