Tag: The Rational Optimist
-
The Cost of Artificial Light – 1750 BCE to Present
These two charts were created from data presented in Matt Ridley's The Rational Optimist. Note that both graphs are using a logarithmic scale. The second chart says the time worked to earn one hour of light fell from 50 hours to half of a second.
-
The Good Old Days Before the Industrial Revolution
A frequent meme I encounter when discussing economic issues is how destructive industrialization and capitalism have been to human flourishing. We once lived in an Edenic serenity, in tune with nature and each other. But humanity rebelled, embracing market ideologies and industrialization. Now we have wrecked human life and the planet. We must repent and…