Jason Crawford

From one piece What does it mean to “trust science”? 3 beliefs, in the piece's order there

• Our readingkorrents.com

  Science can identify problems but cannot by itself tell us what to do about them.

  Their words

  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”?rootsofprogress.org

• Our readingkorrents.com

  There is no capital-S Science that can stand as an authority; there is only reasoning done systematically.

  Their words

  There is no capital-S Science—a new authority to substitute for God or King.

  What does it mean to “trust science”?rootsofprogress.org

• Our readingkorrents.com

  “Trust science” is a confused instruction: what deserves trust is the process, not any particular thing it has concluded so far.

  Their words

  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”?rootsofprogress.org

• Our reading nowkorrents.com

  The case for a technological slowdown since about 1970 is not convincing.

  On changing their mind

  When I first heard the stagnation hypothesis, I was skeptical. The arguments weren’t convincing to me.

From one piece Technological stagnation 2 beliefs, in the piece's order there

• Our readingkorrents.com

  Stagnation does not mean no progress; it means progress slower than the late 1800s to mid-1900s peak.

  Their words

  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 stagnationrootsofprogress.org

• Our readingkorrents.com

  Progress used to run in several industries at once and now runs in one, which is what the slowdown actually consists of.

  Their words

  It’s that we went from five simultaneous technology revolutions to one.

  Technological stagnationrootsofprogress.org

From one piece Progress: Fluke or trend? 3 beliefs, in the piece's order there

• Our readingkorrents.com

  Progress is not natural or automatic: it happens only while people believe it is possible and desirable, and it can stop.

  Their words

  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?rootsofprogress.org

• Our readingkorrents.com

  Progress is not driven mainly by material resources, so running out of them is not what would stop it.

  Their words

  I don’t think progress is primarily driven by material resources.

  Progress: Fluke or trend?rootsofprogress.org

• Our readingkorrents.com

  Two centuries of progress were a trend with real causes rather than a fluke, and can continue far into the future.

  Their words

  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?rootsofprogress.org