Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Nonlinear
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Nonlinear
Nonlinear.mp3
Nonlinear.mp4
Nonlinear-Pt-2.mp3
Nonlinear-Pt-2.mp4
Nonlinear-intro.mp3
[Intro]
(Alas)
A compound collapse
… of planetary stability
(Our reality)
[Bridge]
The nonlinear, chaotic system
(That we’re in)
[Refrain]
(Alas)
A compound collapse
… of planetary stability
(Our reality)
[Bridge]
Comedy (or tragedy)
The nonlinear, chaotic system
(That we’re in)
Is collapsin’
[Refrain]
(Alas)
A compound collapse
… of planetary stability
(Our reality)
[Bridge]
Comedy (or tragedy)
The nonlinear, chaotic system
(That we’re in)
Is collapsin’
Under the feedback loops
(Loops, loops, loops)
Whoops
[Refrain]
(Alas)
A compound collapse
… of planetary stability
(Our reality)
[Bridge]
Comedy (or tragedy)
It’s really hard
(For me to see)
The nonlinear, chaotic system
(That we’re in)
Is collapsin’
Under the feedback loops
(Loops, loops, loops)
Whoops
[Outro]
Feedback (Feeding back)
Soon to discover
(Over and over)
Feedback loops
(Loops, loops, loops)
Whoops
ABOUT THE SONG AND THE SCIENCE
Earth’s climate is a nonlinear, chaotic system composed of tightly coupled subsystems — the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere — each governed by feedbacks, thresholds, and energy flows described by chaos theory and nonlinear thermodynamics. Because these subsystems interact continuously, small perturbations can amplify rapidly, pushing the entire climate system toward new equilibria or, increasingly, into states of runaway disequilibrium.
This paper examines how feedback loops and tipping points are now interacting in ways that dramatically accelerate global warming. Building on prior work establishing the non-linear acceleration hypothesis, we present evidence that the doubling time of climate-related impacts has contracted from roughly a century to under two years. This represents a fundamental shift: climate change is no longer progressing linearly or even exponentially, but through intertwined, mutually reinforcing shocks.
Data from 2024–2025 confirm record atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, record fossil fuel emissions, and the highest global temperatures in the instrumental record — signaling entry into a phase of self-reinforcing instability. Multiple carbon sinks, including the Amazon, boreal forests, and permafrost regions, are transitioning from net absorbers to net sources of greenhouse gases. Jet-stream destabilization and ocean-heat redistribution are reshaping weather patterns in ways that amplify extremes. These changes, once isolated phenomena, now interact as part of a larger coupled system.
Recent research shows that climate feedbacks are beginning to trigger one another in rapid succession, constituting a compound collapse of planetary stability. Biospheric losses weaken carbon uptake; ocean heat content accelerates ice-sheet melt; ice-sheet melt destabilizes ocean circulation; circulation changes intensify atmospheric extremes — each reinforcing the next. We refer to this convergence of “tipped tipping points” as the Domino Effect, a cascading sequence of systemic failures that propagate across ecological, climatic, economic, and public-health domains.
This cross-scale cascade poses a profound threat to global habitability within this century. As these nonlinear interactions intensify, they will increasingly govern the trajectory of climate change — not emissions alone — making early interventions, rapid decarbonization, and systemic resilience essential to preventing irreversible planetary destabilization.
* Our probabilistic, ensemble-based climate model — which incorporates complex socio-economic and ecological feedback loops within a dynamic, nonlinear system — projects that global temperatures are becoming unsustainable this century. This far exceeds earlier estimates of a 4°C rise over the next thousand years, highlighting a dramatic acceleration in global warming. We are now entering a phase of compound, cascading collapse, where climate, ecological, and societal systems destabilize through interlinked, self-reinforcing feedback loops.
What Can I Do?
The single most important action you can take to help address the climate crisis is simple: stop burning fossil fuels. There are numerous actions you can take to contribute to saving the planet. Each person bears the responsibility to minimize pollution, discontinue the use of fossil fuels, reduce consumption, and foster a culture of love and care. The Butterfly Effect illustrates that a small change in one area can lead to significant alterations in conditions anywhere on the globe. Hence, the frequently heard statement that a fluttering butterfly in China can cause a hurricane in the Atlantic. Be a butterfly and affect the world.
Tipping points and feedback loops drive the acceleration of climate change. When one tipping point is breached and triggers others, the cascading collapse is known as the Domino Effect.
The Climate Crisis: Violent Rain | Deadly Humid Heat | Health Collapse | Extreme Weather Events | Insurance | Trees and Deforestation | Soil | Rising Sea Level | Food and Water | Updates
The Human Induced Climate Change Experiment
From the album “Nonlinear“
View all episodes
By Nonlinear.mp3
Nonlinear.mp4
Nonlinear-Pt-2.mp3
Nonlinear-Pt-2.mp4
Nonlinear-intro.mp3
[Intro]
(Alas)
A compound collapse
… of planetary stability
(Our reality)
[Bridge]
The nonlinear, chaotic system
(That we’re in)
[Refrain]
(Alas)
A compound collapse
… of planetary stability
(Our reality)
[Bridge]
Comedy (or tragedy)
The nonlinear, chaotic system
(That we’re in)
Is collapsin’
[Refrain]
(Alas)
A compound collapse
… of planetary stability
(Our reality)
[Bridge]
Comedy (or tragedy)
The nonlinear, chaotic system
(That we’re in)
Is collapsin’
Under the feedback loops
(Loops, loops, loops)
Whoops
[Refrain]
(Alas)
A compound collapse
… of planetary stability
(Our reality)
[Bridge]
Comedy (or tragedy)
It’s really hard
(For me to see)
The nonlinear, chaotic system
(That we’re in)
Is collapsin’
Under the feedback loops
(Loops, loops, loops)
Whoops
[Outro]
Feedback (Feeding back)
Soon to discover
(Over and over)
Feedback loops
(Loops, loops, loops)
Whoops
ABOUT THE SONG AND THE SCIENCE
Earth’s climate is a nonlinear, chaotic system composed of tightly coupled subsystems — the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere — each governed by feedbacks, thresholds, and energy flows described by chaos theory and nonlinear thermodynamics. Because these subsystems interact continuously, small perturbations can amplify rapidly, pushing the entire climate system toward new equilibria or, increasingly, into states of runaway disequilibrium.
This paper examines how feedback loops and tipping points are now interacting in ways that dramatically accelerate global warming. Building on prior work establishing the non-linear acceleration hypothesis, we present evidence that the doubling time of climate-related impacts has contracted from roughly a century to under two years. This represents a fundamental shift: climate change is no longer progressing linearly or even exponentially, but through intertwined, mutually reinforcing shocks.
Data from 2024–2025 confirm record atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, record fossil fuel emissions, and the highest global temperatures in the instrumental record — signaling entry into a phase of self-reinforcing instability. Multiple carbon sinks, including the Amazon, boreal forests, and permafrost regions, are transitioning from net absorbers to net sources of greenhouse gases. Jet-stream destabilization and ocean-heat redistribution are reshaping weather patterns in ways that amplify extremes. These changes, once isolated phenomena, now interact as part of a larger coupled system.
Recent research shows that climate feedbacks are beginning to trigger one another in rapid succession, constituting a compound collapse of planetary stability. Biospheric losses weaken carbon uptake; ocean heat content accelerates ice-sheet melt; ice-sheet melt destabilizes ocean circulation; circulation changes intensify atmospheric extremes — each reinforcing the next. We refer to this convergence of “tipped tipping points” as the Domino Effect, a cascading sequence of systemic failures that propagate across ecological, climatic, economic, and public-health domains.
This cross-scale cascade poses a profound threat to global habitability within this century. As these nonlinear interactions intensify, they will increasingly govern the trajectory of climate change — not emissions alone — making early interventions, rapid decarbonization, and systemic resilience essential to preventing irreversible planetary destabilization.
* Our probabilistic, ensemble-based climate model — which incorporates complex socio-economic and ecological feedback loops within a dynamic, nonlinear system — projects that global temperatures are becoming unsustainable this century. This far exceeds earlier estimates of a 4°C rise over the next thousand years, highlighting a dramatic acceleration in global warming. We are now entering a phase of compound, cascading collapse, where climate, ecological, and societal systems destabilize through interlinked, self-reinforcing feedback loops.
What Can I Do?
The single most important action you can take to help address the climate crisis is simple: stop burning fossil fuels. There are numerous actions you can take to contribute to saving the planet. Each person bears the responsibility to minimize pollution, discontinue the use of fossil fuels, reduce consumption, and foster a culture of love and care. The Butterfly Effect illustrates that a small change in one area can lead to significant alterations in conditions anywhere on the globe. Hence, the frequently heard statement that a fluttering butterfly in China can cause a hurricane in the Atlantic. Be a butterfly and affect the world.
Tipping points and feedback loops drive the acceleration of climate change. When one tipping point is breached and triggers others, the cascading collapse is known as the Domino Effect.
The Climate Crisis: Violent Rain | Deadly Humid Heat | Health Collapse | Extreme Weather Events | Insurance | Trees and Deforestation | Soil | Rising Sea Level | Food and Water | Updates
The Human Induced Climate Change Experiment
From the album “Nonlinear“