Comment of the Day: DCA: Is Innovation in Human Nature?: "There is a Joel Mokyr tie-in here, is there not?...
...The idea that there are improvements to be made is important. My own view is that this didn't permeate society until the 1830's/1850's: the railroad, the telegraph, the photograph, and anesthesia all changed activities that had never changed before: travel. communication, portraiture, and pain. NB that the last three are science-based.
