Citation

Tainter JA, Taylor TG. Behav. Brain Sci. 2019; 42: e209.

Affiliation

Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794. temis.taylor@stonybrook.eduhttps://www.aldacenter.org/users/temis-taylor.

Comment On:

Behav Brain Sci 2018;42:e189.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0140525X19000153

PMID

31744564

Abstract

We question Baumard's underlying assumption that humans have a propensity to innovate. Affordable transportation and energy underpinned the Industrial Revolution, making mass production/consumption possible. Although we cannot accept Baumard's thesis on the Industrial Revolution, it may help explain why complexity and innovation increase rapidly in the context of abundant energy.

Language: en