Collapsology (SOCIETAL COLLAPSE, LOL!) with Dr. Joseph Tainter
What is your Roman Empire? It’s about to be this episode. What causes the big dogs to stumble and fall? Do societies collapse suddenly, or would one notice as it happens? What is a complex society – and is it better than a simple one? Depends on who you ask, and we went straight to the source: the legendary anthropologist, scholar, historian and author of “The Collapse of Complex Societies,” Dr. Joseph Tainter. New obsession awaits you in the fall of the Roman Empire, cities lost to the desert dust, diminishing returns, fiddling amid the flames, the worst beard in history, fossil fuels, fertilizer, bread, circus, hanging chads, and if you should go live on a small goat farm. Happy 250th birthday to the currently United States of America!
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Follow Dr. Tainter on Google Scholar
Buy his book, The Collapse of Complex Societies
A donation went to Utah State University's Ecology Center
Links to things we discussed:
Pittsburg meeting gets HEATED over data center on old golf course | KTVU
The decline and fall of the roman denarius
Rome Is Burning: Nero and the Fire That Ended a Dynasty
Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000)
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Doomsday Clock
Blog post: Notes on the Collapse of Complex Societies
'Doomsday Clock' stands at 85 seconds to midnight
Human Extinction: A History of the Science and Ethics of Annihilation by Emile Torres
The Light and Darkness of Dr. Fritz and Mr. Haber
Other episodes you may enjoy:
Classical Archaeology (ANCIENT ROME)
Revolutionology (REBELLIONS & SOCIAL CHANGE)
Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY)
Space Archaeology (SPACE JUNK)
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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn
