You’re reading my newsletter, Age of Invention, on the causes of the British Industrial Revolution and the history of innovation. It currently goes out to over 4,900 people. You can subscribe here: The ninth laird of Auchinleck, James Boswell achieved immortal fame for following around Dr Samuel Johnson, compiler of a famous dictionary of the English language. Boswell recorded Johnson’s every drop of wit, later publishing it in an unprecedentedly personal biography. But it was in Birmingham in 1776, while on an excursion away from his muse, that Boswell recorded one of the best lines in the history of technology. Upon being shown around Boulton and Watt’s steam engine factory at Soho, Matthew Boulton told him that “I sell here, sir, what all the world desires to have — Power.”
Hello Anthony. Thank you for this informative blog post. I was wondering if you are planning on discussing the role of British colonies is both acting as markets and sources of raw materials for the textile industry in Britain. It would be interesting if you could discuss the impact of the flooding of colonial markets with British textiles on British industrialization.
Hi Anton, new reader. Interesting premise (forgive the pithy summary) - because energy underlies all goods, innovation improvements in energy have larger positive impacts, relatively, because it lowers the price of all goods, etc. enabling people to modify consumption baskets.
Haven't we already had dramatic innovation in energy w/ rise of fracking + directional drilling (ignoring environmental effects)? Do you think that anything has changed as a result that supports your point that innovation in energy is more impactful than innovation elsewhere?
I really enjoyed this post, well discussed on the gains from innovation.
1) How do you know energy innovation from renewables and batteries will be significant enough? What percent decrease will be “enough”? I know you can’t really answer that, but if you could wouldn’t the best option be for the government to immensely fund the technologies to get there? If the downstream innovation benefits would be so great, let’s get there ASAP. Energy innovation since the 1980s has been gradual, but significant (see gas turbines) and new technologies are still basically on par (for now).
2) There is a lot of awesome academic research that basically relies on cheaper electricity, see electrochemistry. I do agree with Noah (and you) in that regard (Jetsons).
3) Any science fiction that you would recommend for interesting energy usage? Always seemed odd to me that Tony Stark changed energy production but only really used it for his suit.
Hello Anthony. Thank you for this informative blog post. I was wondering if you are planning on discussing the role of British colonies is both acting as markets and sources of raw materials for the textile industry in Britain. It would be interesting if you could discuss the impact of the flooding of colonial markets with British textiles on British industrialization.
Hi Anton, new reader. Interesting premise (forgive the pithy summary) - because energy underlies all goods, innovation improvements in energy have larger positive impacts, relatively, because it lowers the price of all goods, etc. enabling people to modify consumption baskets.
Haven't we already had dramatic innovation in energy w/ rise of fracking + directional drilling (ignoring environmental effects)? Do you think that anything has changed as a result that supports your point that innovation in energy is more impactful than innovation elsewhere?
Thanks!
I really enjoyed this post, well discussed on the gains from innovation.
1) How do you know energy innovation from renewables and batteries will be significant enough? What percent decrease will be “enough”? I know you can’t really answer that, but if you could wouldn’t the best option be for the government to immensely fund the technologies to get there? If the downstream innovation benefits would be so great, let’s get there ASAP. Energy innovation since the 1980s has been gradual, but significant (see gas turbines) and new technologies are still basically on par (for now).
2) There is a lot of awesome academic research that basically relies on cheaper electricity, see electrochemistry. I do agree with Noah (and you) in that regard (Jetsons).
3) Any science fiction that you would recommend for interesting energy usage? Always seemed odd to me that Tony Stark changed energy production but only really used it for his suit.