Innovation Richter Scale - Measuring How Technology and Ideas Change History

How to rank the impact of innovations on humanity and how much they really changed the world.

It's easy to tell that the invention of talking is more important than Velcro. But is Netflix more important than Baseball? Has TikTok changed the world as much as the Longbow?

History has opinions, so it's time for a scale that lets us rationally measure global impact.

NOTE - This episode expands on the Technological Richter Scale proposed by Nate Silver. (see references)

ABOUT

This show is an independent podcast on a mission.

It is written, edited, and recorded entirely by Sam Webster Harris.

He also makes the music.

Designs were crafted by Francisca Correia.

References

Nate Silver - One The Edge (2024)

Nate's book is about risk analysis and the future of AI. The final chapter proposes a Technological Richter Scale, with a page on how to use it.

Zvi Mowshowitz - AI and the Technological Richter Scale (2025)

A good summary of Nate's ideas, on how the scale applies to AI. Also quotes Nate's page guide for each level and argues a few changes.

Grant Lichtman - Innovation: Are We Overlooking "Magnitude" With "Frequency" (2013)

A short blog that suggests it might be nice to use a logarithmic Richter scale or a Madonna curve to measure innovation.

Chapters:

00:00  Innovation Richeter Scale

01:47 Why create a Scale?

03:47 Earthquake Metaphor

06:16 Invention, Innovation, Technology

06:56 Ranking Magnitude not Morality

08:08 The Innovation Richter Scale - Level 1 - 10

08:11 Level 1 - Shower thoughts

08:29 Level 2 - Actioned Idea (In private)

08:49 Level 3 - Public ideas (Not popular)

10:17 Level 4 - Popular and commercial ideas

11:08 Level 5 - Defining Brand

12:38 Level 6 - Innovation of the year

15:59 Level 7 - Innovation of the Decade

18:19 Level 8 - Innovation of the Century

21:29 Level 9 - Innovation of the Era

23:53 Level 10 - Species Epoch

28:31 Part 2 - Using the scale

29:45 Weapons and tools of death

29:54 Level 5 - Forms of Capital Punishment

30:55 Level 6 - Longbows to Rifles

32:01 Level 7 - Subcategories - Wheel chariot, aircraft carrier

32:31 Level 8 - Categories

33:13 Level 9 - Nuclear and existential threats

33:58 Politics and Population Impact

34:55 Level 7 and Continental policy

37:14 Level 9 - Politics is not level 9

38:00 Questions without answers

38:38 Emotional Impact and Purpose - Sports?

41:01 Peter Thiel and Chess

41:47 Religion and Personal Beliefs in interpreting the scale

43:33 Roundup conclusions

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