Upward trends in longevity started as least as early as the 16th century in some parts of the world, and earlier elsewhere. In England, it is thought that an intertwined slow growth in life expectancy and economic productivity over hundreds of years laid the foundations for the Industrial Revolution. People who expect to live longer are better stewards of long-term capital investment, and even small gains year over year compound over time to become large. Greater wealth in turn gives rise to the byproduct of technological progress, including that relating to medicine and public health. This results in a virtuous cycl…
A View of Early Modern Trends in Longevity Derived from Data on European Scholars
Upward trends in longevity started as least as early as the 16th century in some parts of the world, and earlier elsewhere. In England, it is thought that an intertwined slow growth in life expectancy and economic productivity over hundreds of years laid the foundations for the Industrial Revolution. People who expect to live longer are better stewards of long-term capital investment, and even small gains year over year compound over time to become large. Greater wealth in turn gives rise to the byproduct of technological progress, including that relating to medicine and public health. This results in a virtuous cycl…