WELCOME TO THE ANTHROPOCENE

Most of human history has been unremarkable and static. But Western civilization is different, sustaining rapid progress for generations. And we're just getting started.

Lords of the Cosmos views the story of humanity through the lens of our most profound theories of progress, addressing such questions as:

What sparks progress? What does progress entail? What is the role of human progress in the cosmic scheme of things?

Lords of the Cosmos illustrates how humanity is the most powerful force in the universe, capable of creating any object the laws of physics allow. Authors Arjun Khemani and Logan Chipkin argue that suffering is intimately related to staticity, while creativity provides the only means to end suffering.

An expansion of the script for the documentary of the same name, the ideas in these pages hold the potential to change our world for the better.

Praise

"In an age where technological progress faces unprecedented resistance, Khemani and Chipkin have delivered a vital intellectual guide for identifying and confronting the ideologies that threaten human flourishing.

It's a bold vision for accelerating progress—a manifesto for those who believe that our greatest achievements lie ahead, if only we have the courage to pursue them."

Jim O'Shaughnessy, Founder, O'Shaughnessy Ventures LLC

“Conveys the importance of fundamental ideas in physics and in philosophy, expressing them in a way that doesn’t need any previous knowledge to understand.”

About the Authors

Arjun Khemani

At sixteen, Arjun Khemani ditched high school to help Naval Ravikant build Airchat. Now a writer, filmmaker, and Conjecture Institute fellow, he hosts The Arjun Khemani Podcast, interviewing guests about our deepest ideas. His work rebels against modern pessimism and declares the future is ours to boldly, unapologetically reinvent.

X/Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Substack

Logan Chipkin

Logan Chipkin is president and co-founder of Conjecture Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading and applying humanity's deepest ideas.

X/Twitter | Substack | LinkedIn