How Robot Housekeepers Could Spark a New Baby Boom

The potential of technology to free humanity from the burden of household labor deserves more attention.

Jan 16 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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Modern Heat and Light Have Transformed Human Life

Without electricity, winter is a humanitarian emergency.

Jan 14 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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December 2025

The Depths of Dickensian Destitution

I explore the economics of A Christmas Carol in the Wall Street Journal

Dec 23, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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The Grim Sarcasm Behind "Jingle Bells"

Thanks to technological progress, cars are much safer than one-horse open sleighs.

Dec 18, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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A Christmas Carol and the Politics of “Overpopulation”

The ghost of Malthus still haunts us today.

Dec 11, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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The Hazardous History of Holiday Lights

Before electric lights, the holiday season was a hot waxy mess.

Dec 2, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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November 2025

The Grim Truth About the “Good Old Days”

Preindustrial life wasn’t simple or serene — it was filthy, violent, and short. The Industrial Revolution was imperfect, but it was progress.

Nov 20, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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From Poverty to Progress

How division will stifle US prosperity.

Nov 12, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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How Economic Prosperity Spared Witches

While there are still places where "witch" is a deadly accusation, falling global poverty is taking witch hunts with it.

Nov 5, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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October 2025

Halloween: More Walking Dead, Fewer Dead Walkers

Today’s trick-or-treaters have far less to fear than past generations.

Oct 30, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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More Reasons to Distrust Contemporary Feudal Fantasies

Romantic visions of feudal life bear little resemblance to the historical reality.

Oct 23, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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Some Historical Perspective for Anxious Parents

Victorians regularly prescribed opium to treat infant teething, with deadly results.

Oct 17, 2025 • Chelsea Olivia Follett

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