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3,013,394 views | Jared Diamond • TED2003

Why do societies collapse?

Why do societies fail? With lessons from the Norse of Iron Age Greenland, deforested Easter Island and present-day Montana, Jared Diamond talks about the signs that collapse is near, and how -- if we see it in time -- we can prevent it.

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This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Why do societies fail? With lessons from the Norse of Iron Age Greenland, deforested Easter Island and present-day Montana, Jared Diamond talks about the signs that collapse is near, and how -- if we see it in time -- we can prevent it.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Civilization scholar

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Jared Diamond investigates why cultures prosper or decline -- and what we can learn by taking a broad look across many kinds of societies.