Lords of the Cosmos

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.

Author Biography

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. Logan Chipkin is president and cofounder of Conjecture Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading and applying humanity’s deepest ideas. He has written, edited, and co-authored numerous articles and books. He is the host of Rat Fest, a regular in-person philosophy conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.