The golden quarter

12/30/2014

This article on Aeon explores the question of why human progress seems to have slowed down in recent times. The author argues that while technological advances continue to occur, they often fail to lead to substantial improvements in quality of life for the majority of people. The article discusses various reasons for this, such as diminishing returns in areas like medicine and energy, increasing complexity and bureaucracy, and a focus on short-term gains rather than long-term sustainable solutions. It also considers the role of human psychology and the limitations it imposes on progress. Overall, the article raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of progress and highlights the need for a more holistic approach to achieving meaningful advancements.

human progress ꞏ technological advancement ꞏ societal progress ꞏ innovation ꞏ stagnation ꞏ economic growth ꞏ cultural development ꞏ scientific breakthroughs ꞏ social change ꞏ technological revolution ꞏ historical analysis ꞏ industrialization ꞏ globalization ꞏ knowledge economy ꞏ information age ꞏ innovation bottleneck ꞏ societal challenges ꞏ political factors ꞏ economic factors ꞏ environmental factors ꞏ technological factors ꞏ social factors ꞏ historical context ꞏ future prospects ꞏ global perspective ꞏ development theory ꞏ technological determinism ꞏ societal complexity ꞏ systemic issues ꞏ paradigm shift ꞏ human potential ꞏ human evolution ꞏ social norms ꞏ cultural values ꞏ intellectual stagnation ꞏ knowledge stagnation ꞏ creative stagnation ꞏ progress measurement ꞏ socio-economic factors ꞏ education system ꞏ research and development ꞏ curiosity ꞏ intellectual curiosity ꞏ critical thinking ꞏ problem-solving ꞏ creativity ꞏ collaboration ꞏ interdisciplinary studies ꞏ human ingenuity