Explore every episode of the podcast How to Change the World: The History & Future of Innovation
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [~70,000BCE] - Language: The Cognitive Revolution that gave us Words, Art, Religion, Shame and Execution | 18 Aug 2025 | 01:12:44 | |
How complex language evolved during the cognitive revolution, changing humanity and the world. Discover how language transformed from simple grunts and hand signals to complex communication, enabling us to cooperate, create cultures, invent stuff and build civilizations. We explore the evolution of human imagination, the role of gossip, the development of societal morals, and the paradoxical nature of human violence and compassion. Additionally, we discuss the future of communication technology and the potential mind-blowing implications of brain-computer interfaces. Packed with insights from anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience, this episode provides a comprehensive understanding of our past and a glimpse into our possible future. ABOUT How to Change the World is an independent podcast documenting 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 and the future of technology. Written, edited, recorded, and produced by Sam Webster Harris. Help from:
REFERENCES
CHAPTERS 00:00 The magic of co-operation 02:26 Welcome 05:09 The Compression problem 08:50 ACT 1 - COGNITIVE BASIS OF LANGUAGE 08:50 Biological history of languages 13:46 The Interconnected Brain 17:24 Complex words and stuff 21:11 Teamwork 22:08 ACT 2 - GOSSIP, MYTHS & RELIGION 22:08 Gossip and the glue of society 25:46 Myths and shared delusions 30:40 Early Religions - Animism, art and penises 33:37 ACT 3 - SELF-DOMESTICATION 33:43 Shame and Blushing 38:30 The Execution Hypothesis 43:21 Reactive vs Proactive Violence 46:55 Mealtimes Sharing and small town thinking 52:12 ACT 4 - EVOLUTIONS OF LANGUAGE 52:12 Language shifts 55:59 Shame and Society 58:49 ACT 5 - FUTURE OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 01:01:33 Brain Computer Interfaces 01:07:38 Predicting the future 01:09:47 WRAP UP Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Laws of Nature: 3 Rules from History for the Success of Any Organism, Idea, Or Technology | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:31:52 | |
Why do some ideas and technologies proliferate across history, whilst others die painfully? Innovations aren't just bound by 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's theory of evolution with a lens of human history. 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
Come away with key mental models for understanding the future of innovation, technology and humanity. 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 and the future of technology. Learn more and contact us - ChangeTheWorldPod.com Written, edited, recorded, and produced entirely by Sam Webster Harris. (He also makes the music...) Help from:
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 FIRST LAW: Life is Competition 09:54 SECOND LAW: Life is Selection 11:59 Inequality in Nature and Society 13:47 Balancing Freedom and Equality 16:48 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| [~1.8 Mya] - Fire: The Innovation that Forged Humanity and Sparked World Domination | 27 Jun 2025 | 00:51:56 | |
Do we really control fire? A curious fact about fire is that an individual human is completely dependent on it to survive. Furthermore, human society itself is built on fire and would collapse totally without it While you're patting yourself on the back for lighting that barbecue, fire has been pulling the strings for 2 million years, reshaping our anatomy, rewiring our brains, and dictating our social structures. The ultimate innovator, it transformed us from ape-like creatures with a neat standing trick into the cunning apex predator of the world. Along the way, it upended both ecosystems, gender roles, and how we use energy. Today, as we face the dawn of AI, we're seeing a similar pattern. Fire marked a huge leverage of energy that freed us up to think. AI uses energy to do our thinking for us, which frees us up for who knows what. Three takeaways:
Ready to understand how fire forged the human mind and what it might mean for the future of technology and humanity? 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. Learn more and contact us - ChangeTheWorldPod.com Written, edited, recorded, and produced by Sam Webster Harris. (incl the music) Help from:
References Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human - Richard Wrangham A great overview of fire and human anthropology (apes etc...). I can highly recommend listening/watching some of interviews Richard Wrangham on other podcasts (Lex Friedman, Modern Wisdom, Jordan Peterson) The Pyrocene: How We Created An Age Of Fire - Stephen Pyne Some good ideas on the different eras of human fire use: Cooking food -> Cooking land -> Cooking the planet. Fire: The Spark That Ignited Human Evolution - Frances Burton The insights on the importance of light helped. 00:00 The Role of Fire in Civilization 04:32 First Fire - 500 million years ago 07:56 Humans and fire - ~2 million years ago 10:08 Discovery of Fire 12:21 Stadium of Grandmothers 13:24 Fire's Influence on Human Biology 15:55 Fire and Human Digestion 18:15 Light and Campfires 20:25 Mealtimes 21:32 Human Birth Woes 23:23 Why Only Humans Mastered Fire 25:55 Fire, Social Structures & Gender Roles 31:15 Adapting to the Information Age 33:17 Fire's Role in Human Expansion - 70,000 years ago 35:09 Terraforming with Fire 38:27 The Industrial Revolution and Fossil Fuel 42:00 The Race for Renewable Energy 43:11 Today - Reflecting on our lessons 44:28 AI: The Next Transformative Force 48:04 Reflections on Fire and the Future 49:06 Premium and Book resources Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Innovation Richter Scale: How Much Do Technology and Ideas Change World History? | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:46:48 | |
Innovations have huge impacts on humanity. But which ideas matter the most? Sam W. Harris builds out a system to rank world change and compare the impact of technology and inventions. It's easy to tell that the invention of Writing itself is more important than Velcro. But...
History has opinions. It's time to sense check what matters to humanity and the future and what is just noise. Headlines are beyond useless when everything seems so important these days:
So it's time for a scale to measure global impact. The Innovation Richter Scale: A 1 to 10 rating system to rank anything you can think of; from a Gillete safety razor to the future of AI NOTE - This episode expands on the Technological Richter Scale proposed by Nate Silver. ABOUT How to Change the World is an independent podcast documenting 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 and the future of technology. Learn more and contact us - ChangeTheWorldPod.com Written, edited, recorded, and produced by Sam Webster Harris. (incl the music) Help from: Designs - Francisca Correia (available to hire) Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire) 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. Chapters: 00:00 Innovation Richter 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 & Tools of Death - Brands, Categories and Concepts 33:58 Politics & Population Impact - Local, Continental and Global 38:00 Questions without answers 38:38 Sports & Religion - Emotional Impact and Purpose 41:01 Peter Thiel and Chess 41:47 Religion and Personal Beliefs in interpreting the scale 43:33 Roundup conclusions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| [Stone Age] - Innovation Locks: The 5 Progress Blockers for 97% of Human History | 21 May 2025 | 00:54:20 | |
What lies at the core of human progress? This episode asks ancient history what created human innovation and what stopped it for so long? For 3.5 million years, humans and our ancestors were stuck in the Stone Age until 10,000 years ago we finally broke out of it and all manner of inventions was let loose. We study tribal life across the world from anthropological records and archeology of the stone age to reconstruct the lifestyle of our ancestors and the forces against them. From personal pressures to global currents, we trace the blocks on human development. The answers hold many insights for today when we think about innovation, technology and how to make progress.. We cover:
This episode is ground zero as we begin our expedition through history and the creation of our modern world. ABOUT This show is an independent podcast on a mission to document the most important inventions in history in chronological order. We hope you join us for the ride to learn how the world changes and inspire you to build the future of technology. It is written, recorded, re-recorded, rewritten and re-re-recorded entirely by Sam Webster Harris. (He also makes the music.) Find out more or contact the show - ChangeTheWorldPod.com Designs were crafted by Francisca Correia (Available to hire) Podcast strategy from Jeremy Enns (Available to hire) BOOKS The World Until Yesterday: What we can learn from traditional societies - Jared Diamond An overview of the world last uncontacted tribes and their ways of live compared to today. Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and language in the Amazonia jungle - Daniel L. Everett Astonishing experiences and discoveries by missionary Daniel Everett in the Amazon jungle in 1977 CHAPTERS: 00:00 The Hand Axe Conundrum 01:53 Episode Goals 03:45 #1 - SURVIVAL 04:21 Energy requirements 06:30 Time Scarcity 08:59 Risk and Psychological Safety 11:17 #2 - CULTURE 12:41 Why people hate new ideas 15:25 The Grandmother Hypothesis 16:21 Widowhood statistics 17:46 Kaulong Tribe Widow killing 19:27 Catalhayuk - 1000 years of stasis 20:36 #3 - KNOWLEDGE 22:42 Losing knowledge 24:04 Maths 24:52 Communication and Language 25:53 Ice Age Picasso Paradox 27:06 #4 - MOBILITY CONSTRAINTS 28:05 Nomadism 30:22 Racism, war, and travel complications 32:07 Trade Issues 34:02 Feasting examples 35:51 #5 - POPULATION DENSITY 37:27 Evolution of Multicellular Life 39:54 Dunbars Number 41:25 Mortality Rates 42:46 Systems Feedback effects 44:31 LESSONS - How we beat the locks 48:00 Conclusion - Innovation isn't about Geniuses 50:50 What can you do Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Introduction to How to Change the World - Dissecting the History & Future of Innovation | 20 May 2025 | 00:24:00 | |
"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it" - Alan Watts This opening episode invites you on a journey, not just through time, but through perspective. From fire-starting hominids to spacefaring technologists, "How to Change the World" is going to trace the ripples of human imagination that turned tools into empires, and sparks into systems. In this introduction episode:
Change is rarely neat or obvious, but this podcast is here to help us understand it. We connect dots in history from the cognitive revolution and invention of language to the future of AI. Learn to ask better questions and consider the existential patterns of humanity and where we're going next. History isn't just a study of the past, it is also our present. As we live through unprecedented innovation, it's a perfect time to study the forces of tectonic shifts and how to guide them. If you're curious, optimistic, and even a little lost. You're in the right place. ABOUT How to Change the World is an independent podcast on a mission to document the most important inventions in history in chronological order. We hope you join us for the ride to learn how the world changes and maybe pick up some idea on building the future of technology. It is written, recorded, re-recorded, rewritten and re-re-recorded entirely by Sam Webster Harris. (He also makes the music.) Find out more or contact the show - ChangeTheWorldPod.com Designs were crafted by Francisca Correia (Available to hire) Podcast strategy from Jeremy Enns (Available to hire) CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction: The Dawn of Human Influence 02:21 A Journey Through Time 05:14 The Plan for the Podcast 07:11 What counts as an innovation 08:08 Release Schedule 09:08 Beyond a history podcast 10:03 A map is not a blueprint 11:35 Why am i doing this? 14:27 Why should you listen? 15:36 The Myth of Stability 16:31 7 Core Principles of the Show 16:40 #1 - Interdisciplinary Thinking 17:23 #2 - Systems Thinking 18:02 #3 - Understanding of knowledge 18:45 #4 - Context 19:50 #5 - No current affairs and politics 20:48 #6 - Side Quests 21:56 #7 - Optimism 22:59 Mission and sign off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How to Change the World in 2 minutes | 19 May 2025 | 00:02:10 | |
What is the best way to tackle the question "How to change the world"? Learn about our plan to dissect the history innovation and peer into the future of technology. This show will dissect how the world really works and the impact of the biggest inventions that changed both the world and humanity for good. We'll also tell the stories of the greatest innovators from history and understand their mental models, mindsets and habits to help you build a guide for world change and innovation. In this promo, Host Sam Webster Harris explains in 2 minutes what we'll be doing on this show for the next 10 years or more. ABOUT How to Change the World is an independent podcast on a mission to document the most important inventions in history in chronological order. We hope you join us for the ride to learn how the world changes and maybe pick up some idea on building the future of technology. It is written, recorded, re-recorded, rewritten and re-re-recorded entirely by Sam Webster Harris. (He also makes the music.) Find out more or contact the show - ChangeTheWorldPod.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Systems Thinking: How to Dance with Chaos and Innovate in a Changing World | 10 Sep 2025 | 00:37:28 | |
This episode explores Systems Thinking, it's impact on innovation across history and how to use it as we build the future of technology. Most problems in the world aren't random accidents, they're built into the systems we live in. They drive the currents that change the world. Systems Thinking is a key idea in science, politics and business, but it knows no boundaries as systems show up everywhere. In every era of humanity we created new systems in politics, law, technology and economics to deal with the problems of the day. As new challenges arise in the 21st century, from the future of AI to global politics, it is up to humanity to build new systems to overcome them. Systems thinking invites us to discover the threads that bind our actions, cultures, and destinies into unexpected tapestries:
Fun fact - It's the UN's 80th birthday today. 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. Written, edited, recorded, produced by Sam Webster Harris. 🤓 Website: ChangeTheWorldPod.com 🤗 Patreon: Patreon.com/ChangeTheWorldPod Help from: 👩🎨 Design - Francisca Correia (available to hire) 🧙♂️ Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire) BOOKS Thinking in Systems: A primer - Donella Meadows A masterclass on all things systems. (Many graphs, don't get the audiobook) Systems Thinking Made Simple: New hope for solving wicked problems - Derek and Laura Cabrera Simple rules for understanding and solving the most difficult problems in society. The Change World Order: Why nations succeed and fail - Ray Dalio Study of the cycles of world power over the last 500 years. Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder - Nassim N. Taleb How to think beyond resilience to build systems (and portfolios) that benefit from difficulty CHAPTERS 00:00 Systems and Families 01:43 Welcome 03:47 What is a System? 07:03 ACT 1 - 4 ELEMENTS OF A SYSTEM 07:03 #1 Stocks and Flows 08:32 #2 Feedback Loops 10:21 #3 Delays 11:32 #4 Boundaries 13:02 ACT 2 - MANAGING SYSTEMS 13:10 Leverage Points 16:17 Butterfly Effect 19:42 ACT 3 - PREVENTING COLLAPSE 20:07 Resilience in systems 21:52 Self-Organisation 23:08 Hierarchies 25:42 ACT 4 - LOOKING AT TODAY 26:32 Beyond GDP 29:11 Modern Political Systems 30:45 Can the UN Change the World? 32:12 Rewriting the Rules of a New Era 33:59 Take Homes and References Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| [~64,000BCE] - The Bow & Arrow: A Brief History of Stone Age Weapon Technologies and Their Impact on Humanity | 15 Oct 2025 | 00:59:19 | |
From Stone flakes to the Bow and Arrow. How Stone Age weapons innovation shaped humanity and triggered global extinction events. Three million years ago, we were semi-hairless apes hiding from lions. Today we're the apex predator of planet Earth. This episode traces the entire weapons journey through Ancient History; sharp rocks, hand axes, spears, atlatls, and bows and arrows. Learn how we became humans we know today as we outsourced biology to technology, trading muscle for tools, brute force for precision. We also changed socially as values of teamwork, trust and intelligence forged the mental models that would build civilization and transformed humanity forever. Key takeaways:
Discover how ancient innovation patterns still shape the future of technology today. 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. Written, edited, recorded, produced by Sam Webster Harris. Website: ChangeTheWorldPod.com Patreon: Patreon.com/ChangeTheWorldPod Help from: 👩🎨 Design - Francisca Correia (available to hire) 🧙♂️ Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire) BOOKS The Human Story - Robin Dunbar How humans evolved away from apes and developed tools. Stone Tools in Human Evolution - John J. Shea How our stone tools evolved over 3 millions years. CHAPTERS 00:00 Magical Powers 02:10 Introduction to Stone Age Weapons 04:28 1 - THE OLDOWAN FLAKE (~3 MYA) 07:07 Evolution feedback loop 08:18 Human obsession with time saving 09:08 Status flexing 10:01 2 - ACHEULEAN HAND AXE (~1.7MYA) 10:55 Why did we care about beauty? 12:08 Status games 13:00 Brain growth and imagination 14:40 3 - SWEAT AND PERSISTENCE HUNTING (~1.5MYA) 17:59 4 - HAFTED SPEARS (~500,000BC) 20:52 Steps to make a Hafted Spear 22:24 Co evolution of shoulder throwing 23:37 Teamwork and language co-evolution 24:47 Leadership qualities 26:06 5 - ATLATL / SPEAR LAUNCHER (~100,000-50,000BC) 28:40 How an Atlatl works 30:12 Accuracy over strength 30:30 Timeline of Atlatl development 31:15 6 - BOW AND ARROW (~64,000BC) 33:06 How to make a bow and arrow 34:33 The First great invention? 35:50 Yes my sister shot the headmaster... 36:40 Hunting with archery 38:55 Evolution compared to Neanderthals 41:30 HUMANITY - THE GREAT FILTER 42:18 Australian Extinction event 43:34 Europe - Neanderthal Extinction 44:46 The Conquest of America - Pleistocene Blitzkrieg 46:11 The Rise of Human Conflict 47:58 MODERN LESSONS AND FUTURE WEAPONS 49:07 Algorithms 51:58 Supply Chains 52:55 Cognitive Warfare 54:13 Teamwork 56:02 ROUNDUP Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Thinking in Primitives: A Mental Model for Building Creative Ideas, Civilization, and Intergalactic Lasagna | 31 Oct 2025 | 00:29:17 | |
The most important innovations are invisible. Yet they are reliable building blocks of creativity that fuel human imagination. The same 26 letter alphabet lets Shakespeare write a play, a researcher publish science or you can text your mum. A standardised screw thread lets you build a house, a car or a space station. This is the story of primitives; the fundamental components that make everything else possible. We explore how Jeff Bezos coining the term "Thinking in Primitives" as he invented AWS to the building blocks of the universe and life in it. Join our tour through the weird and wonderful ideas of history as we gather ideas for how to build the future of humanity, space technology and anything you can imagine. You'll learn:
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 by Sam Webster Harris. 🤓 Website: ChangeTheWorldPod.com 🤗 Join the Patreon: Patreon.com/ChangeTheWorldPod Help from: 👩🎨 Design - Francisca Correia (available to hire) 🧙♂️ Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire) Resources 10 Greatest Mental Models of Jeff Bezos Sam explains the best mental models of Jeff Bezos on his Growth Mindset Psychology podcast. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intergalactic Planetary... Lasagna 01:40 A mental models episode about building blocks 03:11 #1 - THINKING IN PRIMITIVES: JEFF BEZOS, AMAZON and AWS 04:03 The API Memo 04:39 What is a Primitive? 04:57 How Amazon launched AWS 05:36 The impact of AWS and cloud servers 06:18 #2 - THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE 07:18 How are humans built? 08:09 Mitochondria and energy production 09:39 HOX genes and the animal building instruction manual 11:06 How primitives become essential foundations 12:35 #3 - CIVILIZATION AND HIDDEN INVENTIONS 14:02 The Essential Ingredients of Early empires 15:42 Standardisations that make the world work 17:54 #4 - PRIMITIVE LESSONS 19:37 Market timing and innovation mistakes 21:31 Just do stuff 23:00 #5 - FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION 23:19 CRISPR and Casgevy 25:19 Space and Orbital Refuelling 27:14 Wrap up Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Membership - Giving you more history, more science and more mind bending facts about naked chimpanzees (us) | 17 Nov 2025 | 00:04:49 | |
Behind the scenes access to extra content and surprising stories. Sam reveals all sorts of chaos from the weird pages of history, science and the even stranger insides of his mind... You can support the show and claim your place in history by joining the VIP members club. What's occurring? As every episode has a lot research that goes unused, we're making an extra sister episode for all every main history episode. We'll also give extra updates on what's going on and chances to vote on topics. Premium episodes include:
Excited, curious or just love clicking links? Join the Patreon membership - Patreon.com/ChangeTheWorldPod 🤗 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 learning about frameworks and mental models to think deeeeply about what it means to be human and make stuff happen. Written, edited, recorded, and produced by Sam Webster Harris. 🤓 Deets: ChangeTheWorldPod.com Help from: 👩🎨 Design - Francisca Correia (available to hire) 🧙♂️ Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire) CHAPTERS 00:00 Biiiiiiiiig announcement 01:15 Wait - it's just a Patreon... 01:30 What do YOU get? 02:40 What you DON'T get 03:05 DVD's - Anyone remember those things..? 04:00 Episodes will be interviews 04:31 Join the club (please) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| [~52,000BC] The Eyed Needle: The History of Clothes, Fashion, Beauty and Status Games | 03 Dec 2025 | 01:02:53 | |
How humanity invented clothes. In the process, accidentally warping our psychology, sparking civilization, and changing what it means to be human forever. A fish doesn’t know it’s wet, and a human doesn’t know they are hiding. But every morning, you participate in a ritual that separates you from nature, and your own biology. For 90% of human history, we were naked. Then, in a blink of evolutionary time, we decided to cover up. This episode of How to Change the World challenges the standard narrative of invention stories. We’ll explore:
Join the deep dive into the psychology of change and the invisible lines that define our future society. Become a Member
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 by Sam Webster Harris. 🤓 Website: ChangeTheWorldPod.com 🤗 Join the Patreon: Patreon.com/ChangeTheWorldPod Help from: 👩🎨 Design - Francisca Correia (available to hire) 🧙♂️ Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire) Resources Climate, Clothing and Agriculture in Prehistory - Ian Gilligan A complete account of the development of clothing, from Cambridge University Press. CHAPTERS 00:00 Naked Dreams 01:38 Welcome 03:50 1 - FIRST CLOTHES 03:50 Genesis 07:00 Naked Ape vs. The Ice Age 09:13 Foot bags 10:40 Tanning a hide 13:03 Lice and Permanent Clothing 18:49 The Eyed Needle 21:49 2 - PSYCHOLOGY REVOLUTION 21:49 Privacy 23:26 Modesty, Shame and Maturity 27:45 Fashion and Mammoth Beads 29:34 Beauty, Biology and Culture 31:12 Culture 32:04 3 - EXTERNALISING ENCLOSURE 33:40 Textiles and Weaving 34:19 Farming Clothes 35:18 Birth Control And Population Growth 37:21 New Religions 38:52 Shoe Technology 40:37 Enclosure Thesis 42:39 4 - PHILOSOPHY OF CLOTHES 42:39 The Cost of Beauty 43:38 Belladona - eye poisoning 44:45 Status beauty - skin and teeth 46:30 Chinese feet binding 49:22 Modern trends and surgeries 51:09 Algorithm of Desire 52:28 What clothing means today 56:32 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A HUMAN? 58:13 The evolution of nakedness 01:00:50 Become a member Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Immortal Beings: The Selfish History of Things That Refuse To Die - From DNA & Religion to Memes & Digital Gods | 06 Feb 2026 | 00:42:57 | |
Why are we here? Can the patterns of history and nature tell us anything new? In this episode of How to Change the World we trace a clear line. From ancient molecules learning to copy themselves, to religions and nations learning to spread, to algorithms that now compete for your attention. All on a subversive quest for immortality. This hidden history of innovation maps the evolution of the universes most successful survivors. Learn the game theory of how these immortal beings compete and impact society. This season has been about a species of hairy apes and how they became human. Today we combine science, history, and philosophy to build a set of mental models that explain the animal and human landscape of today and quite possibly tomorrow. The future of humanity depends on the decisions and innovations of today. This episode will turn a lot of your ideas about the world on their head:
Become a Member
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 by Sam Webster Harris. 🤓 Website: ChangeTheWorldPod.com 🤗 Join the Patreon: Patreon.com/ChangeTheWorldPod Help from: 👩🎨 Design - Francisca Correia (available to hire) 🧙♂️ Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire) Resources The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene - Richard Dawkins CHAPTERS 00:00 You are a robot 01:47 Patterns of Nature 03:04 ACT 1 - CONTROL 03:39 Nico Tinbergen and the randy fish 06:05 The Primordial Soup Starter Kit 07:23 Algorithmic Governance 08:43 ACT 2 - CO-OPERATION 08:43 Cancer 11:03 Fear of death and The Birth of religion 12:42 ACT 3 - EXTERNAL CONTROL 12:42 Extended Phenotypes 14:55 Remote control 18:01 ACT 4 - IDEA VATS 18:01 Consciousness 20:31 What is a meme? 21:32 Genes vs Memes Speed 23:21 Idea Propogation 25:46 Carrier Class 27:40 ACT 5 - GAME THEORY 28:03 Hawk Dove Conjecture 29:16 Gravity Wells & conformity 30:39 ACT 6 - INNOVATION 30:39 Complexity - Meme Stacks 32:15 Innovation 34:13 ACT 7 - IMMORTAL MINDS 34:13 The Third Replicating Medium - Silicon 36:53 Immortal Minds 38:06 What does it mean to be conscious? 39:45 Building the future 41:28 Sign off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||