e/acc

The steam engine was invented in 1712. An observer at the time might said: “The engine will power everything: factories, ships, carriages. Horses will be obsolete!” They would have been right—but *200 years later*, we were still using horses to plow fields:

https://blog.rootsofprogress.org/big-tech-transitions-are-slow

Fighting tailpipes, gas leaks, and potholes

Founder, The Roots of Progress (rootsofprogress.org). I write about the history of technology and the philosophy of progress. Former tech founder.