How is progress measured? | The Gray Area

We’ve never had more wealth, more data, or more ways to be entertained. So why doesn’t it feel like progress? Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO Sean’s guest today is Brad DeLong, an economic historian at UC Berkeley and author of Slouching Towards Utopia. They talk about the difference between getting richer and living well, and why the real hinge of the 21st century might be attention rather than growth. DeLong explains how AI could make life easier or simply make us more distracted, why the world’s progress continues even as American politics falters, and what smart policy could do for the people left behind by technological change. Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling) Guest: J. Bradford DeLong, economic historian and author of Slouching Towards Utopia This episode was supported by a grant from Arnold Ventures. Vox had full discretion over the content of this reporting. 00:00 Intro 00:43 What is progress for? 08:41 Are we building and progressing in a way that’s sustainable? 18:55 Is technology developing more quickly than politics? 31:15 How do we navigate upheaval? Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com. Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H