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Which Would You Rather Give Up: Electric Light or Electric Washing Machines?
Plus, what Donald Trump could learn from Jun’ichirō Tanizaki.
Jul 19
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Ambition Without Hierarchy: The American Experiment at 250
Plus an artist fights fires in Amsterdam, music industry anxiety, and more
Jul 4
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27
3
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Everyday Abundance: Our history podcast is live!
The hidden histories behind everyday activities and the technologies you didn't even know were technologies.
Jun 10
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8
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The Myth of Prometheus Is Not a Cautionary Tale
Nov 15, 2023
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Wanted: Manly Jobs for Manly Men
Apr 26, 2025
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Why the Anti-Promethean Backlash?
Nov 20, 2025
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Catastrophe in my Geographical Homeland
Sep 30, 2024
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Abundance, Progress, and the Future of American Politics
Nov 10, 2024
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Quality Matters, but You Also Need Luck
Jan 21, 2024
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The smelly baby problem
Benjamin Spock told mothers in the mid-twentieth century to buy six dozen cloth diapers and a covered pail. Within a decade, both were obsolete.
Published on The Works in Progress Newsletter
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Apr 30
Time's Arrow and the Drive to Matter
Or, entropy and the meanings—yes, plural—of life. Plus, TV and disposable diapers in Works in Progress, good news, and nerdy fun.
Apr 25
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From the Archives: Must Love Dogs? If You Want the Job
This is one culture war that crosses party lines.
Apr 24
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A Plague of Mysterious, AI-Written Emails from "Fellow Authors"
Early AI adopters are using it to scam authors.
Feb 16
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Recent Work and an Exciting New Project
Plus recommended reading
Jan 8
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From the Archives: Gothic Revival Architecture Is Like Dreadlocks
You can try embedding ideology into a style but if people like the look, the meaning will get diluted over time.
Nov 20, 2025
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Why the Anti-Promethean Backlash?
Jason Crawford asked me a tough question. Could this chart hold an answer?
Nov 20, 2025
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64
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