Dr. Luke Kemp, an existential risk researcher at Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, unpacks how wealth concentration, arms races, and surveillance make societies fragile—through the lens of his new book, Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse. We dive into the book’s case studies and prescriptions, from curbing plutocracy to regulating AI and nukes, outlining practical, democratic reforms to steer toward a safer, freer future.re.