2022-03-31
43 分钟After a huge false start, electric cars are finally about to flourish. We speak with a technology historian about this all-too-common story, and what it means for innovation everywhere.
I'm sure you know what's going on with gas prices lately.
You don't need us to play you some cliched news clip, but here's one anyway.
Let's turn to those skyrocketing gas prices that are crushing so many american families.
As of this recording, the average price of a gallon of gas in the US is well over $4, up roughly 50% from last year.
And in some places, like California, it's much more expensive than that.
We have seen prices surge nearly $0.49.
Just in the past week or so, gas prices had already been rising.
And then came the russian invasion of Ukraine.
We're banning all imports of russian oil and gas.
Now keep in mind that gas still costs less in the US than it does in most other rich countries, and it's been that way for a long time.
That's one reason people in those countries tend to drive smaller cars and we tend to drive suv's and pickup trucks.
Still, the recent spike in gas prices here has been unsettling, and for some people, disastrous.
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention.
But disaster may be an even bigger mother.
I think disasters can spur people to try new approaches, and we see this adoption of new technologies often picks up in recessions and other crises because people are willing to try new things.
That is Tom standage.
Long ago, he studied engineering and computer science at Oxford.
Then he became a journalist.
He's a deputy editor at the Economist, and he's written several books about the history of technology.
His latest is called a brief history of motion.