Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Why does the modern economy leave so many people exhausted, anxious, and burned out?
In Episode 3 of Connecting the Dots, host Nivi Jaswal-Wirtjes speaks with Professor Steve Keen about the physical forces that conventional economics often overlooks.
The conversation explores why the economy cannot be separated from energy, materials, labour, and the laws of thermodynamics. Steve Keen explains how mainstream economic models treat energy as a secondary input, why infinite economic growth is impossible on a finite planet, and why energy shocks may have much larger consequences than standard economic forecasts suggest.
The discussion also examines the connection between planetary exploitation and human burnout, the declining quality of fossil fuels, monoculture agriculture, and the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.
AI may appear to be weightless software, but it depends on enormous amounts of energy, water, infrastructure, and labour. The episode asks whether AI could intensify inequality, eliminate jobs, reduce human agency, and accelerate systemic instability as physical limits become harder to ignore.
If energy constraints restrict AI in the future, should it remain available for everyday tools such as ChatGPT, or should it be reserved for scientific and socially essential uses?FeaturingNavija Swalvurchis, filmmaker, researcher, and founder of Juvenity and the Versa FoundationProfessor Steve Keen, economist and critic of mainstream economic theory
Learn more:
stevekeen.com
👉 Support the Global Impact Campaign for Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor's Guide
Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor's Guide is a multi-award-winning documentary and educational initiative produced by The Virsa Foundation, a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Through research, storytelling, and community screenings, we're helping universities, healthcare organizations, workplaces, and communities better understand burnout, resilience, food systems, and planetary health.
Help fuel the impact:
thirddegreeburnout.com/fueltheimpact
Support Steve Keen’s Work:
Patreon: patreon.com/profstevekeen
Substack: profstevekeen.substack.com
Ravel simulation and analysis software: patreon.com/ravelation#Economics #EnergyCrisis
#EconomicGrowth #ConnectingTheDots #SteveKeen #RebelEconomist #Debt #Economics #EconomicGrowth #FinancialCrisis #SystemsThinking #BurnoutRecovery #PersonalHealth #PlanetaryHealth
Why does the modern economy leave so many people exhausted, anxious, and burned out?
In Episode 3 of Connecting the Dots, host Nivi Jaswal-Wirtjes speaks with Professor Steve Keen about the physical forces that conventional economics often overlooks.
The conversation explores why the economy cannot be separated from energy, materials, labour, and the laws of thermodynamics. Steve Keen explains how mainstream economic models treat energy as a secondary input, why infinite economic growth is impossible on a finite planet, and why energy shocks may have much larger consequences than standard economic forecasts suggest.
The discussion also examines the connection between planetary exploitation and human burnout, the declining quality of fossil fuels, monoculture agriculture, and the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.
AI may appear to be weightless software, but it depends on enormous amounts of energy, water, infrastructure, and labour. The episode asks whether AI could intensify inequality, eliminate jobs, reduce human agency, and accelerate systemic instability as physical limits become harder to ignore.
If energy constraints restrict AI in the future, should it remain available for everyday tools such as ChatGPT, or should it be reserved for scientific and socially essential uses?FeaturingNavija Swalvurchis, filmmaker, researcher, and founder of Juvenity and the Versa FoundationProfessor Steve Keen, economist and critic of mainstream economic theory
Learn more:
stevekeen.com
👉 Support the Global Impact Campaign for Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor's Guide
Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor's Guide is a multi-award-winning documentary and educational initiative produced by The Virsa Foundation, a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Through research, storytelling, and community screenings, we're helping universities, healthcare organizations, workplaces, and communities better understand burnout, resilience, food systems, and planetary health.
Help fuel the impact:
thirddegreeburnout.com/fueltheimpact
Support Steve Keen’s Work:
Patreon: patreon.com/profstevekeen
Substack: profstevekeen.substack.com
Ravel simulation and analysis software: patreon.com/ravelation#Economics #EnergyCrisis
#EconomicGrowth #ConnectingTheDots #SteveKeen #RebelEconomist #Debt #Economics #EconomicGrowth #FinancialCrisis #SystemsThinking #BurnoutRecovery #PersonalHealth #PlanetaryHealth
