The Optimization Trap: Why Too Much Efficiency Makes Us Fragile with Olivier Hamant
05 Aug 2026
1h 24m
Nate Hagens · Science
The Great Simplification with 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
When Truth Becomes Hazardous: Navigating Information Through the Metacrisis | Frankly 153
31 Jul 2026
24m
The End of Globalization: Why Abundance Is an Illusion with Jeff Currie
29 Jul 2026
1h 28m
AI processedThe era of globalization has concluded, giving way to a period defined by energy scarcity, geopolitical fragmentation, and the necessity of state-led capital investment. Commodity markets, particularly for diesel and refined products, are signaling critical shortages that are currently masked by the depletion of strate...
Watch With Both Eyes Open: The Beauty and the Horror of Our Moment
24 Jul 2026
9m
Taking Love Seriously: What Ancient Wisdom & Modern Psychology Say About Interconnectedness with John Churchill
22 Jul 2026
1h 34m
Protect the Irreversible: What Matters Most in an Uncertain Future? | How to Think About the Future Pt 6, Frankly 151
17 Jul 2026
32m
It's Not Just Hormuz: The Chokepoints Changing Global Shipping Forever with Sal Mercogliano
15 Jul 2026
1h 30m
Foundations Before Outcomes: The Future Beneath Your Feet | How to Think About the Future Pt 5, Frankly 150
10 Jul 2026
29m
Can Money Serve Life? How to Fund Communities Doing the Real Work with Matthew Monahan
08 Jul 2026
1h 7m
A Legacy Worth Celebrating? Reflecting on 250 Years of the American Experiment | Frankly 149
02 Jul 2026
20m
Mordor to the Long Repair: How Might Daily Life Feel in the Next Decades? | How to Think About the Future Part 4, Frankly 148
26 Jun 2026
32m
We Weren't Expecting This: What Does a Super El Niño Mean For the Climate? with Tad Patzek
24 Jun 2026
1h 25m
How to Play 5D Chess: It's Not What You Think | Frankly 147
19 Jun 2026
18m
No More Dystopian Stories: How to See a Future Worth Living In with Rob Hopkins
17 Jun 2026
1h 35m
Uncomfortable Questions for Unsettled Times: Are You Okay With Nuclear Warfare? | Frankly 146
16 Jun 2026
23m
The U.S. Can't Back Down: The Strait of Hormuz Closure Is Messier Than You Think with Michael Every
12 Jun 2026
1h 25m
Why 'Community' Fails: Everyone Wants a Village, Nobody Wants to Be a Villager with Nora Bateson, Jonathan Goldsmith & Lucas Jackson | RR 26
10 Jun 2026
1h 33m
How to Think About the Future (Part 3): Uphill Futures in a Downhill World | Frankly 145
05 Jun 2026
24m
Back to the Land: Why Restoring Earth's Capacity Will Take All of Us with Brett KenCairn
03 Jun 2026
1h 34m
Casting Call for a Future Frankly
01 Jun 2026
4m
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