Andrea Wulf on The Invention of Nature, Part 2: Humboldt's Dangerous Idea

The 19th Century saw many transformations: the origins of ecology and modern climatology, new unifying theories of the living world, the first Big Science projects, revolutions in the Spanish colonies, new information systems for the storage and representation of data… Many of these can be traced back to the influence of one singular explorer, Alexander von Humboldt. Humboldt was one of the last true polymathic individuals in whom the sum of human knowledge could be seated. As the known world grew, he leaned increasingly upon the work and minds of his collaborators — a kind of human bridge between the age of solitary pioneers before him and the age of international, interdisciplinary research he helped usher into being. Reflecting on his life, we natives of the new millennium, living through another phase transition in the information architecture of society, have much to learn about the challenges of weaving everything together into one holistic understanding. After all, when everything’s connected, our individuality is cast in doubt, truth is often hard to separate from politics and ethics — and maverick explorers find themselves caught in between incumbent power and the burden of responsibility to act on what they learn... Welcome to COMPLEXITY, the official podcast of the Santa Fe Institute. I’m your host, Michael Garfield, and every other week we’ll bring you with us for far-ranging conversations with our worldwide network of rigorous researchers developing new frameworks to explain the deepest mysteries of the universe. This week we conclude a special two-part conversation with SFI Miller Scholar Andrea Wulf, author of six books — including the New York Times Bestseller The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World. In this episode we build on our explorations in Part One and talk about the conflicts between truth and power, politics and science; the surprising unintended consequences of discovery; Humboldt’s influence on   illustrator Ernst Haeckel’s development of the idea that nature is an art form; the role of embodiment in innovation, discovery, and creativity; and the effects of nature and the built environment on human thought. If you value our research and communication efforts, Please subscribe to Complexity Podcast wherever you prefer to listen, rate and review us at Apple Podcasts, and/or consider making a donation at santafe.edu/podcastgive. You can find numerous other ways to engage with us at santafe.edu/engage. Thank you for listening! Join our Facebook discussion group to meet like minds and talk about each episode. Podcast theme music by Mitch Mignano. Follow us on social media: Twitter • YouTube • Facebook • Instagram • LinkedIn Related Reading & Listening: Complexity 17: Chris Kempes on The Physical Constraints on Life & Evolution Complexity 20: Albert Kao on Animal Sociality & Collective Computation Complexity 31: Exponentials, Economics, and Ecology Conflicts of interest improve collective computation of adaptive social structures Brush, Krakauer, Flack Complex Systems Science Allows Us To See New Paths Forward Flack, Mitchell COVID-19 lockdowns provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study wildlife in empty cities Yeh, MacGregor-Fors American higher education must think outside the academy in a post-pandemic world Cowan Cognition All The Way Down Levin, Dennett Mentioned in this episode: Chris Kempes David Krakauer Jessica Flack Albert Kao Carrie Cowan Albert Einstein Ernst Haeckel Charles Darwin Simón Bolívar John Muir Erasmus Darwin Alfred Russel Wallace William Wordsworth Samuel Taylor Coleridge Louis Comfort Tiffany Michael Levin Daniel Dennett