The Economics of a Post Scarcity Universe - What Happens When Everything Is Free?

If everything is free, what’s still worth striving for? From replicators to reputation, we examine the surprising economics of a post-scarcity world.

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Credits:
The Economics of a Post-Scarcity Universe - What Happens When Everything Is Free?
Episode 730; July 3, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:02 What Post-Scarcity Means Economically
5:10 Incentives Without Scarcity
8:17 Distribution, Duty, and Designed Idleness
14:27 Ownership and Property in a Post-Scarcity Economy
20:03 The Star Trek Economy & the Myth of a Moneyless Society
25:58 Wealth, Inheritance & Intergenerational Power
27:57 Nebula
29:07 Upward Mobility and Inequality
30:12 Economic Failure Modes in Post-Scarcity
31:45 Where Economics Still Matters
34:12 The Infinite Price of a Meaningful Life