How to Think About the Future – Part 1: Changing the future starts with how you think

In the first instalment of a new series on thinking about the future, Nate Hagens argues that most debates about what lies ahead are shaped by a single competing narrative. He introduces “scenario thinking” as a way to hold multiple possible futures at once, and explores why this is psychologically and culturally difficult in practice.

Human Nature Odyssey, Episode 22. Earth Abides (Part 2): Future Animists

It’s been fifty years since the collapse of civilization – why isn’t everything back up and running already? In the sci-fi novel “Earth Abides,” Ish tries to teach the next generation about the old ways but these dang kids would rather explore abandoned boulevards and overgrown shopping malls.

Human Exceptionalism: How rethinking our place in the web of life could change our global crises

In this episode, Nate speaks with primatologist and author Dr. Christine Webb about human exceptionalism – the deeply embedded belief that humans are separate from and superior to the rest of nature. Webb argues this worldview is not a universal human trait but rather a product of a few dominant cultures, and that it lies at the root of many of our most pressing global challenges.

How to stay sane in a burning world: The four neural states of the polycrisis

From climate collapse to permanent war, our nervous systems are stuck between numbness and panic. A climate scientist argues that surviving the polycrisis means learning to move deliberately between neural states and building smaller, more grounded movements that protect our ability to care without breaking.