The Engine of Progress

The Engine of Progress The Engine of Progress Exploring the people and ideas driving humanity forward.

Dispatches
Perspectives

By nearly all measures, humanity is better off today than at any other time in history — but the path to this moment was anything but smooth. In this special issue, we examine the nature of progress: what nurtures it, what stifles it, and what we can do to shape it more deliberately in the years ahead. Inside, futurist Peter Leyden makes the case that we’re entering a new Progressive Era. Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl examines the role of government in creating enduring progress. And six fellows from the Roots of Progress Institute take us to ground zero of the modern progress movement: Progress Conference 2025. We hope you enjoy.

Abstract collage with network nodes, a vintage gear, a textured gray circle, and green gears on a graph background, divided into four colored quadrants.

The Future The common thread of progress An introduction to “The Engine of Progress” from Jason Crawford, founder of the Roots of Progress Institute.

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[…] Go to Profile Dispatches A man holding a microphone speaks to an audience in front of a bookshelf and a display with logos, including "Roots of Progress Institute" and "Big Think.

A man holding a microphone speaks to an audience in front of a bookshelf and a display with logos, including "Roots of Progress Institute" and "Big Think.

The Present Physical dynamism and the immigrant’s edge At the foundation of America’s progress movement are immigrants who still believe this country can build. A woman in a white coat and colorful knit hat smiles outdoors in a wooded area with stone structures in the background.

Afra Wang Afra Wang writes Concurrent, a newsletter exploring the parallel and colliding tech and cultural currents shaping Silicon Valley, China, and beyond. Go to Profile A woman sits in a chair facing a group of people seated on the floor in a casual indoor setting, with a vintage or sepia filter adding an air of longevity to the scene.

A woman sits in a chair facing a group of people seated on the floor in a casual indoor setting, with a vintage or sepia filter adding an air of longevity to the scene.

Health Aging as a disease: The rise of longevity science From treating specific diseases to targeting aging itself, Progress Conference 2025 explored the many routes to extending life. A woman with long brown hair, wearing a black blazer and polka dot blouse, smiles at the camera; background shows blurred vertical panels.

Laura Mazer Dr. Laura Mazer is a board-certified surgeon who transitioned to a career as a full-time educator. She now writes at the intersection of history and medical science, exploring how new[…] Go to Profile Two women stand and speak in front of a projector screen displaying a graph titled "YIMBY Action’s Ladder of Engagement" at a presentation or workshop.

Two women stand and speak in front of a projector screen displaying a graph titled "YIMBY Action’s Ladder of Engagement" at a presentation or workshop.

The Present Rethinking how we think about progress To build a better world, we first have to understand how change actually happens. A man with dark hair and glasses smiles while leaning near a window, with city buildings and water visible in the background.

Jeff Fong Jeff Fong is a writer, technologist, and housing activist. He serves as National Board Chair at YIMBY Action, an organization pushing for more houses. Go to Profile

All of us — from technologists to policy wonks to storytellers — are contributing in our own way to the grand project of human progress.

Jason Crawford Founder, Roots of Progress An older man with gray hair and glasses speaks into a microphone, gesturing with one hand, against a green and grid-patterned background.

An older man with gray hair and glasses speaks into a microphone, gesturing with one hand, against a green and grid-patterned background.

Inside the movement that’s rewriting how we do science With new labs, funding models, and institutions, metascience is reinventing the machinery of discovery. A person with long dark hair and a black jacket smiles outdoors in front of blooming yellow, white, and pink flowers.

Smrithi Sunil Smrithi Sunil is a neuroscientist and biomedical engineer who writes about scientific progress and the process of discovery. Go to Profile Two men sit on outdoor chairs holding microphones, engaged in conversation at an event. A conference sign is visible in the background.

Two men sit on outdoor chairs holding microphones, engaged in conversation at an event. A conference sign is visible in the background.

The Future The termination shock: Where AI progress meets reality To turn technical breakthroughs into real-world change, AI must overcome the friction of politics, policy, and human institutions. A young man with light brown hair wearing a dark turtleneck sweater and blazer, smiling in front of a plain light gray background.

Anton Leicht Anton Leicht writes and works on AI, political economy, and geopolitics. You can find his writing on Substack at Threading the Needle. Go to Profile Two people sit in wicker chairs outdoors, holding microphones and having a conversation about energy abundance. Other people are visible in the blurred background.

Two people sit in wicker chairs outdoors, holding microphones and having a conversation about energy abundance. Other people are visible in the blurred background.

The Future Powering progress: The quest for energy abundance Barriers to energy abundance — and how to overcome them — were front and center at Progress Conference 2025. A man with short hair, glasses, and a beard smiles while sitting outdoors. He is wearing a gray suit jacket, blue shirt, and purple tie. The background is an urban street scene.

Grant Mulligan Grant Mulligan is a positive-sum environmentalist who implements and invests in strategies that allow humans and nature to thrive together. Go to Profile Perspectives A rocket launches above layered geometric shapes depicting clouds, a building, and a crowd, all set against a black grid background.

A rocket launches above layered geometric shapes depicting clouds, a building, and a crowd, all set against a black grid background.

High Culture Why culture may be our most powerful lever for progress Before we can build the future, we have to imagine it. by Beatrice Erkers

The progress community’s refusal to apologize for wanting to build is deeply liberating.

Afra Wang

A collage featuring vintage documents, a grayscale moon map with labeled lunar missions, colored dots, and an old astronomical chart on a black background.

The Future Were Concorde and Apollo good for the future of aerospace? Government-spec’d glory projects produce tech demos. Enduring progress demands a better way forward. A person with short, light brown hair and light skin, wearing a dark collared shirt, is facing the camera against a black background.

Blake Scholl Blake Scholl founded Boom Supersonic with the goal of making high-speed travel mainstream and enabling a new world of human connection. Go to Profile A grid of twelve black-and-white icons representing various scientific fields, with “Artificial Intelligence” highlighted in red under a polygonal brain illustration.

A grid of twelve black-and-white icons representing various scientific fields, with “Artificial Intelligence” highlighted in red under a polygonal brain illustration.

The Future The U.S. may be entering a new progressive era The case that a bipartisan movement structured around progress and reform may be reaching critical mass. An older man with glasses and gray hair, wearing a blue suit jacket, is speaking. He looks slightly upwards, with a background of blurry, out-of-focus shapes.

Peter Leyden Peter Leyden is a longtime tech expert and thought leader on the future. He came to San Francisco to work with the founders of WIRED magazine at the beginning of[…] Go to Profile The moment every civilization fears: the growth plateau “People got skeptical, fearful, doubtful of the very idea of progress in the 20th century and we allowed that to slow down progress itself.”

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[…] Go to Profile ▸ 14 min — with Jason Crawford A graphic contrasts pragmatists and purists in moral philosophy, with photos of activists and protest scenes connected by arrows labeled "progress.

A graphic contrasts pragmatists and purists in moral philosophy, with photos of activists and protest scenes connected by arrows labeled "progress.

Thinking How Pragmatists and Purists work together to change the world History shows that progress often depends on activists at both ends of the spectrum.

Jonny Thomson Jonny Thomson taught philosophy in Oxford for more than a decade before turning to writing full-time. He’s a columnist at Big Think and is the award-winning, bestselling author of three[…] Go to Profile An illustration of a Roman-style ruin labeled "Common Law" is overlaid with concentric semicircles labeled Industrial Revolution, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Generative Models.

An illustration of a Roman-style ruin labeled "Common Law" is overlaid with concentric semicircles labeled Industrial Revolution, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Generative Models.

The Past The hidden legal engine of progress — from railroads to AI Common law has long balanced innovation and accountability. Can it do the same for AI? A man wearing glasses, a suit, and a patterned tie looks at the camera with a neutral expression. The background is blurred.

Dean Ball Dean Woodley Ball is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation and author of the AI-focused newsletter Hyperdimensional. Go to Profile Five books are displayed upright in a row: "Gödel, Escher, Bach," "Man’s Search for Meaning," "Red Mars," "The Road to Reality," and "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.

Five books are displayed upright in a row: "Gödel, Escher, Bach," "Man’s Search for Meaning," "Red Mars," "The Road to Reality," and "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.

Books 5 books that changed the world for the better These expert-recommended books reveal how big ideas can shape — and sometimes redefine — human progress. a close up of a person with long hair.

Jasna Hodžić Dr. Jasna Hodžić holds a Ph.D. in ecology and is a writer and editor based out of the western United States. Go to Profile Progress depends not only on technology and institutions, but also on our feelings about the future. A person with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a green sweater stands outdoors in front of a blurred green leafy background.

Beatrice Erkers A woman with glasses and short hair smiles slightly, wearing a striped sweater, with an orange-toned background and a grid pattern above.

A woman with glasses and short hair smiles slightly, wearing a striped sweater, with an orange-toned background and a grid pattern above.

Leadership The DOGE days are over. Now what? Jennifer Pahlka, author and Code for America founder, on what comes after Elon Musk’s failed attempt at government efficiency — and how we can modernize federal agencies to improve people’s lives. A man with short dark hair and stubble wearing a plaid shirt smiles and looks downward against a purple background.

A man with short dark hair and stubble wearing a plaid shirt smiles and looks downward against a purple background.

R.M. Schneiderman R.M. Schneiderman is a writer and editor based in Nashville. Go to Profile A crowded room with people suffering from illness; some lie in bed, others sit or kneel, while a few interact and offer assistance.

A crowded room with people suffering from illness; some lie in bed, others sit or kneel, while a few interact and offer assistance.

The Past The grim truth about the “good old days” Preindustrial life wasn’t simple or serene — it was filthy, violent, and short. The Industrial Revolution was imperfect, but it was progress. A woman with straight brown hair, wearing a dark blazer, smiles at the camera in front of a blurred background.

Chelsea Follett Chelsea Follett is the managing editor of HumanProgress.org and a policy analyst at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity at the Cato Institute. Go to Profile Illustration of a person using a telescope among large stacks of paper, with red graph-like squares in the background.

Illustration of a person using a telescope among large stacks of paper, with red graph-like squares in the background.

The Future Future-friendly regulation has a blind spot: the future Real progress demands rules built for uncertainty — not for the few innovations dominating today’s tech landscape. A man with short dark hair and a blue patterned shirt smiles at the camera against a blurred indoor background.

Christian Keil Christian Keil is the Vice President of External Relations at Astranis and previously served as a management consultant at Deloitte. Go to Profile An orange hydrofoil boat glides across the water in front of a city skyline with tall buildings, resembling the sleek motion of flying boats.

An orange hydrofoil boat glides across the water in front of a city skyline with tall buildings, resembling the sleek motion of flying boats.

The Future Why wait for flying cars? Flying boats are already here. The case for robotaxis on the water. A woman with shoulder-length dark hair looks directly at the camera against a plain gray background.

Sampriti Bhattacharyya Sampriti Bhattacharyya is the founder and CEO of Navier, a next generation company creating zero-emission marine vessels. Go to Profile

The Engine of Progress

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