Much like during the industrial revolution, today’s automation anxiety is entirely justified. But history shows us that the real challenge lies in the sphere of policy, not technology. On the night of April 24, 1907, New York’s lamplighters left the lights out and went on strike. The 25,000 gaslights that normally kept the streets of Manhattan bright at night were never lit. As it grew darker, complaints from impatient New Yorkers to the local police poured in, but with little effect. Even by 9 p.m., the only bright public spots were a few transverse roads in Central Park, which […]
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