The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens
Nate Hagens
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
34 snips
Feb 4, 2026 • 1h 16min
How to Read the Signs of Collapse: Economic Stagnation, Resource Scarcity, and Europe's Industrial Decline with Balázs Matics
Balázs Matics, an Eastern European industrial product engineer and author of The Honest Sorcerer, maps slow-moving collapse driven by energy and material shortfalls. He highlights diesel's outsized role, Europe's vulnerability, shifting geopolitics and deglobalization. Conversation also explores localization, repair economies, community planning, and the industrial signals governments should watch.
42 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 32min
A Country of Geniuses: Anthropic CEO's Warnings, Plus Wide-Boundary Considerations on AI
A deep unpacking of Dario Amodei's metaphor of AI as a nation of geniuses and the risks when such power scales quickly. Discussion of recursion, autonomy, and how AI can amplify misuse, economic disruption, and political polarization. A wide‑boundary view ties AI to energy, materials, infrastructure, and governance. Questions raised about whether society can gain the wisdom and institutions needed as intelligence becomes cheap and abundant.
25 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 32min
Wide Boundary News: Japan, Silver, Venezuela, and More – the Biophysical Phase Shift Cometh
A wide-boundary look at how financial signals like Japan's bond turmoil and silver's spike reveal tensions between money and material limits. A tour through materials constraints, energy transition risks, and copper-driven optimism. Geopolitical moves in Venezuela and Greenland get tied to resource control. Climate oddities and a UK biodiversity warning underscore a shifting biophysical reality.
23 snips
Jan 28, 2026 • 1h 22min
The New Generation of Environmental Leadership: Stubborn Optimism, Tending Your Inner Fire, and Why Hope Is Not Enough with Xiye Bastida
Xiye Bastida, Indigenous environmental justice activist and co-founder of Re-Earth Initiative, blends ancestral wisdom with youth-led climate action. She discusses growing from school strikes to sustained stewardship. Short takes cover community healing, shifting definitions of success, tactical wins at global talks, and tending a steady inner fire rooted in love and reciprocity.
44 snips
Jan 23, 2026 • 21min
The Creature in the Machine | Frankly 120
Knee surgery becomes a springboard for deep reflection on our physical existence versus the cognitive overload of modern life. The host explores the tension between gratitude for technological advances and the hidden costs they incur. He interweaves insights from Tolkien and Kingsnorth, highlighting humanity's struggle within an increasingly mechanical world. Current political dynamics and social fragmentation are examined, paired with a commitment to embodied practices like weightlifting to reclaim agency. Ultimately, it's an invitation to remain human in a rapidly abstracting society.
43 snips
Jan 21, 2026 • 1h 28min
Arms Race or the Human Race? Governance in the Age of AI, Nuclear Threats, and Geopolitical Brinkmanship | RR 21
Mark Medish and Chuck Watson, experts in policy and geopolitics, unravel the pressures on human governance facing today's global chaos. They discuss the fragility of international treaties like New START and the impacts of AI on decision-making. The conversation highlights the tension between technology and human agency while advocating for stronger public awareness and engagement in governance. Together, they stress the urgency of reinforcing trust and communication to navigate potential nuclear and geopolitical crises.
30 snips
Jan 16, 2026 • 29min
Technology and Wealth: The Straw, the Siphon, and the Sieve | Frankly 119
Dive into the intriguing relationship between technology and wealth through metaphors of a straw, siphon, and sieve. Discover how technology accelerates resource extraction but often benefits a select few. Explore the idea that true wealth encompasses ecosystems and social trust, not just monetary gain. Nate discusses the dark side of scaling local technological solutions, highlighting examples from agriculture and finance. He raises thought-provoking questions about our values and how we can redirect innovation to prioritize sustainability.
113 snips
Jan 14, 2026 • 1h 42min
Why the West Can't Defend Itself: How Material Scarcity Is Reshaping Global Power with Craig Tindale
Craig Tindale, a private investor and materials expert, dives into the vulnerabilities created by decades of offshoring in Western economies. He discusses how low-cost capital favors short-term gains and hampers industrial capacity, emphasizing weakening defense capabilities. Tindale introduces his 'four clocks' framework to illustrate conflicting pressures from consumption, climate urgency, and defense needs. He also addresses AI's role in mining and foresees a shift in labor dynamics as robot ownership rises, pushing society towards resilience and local skills cultivation.
67 snips
Jan 9, 2026 • 23min
The Things We Take for Granted | Frankly 118
In a thought-provoking discussion, Nate reflects on the often-overlooked supports in our lives, from health to social connections. He emphasizes that real wealth lies in reliability, rather than material accumulation. The conversation dives into how constant stimulation affects our attention, hinting that embracing boredom could rediscover joy in small moments. Nate warns of ecological stability being taken for granted and urges listeners to contemplate their autonomy in a world that subtly influences choices. It's a call for gratitude and awareness in our fast-paced lives.
149 snips
Jan 7, 2026 • 1h 37min
How We've 'Drugified' Our Entire Existence: Dopamine & Addiction In the Digital Age with Anna Lembke
Anna Lembke, a Stanford University professor and bestselling author, dives into the complexities of addiction in a digital world. She discusses how modern environments hijack our brain's dopamine, fostering compulsive behaviors linked to technology and processed foods. Lembke highlights that addiction is a predictable response to societal pressures rather than a personal failing. She also shares practical strategies for reducing addictive tendencies, such as radical honesty and digital etiquette, aiming for a balanced life amidst a culture of instant gratification.
