More links below [Even since 1990] the U.S. standard of living has increased by a factor of five to seven, estimated conservatively, and possibly much… Read More »Not long ago; or, Little by little (5): Tyler Cowen on progress in living standards since 1900
Adding information (in the form of better design and processes) to aluminium cans has seen the weight of metal used drop from 85g to 12.75g… Read More »More from less: the aluminium drinks can
Autocatalysing innovations are innovations whose outputs lead to a virtuous cycle of further adoption and innovation. Steam engines The earliest steam engines were used to… Read More »Autocatalysing innovations
A local maximum is a high-point that’s lower than other peaks, like a small hill on the edge of a mountain range. At a local… Read More »The way forward (local maximum)
In the face of too much to do (which there always will be), too little time (there is never enough), lack of clear information about… Read More »The next (small) step
Here’s a dose of optimism from KK – part of his excellent series of videos on The Future of X. It’s well worth checking out.… Read More »Kevin Kelly on the future of progress and prosperity
[For those who came in late… Start with Not long ago, or Little by little (1)] Not long ago, in a place not far away… Read More »Not long ago; or, Little by little (4): Dolly Parton on the scar on her toes (rural poverty in 1950s Tennessee)
[For those who came in late… Start with Not long ago, or Little by little (1)] Not long ago, in a place not far away… Read More »Not long ago; or, Little by little (3): scarcity and subsistence in rural Suffolk in the 1900s
[Not long ago, or Little by little (1)] Not long ago, in a place not far away and directly connected to you, something like this… Read More »Not long ago; or, Little by little (2): Li Kunwa on indoor plumbing in 80s China
Not long ago, in a place not far away and directly connected to you, something like this was happening, little by little: It’s London in… Read More »Not long ago; or, Little by little (1): Raymond Briggs on 1940s Britain