Joe Tainter: “Surplus, Complexity, and Simplification”

On this episode we meet with archaeologist, historian, and Professor at Utah State University, Joe Tainter.

What are the key differences between complicated and complex? How can we better understand energy and society through these key distinctions? Tainter explains our current predicament based on decades of research and offers pathways for our collective future.

Joe Tainter has been a professor at Utah State University in the Environment and Society Department since 2007, serving as Department Head from 2007 to 2009. His study of why societies collapse led to research on sustainability, with emphasis on energy and innovation. He has also conducted research on land-use conflict and human responses to climate change. He has written several books, including The Collapse of Complex Societies and Drilling Down: The Gulf Oil Debacle and Our Energy Dilemma.

For Show Notes and Transcript visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/27-joe-tainter