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Articles

Notes and essays on progress:

2020 in review » December 31, 2020
When life was literally full of crap » December 21, 2020
What is the “protein folding problem”? A brief explanation » November 30, 2020
The 300-year journey to the covid vaccine » November 9, 2020
Progress, stagnation, and flying cars » November 6, 2020
Innovation is not linear (for Works in Progress) » October 19, 2020
Technology and its side effects » October 13, 2020
“The growing gap between our power and our wisdom” » October 9, 2020
Some elements of industrial literacy » October 8, 2020
The Rise and Fall of American Growth: A summary » October 5, 2020
Industrial literacy » September 30, 2020
A dialogue with Dr. John K. Davis: is technology making things better? » September 22, 2020
Progress: Fluke or trend? » September 12, 2020
Progress studies is more than political engineering » September 11, 2020
Indignation in response to the 1890 census » September 8, 2020
The theme of the Three-Body Problem trilogy » September 2, 2020
19th-century progress studies » August 26, 2020
Why haven't we celebrated any major achievements lately? » August 17, 2020
Descriptive vs. prescriptive optimism » July 25, 2020
Crowdfunding a transcontinental railroad in 1857 » July 14, 2020
Teasing apart the S-curves » June 15, 2020
Pasteur's quadrant » June 5, 2020
Shuttling between science and invention » May 27, 2020
My current obsession: funding for research » May 14, 2020
How can nonprofits gain the advantages of the for-profit model? » May 5, 2020
Organizational metabolism and the for-profit advantage » April 29, 2020
Questions to ask about funding models » April 24, 2020
Funding models for science and invention » April 23, 2020
Funding models and progress » April 21, 2020
A builder manifesto » April 18, 2020
Pandemics and progress » April 7, 2020
Advanced stages of agriculture » March 29, 2020
“Definite” vs. “indefinite” optimism as a false dichotomy » March 28, 2020
What's the deal with enclosures? » March 26, 2020
Six stages of agriculture » March 25, 2020
Some agricultural terminology » March 24, 2020
Studying agriculture, with the garage door up » March 23, 2020
Leadership and progress » March 23, 2020
F. R. E. A. M. » March 20, 2020
Mark Lutter on progress studies and charter cities » March 16, 2020
Our best weapons against disease don't work on COVID-19 » March 10, 2020
How early American inventors funded their ventures » March 8, 2020
Epistemic standards for “Why did it take so long to invent X?” » March 1, 2020
Stagnation, scientific incentives, and funding models » February 23, 2020
Some things that happened in 1973 » February 22, 2020
The plight of the poor » February 19, 2020
Draining the swamp » January 28, 2020
2019 in review » December 31, 2019
More on polio and randomized clinical trials » December 27, 2019
Polio and the controversy over randomized clinical trials » December 20, 2019
Our weapons against infectious disease: a survey » December 12, 2019
Were vaccines relevant to 20th century US mortality improvements? » December 9, 2019
A letter on optimism » December 3, 2019
Slaying the speckled monster » November 21, 2019
In which I answer your questions about cement » October 31, 2019
Reframing “sustainability” » October 27, 2019
A dialogue on growth, progress, and “sustainability” » October 24, 2019
Iron: From mythical to mundane » October 22, 2019
Progress studies as a civic duty » October 14, 2019
Video: The History of Steel & the Roots of Progress » October 10, 2019
Progress studies as a moral imperative » September 7, 2019
Does invention come from deprivation or plenty? » August 18, 2019
Why did we wait so long for the bicycle? » July 13, 2019
Science and the Industrial Revolution » June 29, 2019
Science and steel » June 22, 2019
What's wrong with books on industrial history » May 12, 2019
One man's junk » April 28, 2019
The Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum » April 21, 2019
The significance of electricity » March 31, 2019
Continental axes and the roots of progress » March 24, 2019
Why AC won the Electricity Wars » March 9, 2019
When innovation hits “snooze” » January 1, 2019
2018 in review » December 31, 2018
Navigating the high seas » November 24, 2018
Early cars: gas, electric & steam » November 17, 2018
Science and steam » October 27, 2018
The 13th labor of Hercules » September 3, 2018
Problem-solution history » August 11, 2018
Unsustainable » August 5, 2018
Learning the loom » May 27, 2018
The time machine » May 20, 2018
Out of whole cloth » April 21, 2018
Going for a spin » April 16, 2018
Learning with my hands » April 1, 2018
Enlightenment Now: A summary » March 11, 2018
Primitive thought » February 4, 2018
The first and true inventor » January 20, 2018
Instant stone (just add water!) » January 6, 2018
Twelve books from 2017 » December 31, 2017
And they shall walk » December 24, 2017
Why did we wait so long for the cotton gin? » November 25, 2017
Pesticides and old lace » November 4, 2017
What was the relationship of the Scientific Revolution to the Industrial? » October 29, 2017
That Senator really took a beating » October 17, 2017
The most peaceful time in history » September 21, 2017
The shadow of the moon » September 18, 2017
The story of materials » September 3, 2017
Turning air into bread » August 12, 2017
Vaclav Smil on “Making the Modern World” » July 15, 2017
Charting progress » July 11, 2017
Smart, rich & free » July 8, 2017
Nomad life » July 2, 2017
The beginning » June 25, 2017
Categorizing technologies » June 3, 2017
Trains and steamboats » May 25, 2017
The Malthusian Trap, analyzed » May 23, 2017
The Malthusian Trap? » May 21, 2017
Better living through chemistry » May 20, 2017
There are no natural resources » April 15, 2017
What is smelting? » April 15, 2017
What is steel? And how is it related to iron? » April 9, 2017
What is charcoal? And how is it different from coal? » April 9, 2017
What is an “engine”? » April 8, 2017
The significance of the steam engine » April 8, 2017
James Watt's steam engine » April 8, 2017
The Newcomen steam engine » April 2, 2017
Religious freedom and the Enlightenment » April 1, 2017
The virtuousness of technology » March 31, 2017
The Baconian program » March 30, 2017
The idea of progress » March 23, 2017
Don't read this blog » March 17, 2017
Motivation » March 17, 2017

Talks and interviews

Audio and video recordings—mostly me being interviewed, some talks or me interviewing others:

Interview: Metamuse with Adam Wiggins and Mark McGranaghan » December 14, 2020
Video: The Non-Linear Model of Innovation (Slate Star Codex meetup) » November 1, 2020
Video: Five minutes on cement at Ignite Long Now » October 27, 2020
Video: Michael Strong on Montessori, the Socratic method, and Conscious Capitalism » October 22, 2020
Video: Manjari Narayan (@NeuroStats) on statistics past and present » October 13, 2020
Interview: Charter Cities Institute podcast with Mark Lutter » October 7, 2020
Interview: 52 Living Ideas with Shrikant Rangnekar » October 4, 2020
Video: Adam Wiggins on the history of industrial research labs » September 26, 2020
Video: Highlighter town hall with David King » September 25, 2020
Video: Adam Mossoff on the birth of patents, the American patent system, and “trolls” » September 12, 2020
Interview: Passionate Homeschooler with Joel Marquez » September 7, 2020
Interview: The Lunar Society with Dwarkesh Patel » August 28, 2020
Interview: AEI's Political Economy with Jim Pethokoukis » August 24, 2020
Interview: Venture Stories with Erik Torenberg » August 16, 2020
Interview: Post-Industrial Forum with Frode Odegard » August 11, 2020
Video: Progress Studies in K-12 Education with Ray Girn, Lisa VanDamme and Kyle Steele » August 2, 2020
Podcast interview: Build the Future with Cameron Wiese » August 2, 2020
Two new interviews: Salon of the Refused, Philosophy for Flourishing » July 24, 2020
Videos: Joel Mokyr, Anton Howes, Noor Siddiqui » July 24, 2020
Video: Deirdre McCloskey on bourgeois liberty and the Great Enrichment » July 7, 2020
Video: Tammy Winter and Trevor McKendrick on optimism, agency, and progress » June 30, 2020
Video: Max Roser on data-driven optimism, how to analyze COVID-19, and more » June 25, 2020
Video: Patrick Collison on R&D funding, Effective Altruism, fallibilism, and more » June 18, 2020
Video: Doing Better at Funding Scientific Research with Michael Nielsen and Celine Halioua » June 18, 2020
Two interviews: Neoliberal Podcast, Mr. Bright Side » June 15, 2020
Video: Tyler Cowen on progress, stagnation and complacency » June 10, 2020
Video of Matt Bateman on the life, career and philosophy of Maria Montessori » June 5, 2020
Talk recording: Progress studies and the progress movement, on 52 Living Ideas » May 25, 2020
Podcast Interview: Academy of Thought & Industry with Michael Strong » May 21, 2020
Podcast interview on Plugged In with Jordan McGillis » April 29, 2020
Interviews: Building Tomorrow, Antipessimists, Brown Political Review, Todd Nief » March 2, 2020
Two more interviews: Idea Machines, Only Everything » February 17, 2020
Interviews: Agora Politics, The Troubadour Magazine » February 15, 2020
Podcast interview: Palladium with Ash Milton » January 27, 2020
Podcast interview: Market Power with Craig Palsson » January 23, 2020
Podcast interview with Jordan Myers on “That's BS” » October 27, 2019
Podcast interview on Venture Stories with Erik Torenberg and Rob Tracinski » October 17, 2019
Podcast interview on “Self in Society” with Ari Armstrong » September 22, 2019

See also the list of all interviews.

Announcements

Monday: Interview with Lisa Wehden at Reboot 2020 » November 6, 2020
Sunday: Talk at the Slate Star Codex meetup on the “linear model” of innovation » October 22, 2020
Event: Long Now Ignite talk » October 13, 2020
Wednesday: Manjari Narayan (@NeuroStats) on the history of statistics and the replication crisis » October 4, 2020
Sunday: Live interview with Shrikant Rangnekar of 52 Living Ideas » September 24, 2020
Event: Heroku founder Adam Wiggins on the history of industrial research » September 17, 2020
The Roots of Progress subscription: what would you be interested in? » September 9, 2020
Wednesday: Adam Mossoff on the philosophy and law of the patent system » September 7, 2020
Event: Town hall discussion on Highlighter » September 2, 2020
Sunday: Discussion of intellectual progress for LessWrong » August 28, 2020
Event: Jerry Neumann on managing innovation » August 24, 2020
Event: Dr. Laura Mazer, surgery professor at U. Michigan, on The Torch of Progress » August 16, 2020
Announcing the Study Group for Progress » August 14, 2020
Event: Progress Studies in K-12 Education with Ray Girn, Lisa VanDamme and Kyle Steele » July 24, 2020
Event: Joel Mokyr on “Attitudes, Aptitudes, and Progress: How the Modern Age Got Started” » July 7, 2020
What should I ask Deirdre McCloskey? Thursday 10am Pacific » June 30, 2020
What should I ask Max Roser? » June 18, 2020
Event: Doing Better at Staying Optimistic with Tamara Winter and Trevor McKendrick » June 18, 2020
Stripe Press to provide science & engineering books to Progress Studies for Young Scholars » June 12, 2020
Tyler Cowen, Patrick Collison, Max Roser, and Deirdre McCloskey on “The Torch of Progress” » June 4, 2020
New interview series: The Torch of Progress » May 31, 2020
Hosting a new Interintellect panel series: “Doing Better” » May 25, 2020
Where my support comes from » May 21, 2020
Saturday: Live interview about the field of progress studies » May 21, 2020
Announcing Progress Studies for Young Scholars, an online summer program in the history of technology » May 19, 2020
Tonight: Live interview on the race for a COVID-19 cure and the history of medicine » April 8, 2020
SF event this Friday: Co-hosting Long Now happy hour at The Interval » January 22, 2020
What podcasts should I go on? » January 16, 2020
Going full-time » October 28, 2019
Reddit community (subreddit) for Roots of Progress » October 26, 2019
Support this project on Patreon » September 8, 2019
Subscribe by email » January 12, 2019
Added a bibliography » April 9, 2018