Why Our Civilization Could Fail and What To Do About It

On today's episode of Live Players, Samo Burja, shares his theory of long history, suggesting complex societies in human history is much older than traditionally assumed. He and Erik Torenberg discuss the implications of understanding ancient societies in the broader context of human behavior, power structures, China, the US, and A.I. existential risk. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period.

Live Players is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist

Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more.

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj

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We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

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SPONSORS: HARMONIC | SHOPIFY

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LINKS:

- Samo's article in Palladium Magazine: https://www.palladiummag.com/2021/05/17/why-civilization-is-older-than-we-thought/

- Samo’s Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

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X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg

@samoburja

@turpentinemedia

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Episode Intro

(00:26) Samo explains what long history is (the idea that human history has been far longer than previously believed)

(02:16) Why civilization is older than we thought

(07:27) The response of historians and archeologists and revision of general theories

(14:24) The implications of having a new understanding of history and why would it matter

(21:16) Sponsor: Shopify

(22:56) Why do civilizations rise and fall?

(31:04) The Downfall of Advanced Civilizations

(31:37) The Role of Mythology in Modern Society

(35:01) The Impact of Social Technologies on Civilizations

(37:44) The Similarities Between the US and China

(43:31) The Risks of Population Decline

(47:33) The Role of Fertility in Society

(53:21) Fertility, feminism, and anti-feminism