Unintended ConsequencesEdward Tenner
Synopsis: The story of how unintended consequences lead to progress.
Chopsticks resulted in long-term changes to the teeth of Japanese people. Heating and air conditioning systems turn a naturally occurring bacteria into Legionnaires disease. The greatest number of fundamental innovations happened during the Great Depression. Historian Edward Tenner tells a story of progress born of chaos. “So we see... that depressions and all kinds of other unfortunate events can have a paradoxically stimulating effect on creativity,” he says. Maybe the demise of guys will be the best thing that happened to guys, after all.