Why do we live in unusually innovative times?

<p dir="ltr">For most of human history, economic growth was, well, pretty bleak. But around the Enlightenment, things started clicking. This year's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences went to a trio of researchers whose work focuses on how technological progress led to this sustained economic growth. Today we hear from one of them, Joel Mokyr, about his work on European economic history. <p dir="ltr"><strong>Related episodes: <br /></strong><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/10/15/1211165443/the-indicator-from-planet-money-nobel-economics-prize-institutions-10-15-2024" target="_blank">Why are some nations richer?</a> (2024 Economics Nobel) <br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/10/10/1197954680/the-indicator-from-planet-money-10-10-2023" target="_blank">A conversation with Nobel laureate Claudia Goldin</a> (2023 Economics Nobel)

<br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/24/1040606747/when-luddites-attack-classic" target="_blank">When Luddites attack (Update)</a> (Featuring Joel Mokyr) <p dir="ltr"><em>For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/" target="_blank">plus.npr.org</a>. Music by <a href="https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Drop Electric</a>. Find us: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney" target="_blank">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money" target="_blank">Newsletter</a>.  </em><br /><br />See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>