What causes progress? And how can we stop it from slowing? (with Jason Crawford)

Nov 3, 2021 1h 26m 16 insights Episode Page ↗
Spencer Greenberg speaks with Jason Crawford about progress studies, exploring how to define, measure, and sustain human progress. They discuss historical periods of advancement, the causes of the Industrial Revolution, and hypotheses for the recent slowdown in technological breakthroughs, including regulation and scientific funding models.
Actionable Insights

1. Define Progress by Well-being

Focus on progress as anything that helps humans live longer, happier, healthier lives with more choice and opportunity, rather than solely economic metrics like GDP.

2. Understand Progress to Sustain

Deeply understand how historical progress occurred to ensure it continues and doesn’t reverse, learning from past civilizational collapses and identifying key drivers.

3. Evaluate Regulatory Burden

Regularly assess and reduce regulatory burdens, especially those that are “safety theater” or demonstrably pointless, to prevent choking off innovation and increasing costs in critical industries.

4. Diversify Science Funding

Decentralize science funding to avoid monocultures, blind spots, and groupthink, allowing a greater diversity of approaches and supporting maverick ideas that challenge the status quo.

5. Re-embrace Pro-Progress Mindset

Shift away from an overly cautious or anti-progress sentiment by acknowledging the benefits of material progress for human well-being, fostering enthusiasm and resources for innovation while addressing specific risks thoughtfully.

6. Accelerate Invention Rate

To increase per capita wealth and individual well-being, strive for a rate of major inventions that outpaces population growth, aiming for significant breakthroughs more frequently.

7. Invest Surplus Capital Wisely

Allocate accumulated surplus capital into experimentation, invention, and business creation to drive further progress and generate more surplus for future investment.

8. Adopt Systematic Methods

Apply systematic, methodical, and quantitative approaches, characteristic of modern science, to tinkering, invention, and problem-solving to sustain and accelerate progress.

9. Advance Science, Technology Interdependently

Recognize and leverage the reciprocal relationship where scientific advancements enable better technology, and improved technology provides superior instruments for scientific discovery.

10. Develop Mass Production Innovations

Focus on inventions that enable mass production and profitable businesses, as these create economic feedback loops that sustain further progress and wealth accumulation.

11. Educate Through Progress History

Tell the story of progress and technology history in an accessible way to a general audience to build a foundational understanding and appreciation for progress.

12. Fund Progress-Oriented Projects

Establish and support grant programs for writers, intellectuals, artists, and other creatives to produce work that promotes and explores the history and philosophy of progress.

13. Promote Optimistic Sci-Fi

Encourage and create optimistic science fiction that presents desirable visions of the future, counteracting the prevalence of dystopian narratives and inspiring positive progress.

14. Dramatize Scientific Discovery

Create documentaries and biopics that realistically portray the technical problems, struggles, and processes of discovery and invention by scientists and inventors, inspiring and educating the public.

15. Teach Technology History in Schools

Implement basic history of technology courses in schools (high school and undergraduate levels) to educate students about the origins and impact of technological advancements.

16. Streamline Building Processes

Reform environmental review laws and other regulations that allow obstructionists to indefinitely hold up development projects, enabling faster and cheaper construction.