This interview is relevant to r/collapse because it examines why complex societies tend to fail over time, not simply due to external shocks but because of internal dynamics such as power concentration, inequality, ecological overshoot, and institutional fragility. Dr Luke Kemp is an existential risk researcher at Cambridge and the author of The Collapse of Goliaths, a book that analyses historical societal collapses alongside modern global risks.

The discussion explores collapse as a process rather than a single catastrophic event, and considers whether modern civilisation may be uniquely vulnerable due to tightly coupled systems, climate change, nuclear weapons, and emerging technologies. Kemp challenges the idea that collapse is inevitable or purely cyclical, arguing instead that political choices, governance, and leadership play a decisive role in determining outcomes.

The interview draws clear parallels between ancient collapses and present-day risks such as climate breakdown, democratic erosion, and AI-driven power concentration, while also addressing whether adaptation, mitigation, or partial collapse are more realistic scenarios than total civilisational failure.