Every major leap in human progress has this in common | Jason Crawford: Full Interview
In the thought-provoking video “Every Major Leap in Human Progress Has This in Common,” Jason Crawford delves into the intricate relationship between progress, technology, and human well-being. As the Founder and President of the Roots of Progress Institute, he emphasizes that advancements are not automatic; they require belief, choice, and dedicated effort from society.
Crawford navigates the historical evolution of progress, tracing its philosophical underpinnings from figures like Francis Bacon to the transformative impact of the Industrial Revolution. He articulates that while technology catalyzes improvement in living standards—from agriculture to medicine—progress also brings inevitable risks, as witnessed during the world wars and subsequent societal skepticism.
Despite what he perceives as a relative slowdown in technological innovation over the past fifty years, particularly in sectors like energy and manufacturing, Crawford is hopeful. He identifies emerging breakthroughs, including advancements in artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, and advocates for a renewed cultural commitment to progress. By addressing regulatory challenges and nurturing bold scientific initiatives, he believes society can foster a future as transformative as the past—one that can elevate humanity to new heights.
Crawford’s discourse urges us to recognize that while the path to progress is fraught with challenges, it is also rich with opportunity, urging us to believe and invest in a more prosperous future.
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“Progress happens when we choose to make it happen. It happens through choice and effort. And ultimately, to make progress happen, we have to believe in it.”
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Up next, We are living through a slowdown in human progress | Jason Crawford ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6ebqoan4SE
Humanity’s progress is neither automatic nor inevitable – from the printing press to the Industrial Revolution, and today’s digital age, every leap in technology has reshaped what’s possible for our civilization.
Jason Crawford traces the history and philosophy behind these breakthroughs, revealing the forces that drive innovation and the risks that come with unchecked advancement.
0:00 The philosophy of progress
2:17 The idea of progress throughout history
2:52 Francis Bacon
4:30 The Gutenberg printing press
6:38 The Industrial Revolution
8:47 The end of wars?
9:17 After the world wars of the 20th century
11:58 The idea of progress
14:38 Material progress and the human experience
15:01 The technologies of progress
15:38 Agricultural advancements
16:43 Sources of power
18:36 Energy
19:12 Medicine
20:58 Transportation
26:15 Why does the pace of progress accelerate?
29:03 The future of progress
32:55 Has progress slowed down in the last 50 years?
33:36 The regulatory apparatus
34:12 Organizing scientific research
34:46 Loss of confidence and ambition
Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/full-interview/the-philosophy-of-progress/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
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About Jason Crawford:
Jason Crawford is the founder of The Roots of Progress, where he writes and speaks about the history of technology and the philosophy of progress. He is also the creator of Progress Studies for Young Scholars, an online learning program for high schoolers; and a part-time adviser and technical consultant to Our World in Data, an Oxford-based non-profit for research and data on global development.
Previously, he spent 18 years as a software engineer, engineering manager, and startup founder. From 2013–2018, he was co-founder & CEO of Fieldbook, a hybrid spreadsheet-database. He has also been an engineering manager at Flexport, Amazon, and Groupon, and a co-founder or early employee at other startups. Before that, he was a research engineer at D. E. Shaw Research, working on a new supercomputing architecture for computational biochemistry.
He has a B.S. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.
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Video “Every major leap in human progress has this in common | Jason Crawford: Full Interview” was uploaded on 11/19/2025 to Youtube Channel Big Think