How Worlds Collapse: What History, Systems, and Complexity can Teach Us About Our Modern World and Fragile Nature
As our society confronts the impacts of globalization and global systemic risks—such as financial contagion, climate change, and epidemics—what can studies of the past tell us about our present and future? How Worlds Collapse offers case studies of societies that either collapsed or overcame cataclysmic adversity. The authors in this volume find commonalities between past civilizations and our current society, tracing patterns, strategies, and early warning signs that can inform decision-making today. While today’s world presents unique challenges, many mechanisms, dynamics, and fundamental challenges to the foundations of civilization have been consistent throughout history—highlighting essential lessons for the future.

Paul A. Larcey is co-director of the PIIRS Global Systemic Risk research community at Princeton University. Larcey’s work with the UK’s innovation agency focuses on key emerging technologies including life sciences, quantum technologies, and AI. He has worked in corporate research, venture capital, and global industrial sectors at board and senior levels and studied engineering, materials science, and finance at London, Oxford, and Cambridge Universities.

You can buy ‘How Worlds Collapse: What History, Systems, and Complexity Can Teach Us About Our Modern World and Fragile Future’ here: www.routledge.com/How-Worlds-Collapse-What-History-Systems-and-Complexity-Can-Teach-Us/Centeno-Callahan-Larcey-Patterson/p/book/9781032363219 

 GSR also developed a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on global systemic risk, which can be found here: www.coursera.org/learn/global-systemic-risk?
Date: 30 January 2024, 13:30 (Tuesday, 3rd week, Hilary 2024)
Venue: All Souls College, High Street OX1 4AL
Venue Details: Old Library
Speaker: Paul Larcey (Princeton University)
Organising department: Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR)
Organiser: Changing Character of War Centre (CCW)
Organiser contact email address: info@ccw.ox.ac.uk
Part of: Changing Character of War (CCW) Seminar Series
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Public
Editor: Elizabeth Robson