Bridge Atlas - Episode 2: Paradigms | Nils Gilman and Josh Stark

InterviewNils Gilman, Josh StarkOctober 31, 2025

Nils Gilman (Berggruen Institute) and Josh Stark (Ethereum Foundation) discuss two concepts they each coined: 'planetary thinking' (governance of non-human-directed flows like carbon, whales, and space debris) and 'hardness' (a system's capacity to make future outcomes reliably true, distinct from subjective trust or reliance). They explore how hardness explains Ethereum's appeal amid declining institutional trust, distinguish hardness from trust using examples like universities versus Harvard's reputation, and discuss Ethereum's potential role in planetary-scale coordination through projects like Rarimo's Freedom Tool and Bhutan's national ID system.

Topics

bridge-atlas globalization-vs-planetary-flows governance hardness institutional-vs-protocol-based-coordination planetary-thinking protocols technology trust-experience

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