Name: Unintended consequences
Uploaded: 2011-09-06T14:37:23Z
Duration: 15 min 53 s
Description: Every new invention changes the world -- in ways both intentional and unexpected. Historian Edward Tenner tells stories that illustrate the under-appreciated gap between our ability to innovate and our ability to foresee the consequences.

Every new invention changes the world -- in ways both intentional and unexpected. Historian Edward Tenner tells stories that illustrate the under-appreciated gap between our ability to innovate and our ability to foresee the consequences.

Unintended consequences

Unintended consequences are the engine of progress, often bringing surprising benefits from even the worst disasters. Agricultural revolutions, the invention of penicillin, and the rise of dry photocopying all sprang from unexpected, sometimes negative events. History shows that our ability to predict outcomes lags behind our power to innovate. Learning from accidents and pooling knowledge during crises have repeatedly sparked breakthroughs that shape society.