Sam Webster Harris chronicles the complete history of innovation from the Stone Age to the modern day. Learn how transformative ideas build upon each other to change the world and shape the future of humanity.
Every breakthrough that changes civilization begins with curiosity. From the first controlled fire to artificial intelligence. Follow the journey, step-by-step, tracing the evolution of human progress and society. On the way, uncovering the nerdy stories and fun facts behind world-changing inventions and the mental models that drive systemic change.
Each episode is a deep dive into innovation patterns and the threads that shape our world:
- From Leonardo Da Vinci dissecting human bodies to editing our own DNA
- Maritime Navigation sets the course for Interstellar exploration
- Hammurabi's legal code is relevant in algorithmic governance
Modern revolutions in technology and the future of AI are a continuation of core needs of their human creators. Our desire for leverage shows up time and again in the history of civilization.
Drawing insights from psychology, economics, and anthropology, we explore how change makers in history like Galileo, Newton, and Tesla didn't just discover big ideas. They transformed civilization itself. Their playbooks reveal timeless strategies for anyone seeking to understand how the world works.
This isn't surface-level history. It's intellectual history told through narrative learning—connecting past invention stories to the future of technology, future of society, and patterns of history that will define the Anthropocene.
Whether you're fascinated by the timeline of human history, founder stories, or the psychology of change, each episode delivers actionable mental models wrapped in engaging storytelling. Learn something new about human progress while discovering your own potential to change the world.
For the intellectually curious seeking to understand innovation, drive progress, and glimpse the future of humanity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sam Webster Harris chronicles the complete history of innovation from the Stone Age to the modern day. Learn how transformative ideas build upon each other to change the world and shape the future of humanity.
Every breakthrough that changes civilization begins with curiosity. From the first controlled fire to artificial intelligence. Follow the journey, step-by-step, tracing the evolution of human progress and society. On the way, uncovering the nerdy stories and fun facts behind world-changing inventions and the mental models that drive systemic change.
Each episode is a deep dive into innovation patterns and the threads that shape our world:
- From Leonardo Da Vinci dissecting human bodies to editing our own DNA
- Maritime Navigation sets the course for Interstellar exploration
- Hammurabi's legal code is relevant in algorithmic governance
Modern revolutions in technology and the future of AI are a continuation of core needs of their human creators. Our desire for leverage shows up time and again in the history of civilization.
Drawing insights from psychology, economics, and anthropology, we explore how change makers in history like Galileo, Newton, and Tesla didn't just discover big ideas. They transformed civilization itself. Their playbooks reveal timeless strategies for anyone seeking to understand how the world works.
This isn't surface-level history. It's intellectual history told through narrative learning—connecting past invention stories to the future of technology, future of society, and patterns of history that will define the Anthropocene.
Whether you're fascinated by the timeline of human history, founder stories, or the psychology of change, each episode delivers actionable mental models wrapped in engaging storytelling. Learn something new about human progress while discovering your own potential to change the world.
For the intellectually curious seeking to understand innovation, drive progress, and glimpse the future of humanity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to rank the impact of innovations on humanity and how much they really changed the world.
Everything seems so important these days:
Learn to rationally understand what matters to humanity and what is just noise.
It's easy to tell that the invention of Writing itself is more important than Velcro. But...
History has opinions.
So it's time to build a scale that lets us rationally measure global impact.
Introducing the Innovation Richter Scale - a 1 to 10 rating system that lets you rank absolutely anything you can think of.
NOTE - This episode expands on the Technological Richter Scale proposed by Nate Silver. (see references)
ABOUT
How to Change the World 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 & 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.
