Collapsology (SOCIETAL COLLAPSE, LOL!) with Joseph Tainter

What is your Roman Empire? It’s about to be this episode. What causes the big dogs to stumble and fall? Do societies collapse suddenly, or would one notice as it happens? What *is* a complex society – and is it better than a simple one? Depends on who you ask, and we went straight to the source: the legendary anthropologist, scholar, historian and author of “The Collapse of Complex Societies,” Dr. Joseph Tainter. New obsession awaits you in the fall of the Roman Empire, cities lost to the desert dust, diminishing returns, fiddling amid the flames, the worst beard in history, fossil fuels, fertilizer, bread, circus, hanging chads, and if you should go live on a small goat farm. Happy 250th birthday to the currently United States of America! Follow Dr. Tainter on Google Scholar Buy his book, The Collapse of Complex Societies A donation went to Utah State University's Ecology Center More episode sources and links Other episodes you may enjoy: Classical Archeology (ANCIENT ROME), Revolutionology (REBELLIONS & SOCIAL CHANGE), Futurology (THE FUTURE), Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION), Genealogy (FAMILY TREES), Agnotology (IGNORANCE), Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY), Syndesiology (CONNECTIONS), Space Archaeology (SPACE JUNK), Astrobromatology (SPACE FOOD), Paternology (FATHERHOOD) 400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topic Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes Sponsors of Ologies Transcripts and bleeped episodes Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee Managing Director: Susan Hale Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth Transcripts by Aveline Malek  Website by Kelly R. Dwyer Theme song by Nick Thorburn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.