Illuminating a path for future generations

Navigating uncertainty through understanding. Building a resilient future together.

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Introduction

The Great Simplification is a sensemaking platform that faces the world’s complexities with curiosity and honesty. We don’t offer false hope or easy answers. Instead, we provide the insights needed to understand the systems at play, giving you the tools to make informed choices and navigate uncertainty. We believe real change comes when people are equipped with knowledge and can engage at various scales, even when the answers aren’t clear. We don’t promise certainty, but empower you to respond with confidence, knowing that moving forward starts with facing tough truths and asking the right questions.

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Podcast

Rod Schoonover

Rod Schoonover — The National Security Risks We’re Not Prepared For: Adapting In an Age of Actorless Threats

The National Security Risks We’re Not Prepared ForWith Rod SchoonoverRod SchoonoverThe Great SimplificationEp 183Watch now

Nate Hagens

The Systems Science Behind Our Global Crises: How Energy Drives Economics, Ecology, and Our Future  | The Great Simplification Movie

Movie Re-ReleaseThe Systems Science Behind Our Global CrisesWith Nate HagensThe Great SimplificationEp 182Watch now

Helena Norberg-Hodge

Helena Norberg-Hodge — Globalization End Game: How Localization Builds Resilient Communities & Economies

Globalization End GameGlobalization End GameWith Helena Norberg-HodgeHelena Norberg-Hodge HeadshotThe Great SimplificationEp 181Watch now

Zak Stein

Zak Stein — AI’s Unseen Risks: How Artificial Intelligence Could Harm Future Generations

AI’s Unseen RisksAI’s Unseen RisksWith Zak SteinZak SteinThe Great SimplificationEp 180Watch now

Malin Pinsky

Malin Pinsky — The Fish are Fleeing: How Shifting Marine Ecosystems are Upending Life

The Fish are FleeingThe Fish are FleeingWith Malin PinskyMalin PinskyThe Great SimplificationEp 179Watch now

Andrew Millison

Andrew Millison — Restoring Global Ecology: The Great Green Wall and Large-Scale Permaculture in Action

Restoring Global EcologyRestoring Global EcologyWith Andrew MillisonAndrew MillisonThe Great SimplificationEp 178Watch now

That’s very understandable because with left hemisphere thinking, one of the problems is that you see everything as a series of problems that must have solutions. Iain McGilchrist Neuroscientist and Philosopher

What we’re seeing is probably the largest mass movement of marine life, at least in the last 10,000 years, towards the poles. Malin Pinsky Associate Professor

The worst thing you can do to people is make them feel that whatever they do, it doesn’t matter. What we call in psychology “helplessness” — or even stronger, learned helplessness. Maren Urner Professor, Sustainable Transformation

We can’t have hundreds and hundreds of real relationships that are healthy because that requires time and effort and full attention and awareness of being in real relationship and conversation with the other human. Nate Hagens Executive Director ISEOF

Community

Whether you’re looking to deepen your knowledge, share insights, or connect with others who value systemic thinking, this group fosters meaningful dialogue in an open and respectful environment. By joining, you become part of a network dedicated to exploring big-picture ideas and providing a platform to explore the challenges of our time.

2022 Podcast Debuted

300 Hours of Content

#1 Rated globally in Earth Sciences

Our Host

Nate Hagens is the Director of The Institute for the Study of Energy & Our Future (ISEOF), an organization focused on educating and preparing society for the coming cultural transition. In conversation with leading ecologists, energy experts, politicians, and systems thinkers, ISEOF explores how human societies can adapt to lower throughput lifestyles.

Nate Hagens
Walking through the forrest

Resources

Rooted in science and systems thinking, we offer more than surface-level information.

Publication

Economics for the Future: Beyond the Superorganism

Rooted in science and systems thinking, we offer more than surface-level information

Short course

Human Predicament

Rooted in science and systems thinking, we offer more than surface-level information

Presentation

Earth and Humanity:
Myth and Reality

Rooted in science and systems thinking, we offer more than surface-level information

Institute

The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future (ISEOF) is dedicated to exploring the intricate relationships between energy, human behavior, economics, and the environment. ISEOF emphasizes the pivotal role of energy in shaping human systems and the natural world, highlighting how fossil hydrocarbons like coal, oil, and natural gas have become integral to modern society.

Coral structure in the sea

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The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future (ISEOF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, founded in 2008, that conducts research and educates the public about energy issues and their impact on society.

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