In Search of a Major Technological Breakthrough. Part IV. What Is the Main Obstacle to Further Technological and Economic Progress? It’s Energy, Stupid.

Old Black (and Blue) Energy Kings Still Rule Do you know what is the ultimate sign that rates of technological progress have been steadily declining in the last 50 years? The ultimate sign is that the “average” U.S. voter, the incumbent U.S president, and the U.S. presidential election candidates do not care about recent developments in the field of electric vehicles (operational since the 1880s), artificial intelligence tools (operational since the 1960s), or anti-obesity drugs (available since the 1900s). However, they do care about recent developments in the price of crude oil that went mainstream in the second half of…...