Quotation of the Day…

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… is from pages 123-124 of Steven Pinker’s superb 2018 volume, Enlightenment Now (footnote and references deleted):

[I]ndusrialization has been good for humanity. It has fed billions, doubled life spans, slashed extreme poverty, and, by replacing muscle with machinery, made it easier to end slavery, emancipate women, and educate children. It has allowed people to read at night, live where they want, stay warm in winter, see the world, and multiply human contact. Any costs in pollution and habitat loss have to be weighed against these gifts.