Jason Crawford
Founder and president of the Roots of Progress Institute; writes the history and philosophy of progress, after a career as a software engineering manager and founder.
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What they believe
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“Trust science” is a confused instruction: what deserves trust is the process, not any particular thing it has concluded so far.
Even in that case, though, what we should trust is not the particular output of the scientific process at any given time. It can make wrong turns. Instead, we should trust that it will find the truth eventually, and that it is our best and only method for doing so.
rootsofprogress.orgSaid 16 Aug 2023This on korrents
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Changed their mind The case for a technological slowdown since about 1970 is not convincing.
Now When I first heard the stagnation hypothesis, I was skeptical. The arguments weren’t convincing to me.
Said 23 Jan 2021This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These one: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 10 beliefs, 1 changed mind — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
“Trust science” is a confused instruction: what deserves trust is the process, not any particular thing it has concluded so far.
Even in that case, though, what we should trust is not the particular output of the scientific process at any given time. It can make wrong turns. Instead, we should trust that it will find the truth eventually, and that it is our best and only method for doing so.
What does it mean to “trust science”? Said 16 Aug 2023
There is no capital-S Science that can stand as an authority; there is only reasoning done systematically.
There is no capital-S Science—a new authority to substitute for God or King.
What does it mean to “trust science”? Said 16 Aug 2023
Science can identify problems but cannot by itself tell us what to do about them.
Physics, chemistry and biology can point out problems, but we need history, economics and philosophy to solve them.
What does it mean to “trust science”? Said 16 Aug 2023
Show 7 more
Progress used to run in several industries at once and now runs in one, which is what the slowdown actually consists of.
It’s that we went from five simultaneous technology revolutions to one.
Technological stagnation Said 23 Jan 2021
Stagnation does not mean no progress; it means progress slower than the late 1800s to mid-1900s peak.
Stagnation just means slower progress. And not even slower than that pre-industrial era, but slower than, roughly, the late 1800s to mid-1900s, when growth rates are said to have peaked.
Technological stagnation Said 23 Jan 2021
Two centuries of progress were a trend with real causes rather than a fluke, and can continue far into the future.
A foundational conviction of this project is that progress is a trend with definite, substantive causes, and that it can continue far, far into the future.
Progress: Fluke or trend? Said 12 Sept 2020
Progress is not driven mainly by material resources, so running out of them is not what would stop it.
I don’t think progress is primarily driven by material resources.
Progress: Fluke or trend? Said 12 Sept 2020
Progress is not natural or automatic: it happens only while people believe it is possible and desirable, and it can stop.
Progress isn’t natural; we make it happen through choice and effort, and we only do so when we believe it is possible and desirable.
Progress: Fluke or trend? Said 12 Sept 2020
Fixing science's incentives means changing what journals, departments and funders are rewarded for, not only what scientists are.
In any case, I think we need to not only look at the incentives facing scientists, but also those facing department heads, journals, and grant-making agencies.
Stagnation, scientific incentives, and funding models Said 23 Feb 2020
Understanding the causes of progress is a moral imperative, because progress is neither automatic nor guaranteed to continue.
So if progress is a moral imperative, it is also a moral imperative to understand its causes, so that we can protect them and reinforce them.
Progress studies as a moral imperative Said 7 Sept 2019
What is a korrent?
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Nobody here wrote their own korrents. They are compiled from public statements, and a person can change their mind, which is recorded too.
Recommends rcmnd
rcmnd What they recommend 6 things — each backed by an exact quote.
Compiled by rcmnd.app, not by them: the quotes are theirs, and each links to the post it was copied from.
Recent
Liked A Culture of Growth: The Origins of the Modern Economy
The book that in a way started this project was A Culture of Growth: The Origins of the Modern Economy, by Joel Mokyr.
blog.rootsofprogress.org 31 Dec 2017
What others say about A Culture of Growth: The Origins of the Modern Economy →
Read Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization
For a survey, I read Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization, by Vaclav Smil (or the first few chapters of it, which were the ones relevant to me).
blog.rootsofprogress.org 31 Dec 2017
What others say about Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization →
Liked The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm
I also read The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm, by Lewis Dartnell. I have no interest in apocalyptic scenarios, but this book is a good survey of the key technologies of industrial civilization.
blog.rootsofprogress.org 31 Dec 2017
What others say about The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm →
Show 3 more
Liked The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention
I also enjoyed The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention, by Willam Rosen. It's the story of the steam engine, but also covers the origins of patent law.
blog.rootsofprogress.org 31 Dec 2017
Loved The Alchemy of Air
A close runner-up is The Alchemy of Air, by Thomas Hager. It's the story of the Haber-Bosch process for creating synthetic ammonia, which is crucial for producing the fertilizer needed to feed the seven billion or so people on Earth today.
blog.rootsofprogress.org 31 Dec 2017
Loved The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined
My top book of 2017 was The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, by Steven Pinker. It's the story of how and why the world has gotten safer and more peaceful, from tribal societies to today.
blog.rootsofprogress.org 31 Dec 2017
What others say about The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined →
Where they publish
Blog jasoncrawford.org His own blog on progress studies. Has a feed.
Link verified 20 Sept 2026.
x.com @jasoncrawford Posts.
Recent
- Voltaire on history and progress, according to Durant: 2 Nov 2026
- Congrats @allisondman on everything you've done for @foresightinst! One of my favorite organizations helping to create an ambitious vision of the future 31 Oct 2026
- RIP Patrick Stewart. Absolute legend. He brought so much joy and wonder to so many lives. 29 Oct 2026
Show 16 more
- You should be able to add a Community Note to your own post and have it show up immediately. Or the equivalent, Author's Note or something. When you have posted something and want to make an update to it or note criticism/skepticism, but you can't edit it anymore. @petersellis 29 Oct 2026
- Not sure what is more striking—how bad the research audited here seems to be, or the thought that a lot of other research might come out similarly shaky. Via @tylercowen / @MargRev – 28 Oct 2026
- Love this team. Eager to check this out: 28 Oct 2026
- The coffin-torpedo, a 19th-century invention for guarding a fresh corpse against graverobbers. I am not making this up. “The device was mounted to the head of the coffin, with the intention that a thief who bent down to lift the corpse’s head and shoulders would receive a face full of buckshot” From this amazing piece by @drlauramazer: 28 Oct 2026 anatomists.substack.com
- “Big compute builds strong models. Strong models lead to little compute. Little compute leads to weak models. Weak models lead to big compute.” 😂 27 Oct 2026
- Sad to hear that @TheCrucible is closing. Great maker space in Oakland, I took a few metalworking classes there. Some wealthy SF person should bail them out, or acquire them! 27 Oct 2026 sfchronicle.com
- “When disruptive technology comes along that makes people radically more productive, the first people who really come alive are the people who know what to do” @pmarca 27 Oct 2026
- Enjoyed this conversation with @benlandautaylor! 24 Oct 2026
- What's up with videos where the captions appear like one word at a time? Seems like a trend with reels and similar 23 Oct 2026
- Some AI-wealthy philanthropists should set up a foundation to provide paid full-time positions for professional maintainers on critical pieces of open-source software infrastructure. Shouldn't be left to lone volunteers! 23 Oct 2026
- “Reality has not consulted your model” is another line I really gotta use sometime 23 Oct 2026
- Classic case of bad product design. The app ought to know why the signature request was closed. Why make the user wonder, or guess? Good software handles what it can and doesn't place needless burdens on the user. (Very typical for error states to have this lack of care, btw) 23 Oct 2026
- Everyone else is developing fusion for energy; @MarathonFusion is developing it for transmutation of elements I got to visit their office on a Progress Conference tour a few weeks ago. Very cool stuff 22 Oct 2026
- Writing is not just output to be consumed, it is also reputation-building for the author. If AI wrote the piece, not you, then I'm less interested in hiring you, inviting you to my conference/podcast, etc. 21 Oct 2026
- If and when the SaaSpocalypse happens, it won't be evident in the revenue figures for months: 21 Oct 2026
- “72% of Democrats said they thought elections would be well run in 2026, down from 90% in 2024. 73% of Republicans thought elections would be well run, up from 57% in 2024.” (via @TangleNews) So, now both sides are in agreement! 🤣 20 Oct 2026
Link verified 20 Sept 2026. Recent items update automatically from the channel.
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