Chelsea Follett
HumanProgress.org
Fairfax, VA, United States
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Past articles by Chelsea:
Become Hobbits to Fight Resource Scarcity? No Need!
A strange new twist on the idea that the planet would benefit from having fewer people (to consume fewer resources) is that the planet would also benefit from having shorter people (again, to consume fewer resources). The proposal to shrink the population, whether in terms of its total size or its average height, seems to be in vogue. An op-ed in the New York Times argues: > Short people… → Read More
Modern Heat and Light Have Transformed Human Life—Don't Take Them for Granted
The recent shooting of two power substations in North Carolina, temporarily leaving tens of thousands of Americans without power, has drawn attention to the susceptibility of U.S. electricity infrastructure to attacks. Such vulnerability is heightened in war. As winter approaches, Russia’s military has increasingly targeted Ukrainian power stations and critical infrastructure. The resulting… → Read More
Halloween: More Walking Dead, Fewer Dead Walkers
This Halloween, you might see your neighbors’ front yards decorated with faux tombstones and witness several children dressed as ghosts, skeletons, zombies, or other symbols of death. Thankfully, today’s trick-or-treaters can almost all expect to remain among the living until old age. But back when the holiday tradition of children going door-to-door in spooky costumes originated, death was… → Read More
Centers of Progress, Pt. 39: Houston (Spaceflight)
Today marks the 39th installment in a series of articles by HumanProgress.org called Centers of Progress. Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is in many ways the story of the city. It is the city that has helped to create and define the modern world. This biweekly column will give a short overview of urban centers that were the sites of pivotal advances in culture, economics,… → Read More
Sri Lanka Is a Wake-Up Call for Eco-Utopians
Earlier this week, a group of Sri Lankan protestors took a refreshing dip in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s pool. It was probably a welcome respite from the steamy eighty-degree day in Colombo, as well from the unprecedented economic crisis currently devastating the country. Over the last year, Sri Lanka has experienced an annual inflation rate of more than 50 percent, with food prices rising 80… → Read More
Rosemarie Fike: The Human Progress Podcast Ep. 28 Transcript
The full conversation between Rosemarie Fike and Chelsea Follett can be found here. The transcript is below. Chelsea Follett: Joining me today is Rosemarie Fike. Rosemarie is an instructor of Economics at Texas Christian University, and a Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute. She received her MA in Economics at George Mason University, and her PhD in Economics at Florida State University, and… → Read More
The Tragic Origins of Father's Day
This article originally appeared on RealClearHistory.com Few are familiar with the tragic origins of Father’s Day. Father’s Day was inspired by both a lethal workplace catastrophe and by a single father who raised six children after his wife’s untimely death. In 1907, an explosion in a West Virginia coal mine resulted in the deaths of 361 men, 250 of whom were fathers. It was the deadliest… → Read More
Centers of Progress, Pt. 37: Dubrovnik (Public Health)
Today marks the 37th installment in a series of articles by HumanProgress.org called Centers of Progress. Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is in many ways the story of the city. It is the city that has helped to create and define the modern world. This bi-weekly column will give a short overview of urban centers that were the sites of pivotal advances in culture, economics,… → Read More
This Mother’s Day, Celebrate Progress for Mothers and Children
This article originally appeared in The Virginian‐Pilot. Few know the story of the woman who inspired Mother’s Day. Her name was Ann Jarvis, and the many tragedies in her life demonstrate how much more difficult motherhood was in the past and the progress that has been made since. Ann was born in 1832 in Virginia, and married at age 18. After marrying, Ann had 13 children over the course of 17… → Read More
Matt Warner: The Human Progress Podcast Ep. 20 Transcript
The full conversation between Chelsea Follett and Matt Warner can be found here. The transcript is below. Chelsea Follett: Today, joining the Human Progress Podcast is Matt Warner. He is president of Atlas Network, a non-profit that aims to secure the rights to economic and personal freedom for all individuals through its global network of think tanks, supporting local NGOs in more than 90… → Read More
Mourning, Merriment, and Hazardous History of Holiday Lights
Spectacular twinkling displays are a staple of the holiday season, from elaborately lit homes to drive-through light shows. But electric lights are more than a charming way to ward off the winter gloom; they have also made this time of year considerably safer than in the past. The first Christmas lights were candles. The practice of placing lit candles on Christmas trees dates to at least 1660… → Read More
Crashing Through the Snow: The Grim Sarcasm Behind 'Jingle Bells'
It’s the holiday season, and Christmas carols are everywhere, including the ubiquitous “Jingle Bells,” first published in 1857. Many take the refrain, “Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!” at face value. But an underappreciated aspect of the lyrics is that they are actually rather cynical about sleigh rides. Part of the song goes: > The horse was lean and lank Misfortune… → Read More
What Kamala Harris Gets Wrong about Inequality
Vice President Kamala Harris claimed, in the wake of the infrastructure bill’s recent passage, that the world has seen “a dramatic rise in inequality.” She continued, “Why is it that 1 in 4 people in our world lack access to clean drinking water at home? Why is it that 1 in 3 women in the world experience sexual or physical violence during her lifetime? Why is it that only half of the world has… → Read More
Prosperity comes from sustainable economic growth, not well-Intentioned redistribution
Advocacy, however well-intended, of unfeasible or ineffective solutions, does less good than support for the proven policies and institutions that have brought global poverty to lows beyond our ancestors’ wildest dreams. → Read More
Centers of Progress, Pt. 29: Berlin (Fall of Communism)
Today marks the twenty-ninth installment in a series of articles by HumanProgress.org called Centers of Progress. Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is in many ways the story of the city. It is the city that has helped to create and define the modern world. This bi-weekly column will give a short overview of urban centers that were the sites of pivotal advances in culture,… → Read More
Centers of Progress, Pt. 28: New York (Finance)
Today marks the twenty-eighth installment in a series of articles by HumanProgress.org called Centers of Progress. Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is in many ways the story of the city. It is the city that has helped to create and define the modern world. This bi-weekly column will give a short overview of urban centers that were the sites of pivotal advances in culture,… → Read More
Centers of Progress, Pt. 24: Wellington (Suffrage)
As New Zealand’s seat of government, Wellington was at the center of the first successful campaign to grant women the right to vote. → Read More
Centers of Progress, Pt. 23: London (Emancipation)
Today marks the twenty-third installment in a series of articles by HumanProgress.org called Centers of Progress. Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is in many ways the story of the city. It is the city that has helped to create and define the modern world. This bi-weekly column will give a short overview of urban centers that were the sites of pivotal advances in culture,… → Read More
Centers of Progress, Pt. 21: Bologna (Universities)
Introducing the city that pioneered the university model of higher learning. → Read More
Centers of Progress, Pt. 20: Vienna (Music)
The musical and artistic legacies of Vienna have enriched humanity. → Read More