How to Change the World: The History & Future of Innovation

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...Is Netflix more important than Baseball?Has TikTok changed the world as much as the Longbow?Was Steve Jobs more impactful than Henry VIII?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:This war will BREAK the economyIf you feed your toddler THIS, you don't deserve to be a parentA new iPhone update changes EVERYTHING...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 AINOTE - This episode expands on the Technological Richter Scale proposed by Nate Silver.ABOUTHow 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.comWritten, 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)ReferencesNate 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 Scale01:47 Why create a Scale?03:47 Earthquake Metaphor06:16 Invention, Innovation, Technology06:56 Ranking Magnitude not Morality08:08 The Innovation Richter Scale - Level 1 - 1008:11 Level 1 - Shower thoughts08:29 Level 2 - Actioned Idea (In private)08:49 Level 3 - Public ideas (Not popular)10:17 Level 4 - Popular and commercial ideas11:08 Level 5 - Defining Brand12:38 Level 6 - Innovation of the year15:59 Level 7 - Innovation of the Decade18:19 Level 8 - Innovation of the Century21:29 Level 9 - Innovation of the Era23:53 Level 10 - Species Epoch28:31 Part 2 - Using the scale29:45 Weapons & Tools of Death - Brands, Categories and Concepts33:58 Politics & Population Impact - Local, Continental and Global38:00 Questions without answers38:38 Sports & Religion - Emotional Impact and Purpose41:01 Peter Thiel and Chess41:47 Religion and Personal Beliefs in interpreting the scale43:33 Roundup conclusions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explore the slow pace of technological progress in human history, highlighted by the unchanged stone axe for centuries. Discover the barriers that stifled early innovation, from survival pressures to cultural resistance. Learn about the pivotal role of grandmothers in passing down knowledge and the unique marriage customs of isolated tribes. Delve into how geography and demography shaped innovation, contrasting development in Eurasia and the Americas. Finally, reflect on the importance of long-term thinking for future progress.

This engaging journey dives into the fascinating evolution of innovation from our earliest ancestors to modern tech marvels. It examines the interplay between history and change, highlighting key milestones that shaped our world. The host shares personal experiences that fuel curiosity and ambition, while emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary thinking. Listeners are invited to reflect on how past advancements influence our present and future, igniting a spark for innovative breakthroughs.

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.ABOUTHow 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.