Without a systemic, wide-boundary lens, our scientific efforts might not be up to the global challenges we face as a species, as atmospheric physicist Anastassia Makarieva explains.

In this episode, Nate is joined by Dr. Reid Meloy and Dr. Nancy McWilliams to explore the inner workings of the Dark Triad personality traits and their manifestation in modern culture. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/real...

Water issue expert Heather Cooley explains the multifaceted effects that a warming planet has on the water cycle upon which human civilization depends.

In this week’s Frankly, Nate updates viewers on things he learned in the past week, including global gold holdings, shifting geopolitical energy deals, and new U.S. Department of Energy reports. www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-orig...

Often our conversations about doing things "the right way" fail to ask whether we should be doing them at all.

Watershed restoration and ecosystem regeneration expert Zach Weiss explains how when it comes to our fresh water, we are taking much more than we are giving back.

In this episode, Nate is joined by physicist Anastassia Makarieva about the critical yet often overlooked role forests play in maintaining ecological balance and climate stability. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/193-...

One of the major blindspots of today's social and ecological champions is the idea that profit is inherently bad. Nature suggests otherwise. But that doesn't mean we have a free pass.

For most people, an algal bloom is simply an eyesore. Some folks might understand the damage it causes to marine ecosystems. But few people are aware of the associated risks for human health. Freshwater ecologist Mike Joy explains.

In this week’s Frankly, Nate weighs the value of a pound of gold with other things that we derive worth from in our lives – from dollars and bitcoin to…less pecuniary markers. www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-orig...

On this Reality Roundtable, Nate is joined by Heather Cooley, Zach Weiss, and Mike Joy to discuss the importance of water and hydrology and the complex ways they impact our planet. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/real...

War, climate, and human migration are inextricably linked, as migration historian Sunil Amrith explains.

While many of us would consider moving due to the pressures of a rapidly changing climate a last resort, a substantial amount of the people actually facing these challenges today don't even have migration as an option, as environmental and migration historian Sunil Amrith explains.

In this episode, Nate is joined by environmental and migration historian, Sunil Amrith, to explore the complex history of human movement – and what it reveals about the looming wave of climate-driven migration. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/192-...

Animal brains are built for movement. And humans are no different. But our propensity for moving through abstract time and space gives us a unique responsibility when it comes to how we live upon the Earth.

Our identity is much more intertwined with the people around us than we might think. Social neuroscientist Taylor Guthrie explains.

In this week’s Frankly, Nate unpacks some key blindspots of “the walrus movement”—a placeholder label that’s a gentle nod to those championing bold social and ecological ideals. www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-orig...

Myth #1: Economic laws are universal and timeless Reality: Economic theory was shaped by fossil abundance Implication: Old models misled us in a world of systems and limits

In this episode, Nate is joined by social neuroscientist Taylor Guthrie to delve into the neuroscience of identity, exploring how the brain constructs a sense of self and the implications for our modern societal challenges. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/191-...

Myth #2: Markets always produce the best outcomes Reality: Markets miss what can't be priced Implication: Without boundaries, the invisible hand destroys the commons

In this week’s Frankly, a grocery shopping trip turns into a reflection on value vs cost, and how consumption in our society is driven by the perception of value that’s presented to us. www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-orig...

Myth #3: Nature is a (trivial) subset of the human economy Reality: The economy is fully embedded in Earth systems Implication: Undervaluing nature erodes our long-term foundation

In this conversation, Nate is joined by Stephen Jenkinson, a cultural activist and author on the topic of grief, loss, and dying, to discuss his extensive work on grief literacy and the shortcomings of the dominant cultural attitudes towards death. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/190-...

Myth #4: GDP is the correct measure of progress Reality: GDP tracks spending, not wellbeing or ecosystem functionality Implication: Our main cultural goal is focused on costs, not benefits

Without a wide-boundary lens we can't see how much we depend on the "externalities" of commerce. Environmental journalist Oliver Milman explains just what's at risk with the unfolding insect crisis.

Insects seem to be swarming all around us, so it's no wonder we don't seem to to notice that they're disappearing at a rate of 2% per year. And this has massive implications, as environmental journalist Oliver Milman explains.

Myth #5: Debt is a neutral financial tool Reality: We can create more money (debt) but not more non-renewable inputs Implication: Debt is mostly leverage that increases civilizational risks

Myth #6: Money comes from existing savings Reality: Banks create money when they issue loans Implication: We are piling up claims on a shrinking biophysical base

On this episode, Nate is joined by environmental journalist, @olliemilman.bsky.social, to discuss the alarming decline in insect populations in the past few decades and the far-reaching consequences this has for ecosystem stability, human well-being, and the overall health of the biosphere.

Myth #7: Energy is merely another input Reality: a) Fossil energy surplus is a massive driver of economic productivity b) Energy is not substitutable other than by other energy Implication: Our entire economic recipe neglects the most important ingredient

In the game of energy musical chairs, the "less developed" nations always face constraints before "developed" nations.

Myth #9: Humans are rational decision-makers Reality: We act from emotion, status, and social cues Implication: Models built for robots will fail real people

Money is a claim on energy and materials. So what happens when those start to become less available?

What lessons can we draw from past instances when public debt reached unsustainable levels? (@reallynalden.bsky.social)

In this week’s Frankly, Nate explores the neuroscience of dopamine, and offers a reflection on the ways it plays into distraction, technology, and how we interact with the hyperstimulating world around us. www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-orig...

Myth #9: Humans are rational decision-makers Reality: We act from emotion, status, and social cues Implication: Models built for robots will fail real people

Myth #10: Price equals value Reality: Prices reflect ability to pay, not actual need or systemic importance Implication: Markets inevitably prioritize luxuries and ignore essentials

In today’s episode, Nate is joined once more by @reallynalden.bsky.social for a deeper exploration of the intricate relationships between fiscal dominance, rising levels of debt, and the role of energy in shaping our current financial realities. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/188-...

In a world of increasing political polarization, could the health risks associated with plastic waste be enough to bring people together to respond appropriately?

The relationship between the plastic crisis and recycling is deeper and more complex than one might imagine, as president of Atlantic Packaging, Wes Carter, explains.

In this Earth Day presentation, recorded earlier this year, Nate offers nine broad paths for individuals to cultivate resilience in an increasingly uncertain and unstable period of human history. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/187-...

In today’s episode, Nate is joined by Wes Carter, president of Atlantic Packaging, to discuss the pressing need for radical transformation in the packaging industry, and how his company has become a leader in sustainable packaging innovation. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/186-...

Could prioritizing cooperation and community be the key to realigning our economic systems to be in service of life?

Ecological economist Josh Farley explains how economic theories don't just describe systems, they change them. And our current economic thinking is long overdue for some evolution.

In this week’s Frankly, Nate shares a handful of things he’s learned recently that have implications for the Great Simplification, from the connections between corn sweat and wet bulb temperatures to a timeline of coral reef bleaching events. www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-orig...

Ecological economist Josh Farley explains how the evolutionary benefits of cooperation go way back, and also apply to our own cultural evolution today.

In this conversation, Nate is joined by ecological economist Josh Farley to explore the persistent myths taught in business schools, and the disconnect between economic theory and reality. www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/185-...

As 1 of 13 children, Thomas Berry had a lifetime of studying things that were similar but different. Deep ecologist John Seed explains how and why this Catholic priest expanded his spiritual focus later in life.

After decades as an ecological activist, John Seed realized that the action needed could only be achieved once people allowed their grief for world to be fully felt and expressed in community.

In today’s Frankly, Nate imagines that he’s looking back from an unspecified point in the future (even from beyond his lifetime), and ponders the core things he would want during his time on Earth. www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-orig...