Archive - Past Imperfect

This Earth Day, Progress for Our Species Protects Others

Humanity’s relationship with wildlife is being rewritten.

Apr 22 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

A Reality Check on the Inequality Panic

Calls for wealth redistribution rest on a faulty premise about inequality.

Apr 17 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

Beheading Live Geese Used to Pass for Easter Merriment

Remembering the callous diversions of yore can help put the modern world into perspective.

Apr 9 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

A Grim Tour of Preindustrial New York

The struggles of early New Yorkers are worth remembering.

Apr 4 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

March 2026

The Horrors of Pre-Industrial Farming

The harsh realities of preindustrial farming are at odds with the popular imagination.

Mar 27 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

Scientific and Medical Advances Saved My Baby

My daughter's survival is an example of a broader trend.

Mar 18 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

Pessimism Viewed in Historical Perspective

Pessimism about potentially life-enhancing technologies is not new.

Mar 11 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

Why We Don’t Worry About Scarlet Fever Anymore

The infection killed millions of people throughout history. Today it's considered a mild illness.

Mar 4 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

February 2026

Soviet Gender Equality and the Women of the Gulag

The Gulag system serves as a stark example of "women's liberation" in the Soviet Union.

Feb 26 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

A President's Son Once Died of an Infected Blister

No amount of wealth or power could save a patient from this minor ailment.

Feb 19 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

Marriage Wasn’t Always Happily Ever After

Preindustrial marriage was not the fairy tale that many people imagine.

Feb 12 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

The Liberating Power of Energy

Robert Zubrin shows the strong link between energy abundance and human freedom.

Feb 4 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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