causal

Science and Tools Mutually Reinforce

Technology and science reinforce one another in a subtle feedback loop: better instruments and tools (built by makers) allow science to advance, and building things in turn teaches us more science; the 17th-century scientific revolution was triggered by opticians building lenses, telescopes, and vacuum pumps, and today high-powered computing is the most powerful research tool ever invented.

causalpending

Speaker

Joel Mokyr

Evidence Quote

these two reinforce one another in a very subtle way

Source

Joel Mokyr on Growth, Innovation, and StagnationEconTalk
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:12:21 AM

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