One of the biggest themes from Matt Ridley’s book “How Innovation Works” is about the intersection between human nature and innovation.
Throughout history, when science has taken two steps forward, humans have done everything in their power to take at least one step back.
It is why, for example, it took 200 years for the western world to accept potatoes. There were all sorts of unsubstantiated prejudices that the potato had to overcome. Potatoes were initially banned in countries like England because clergyman didn’t believe they were fit to be eaten as they were not mentioned in the Bible.
Then, there was a prevailing belief at the time that vegetables had an effect on the body based on how they looked. Potatoes looked like a finger with leprosy, and thus there was a belief they might cause leprosy.
This is a pattern that has repeated throughout the millenia.
When we understand those patterns, it is a lot easier to understand similar behavior today.
For example, the state of Utah has decided to ban fluoride in municipal water. It is one of those examples of upstream intervention that I’ve written about, and it has a long and distinguished history going back to John Leal saving lives in New Jersey with Chlorination.
Similarly, measles was considered eliminated in the US since 2000. But growing vaccine resistance have resulted in the first major outbreak in decades.
History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes.
