Why do some ideas and technologies proliferate, whilst others die painfully?
Innovations aren't just bound merely the laws of Physics, but also the powerful laws of Nature and Biology.
In the "Lessons of History", Will and Ariel Durant propose the 3 Laws of Biology. Extending on the work of Charles Darwin, they explain the rules that govern life on earth and how it applies to humanity. In this episode, Sam extends the concept whilst also explaining a brief history of life on Earth whilst he's at it.
In it, you'll learn the fundamental rules of competition, selection and reproduction that govern the success of any organism, idea or technology.
We'll explore
- Why did Julius Caesar care so much about fertility rates?
- Your secret past life as the most epic dinosaur, the Supersaurus
- What causes unbridled Capitalism or Communism to fail
- Is equality even good thing? And if so what do we do about it...
ABOUT
How to Change the World is an independent podcast on a mission to document the entire history of innovation. One world-changing event at a time. In the process we are building out frameworks and mental models to think more coherently about global change.
Written, edited, recorded, and produced entirely by Sam Webster Harris.
(He also makes the music...)
Help from:
- Francisca Correia does the designs (available to hire)
- Jeremy Enns is our incredible podcast mentor (available to hire)
References
The Lessons of History - Will and Ariel Durant
An epic overview of the lessons these authors learnt in the process of writing their series, covering every era of humanity.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humanity - Yuval Noah Harari
This episode only used the first paragraph... But some of the topics of the history of life are also in the first chapter.
Home Deus: A History of Tomorrow - Yuval Noah Harari
The first chapter has a great section about Famine, Disease, and War.
Chapters
00:00 Is a hot dog a sandwich?
00:28 The Beginning of the Universe
01:10 The Story of Life on Earth
01:34 Three Rules of Biology
05:03 The First Law: Life is Competition
09:54 The Second Law: Life is Selection
11:59 Inequality in Nature and Society
13:47 Balancing Freedom and Equality
16:48 The Third Law: Life Must Breed
18:34 Human Progress, Fire and Agriculture
19:10 Agricultural Revolution and Civilization
19:48 Fertility and Population Dynamics: Japan vs. Nigeria
21:12 Ideas and Religions: Survival of the Fittest
22:49 Horsemen of Apocalypse: Famine, Disease, and War
28:13 Modern Challenges and Fertility Trends
30:20 Conclusion and Future Episodes
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