What we’re about
PURPOSE: an in-person reading & discussion group engaging with the history of science, technology, and industry to understand how these have and can best support human flourishing.
CONTEXT: For an introduction to progress studies or the progress movement, see Why Study Progress, We Need a New Philosophy of Progress, We Need a New Science of Progress or more resources.
WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday evenings at Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar, 2x / month. Readings are posted on meetup and shared via email 1+ week prior.
CONTENT: Readings typically consist of 2-4 essays, articles, or blog posts on a chosen topic in the history science, technology, or industry combined with forward looking positional writing from WIP, IFP, Roots of Progress, or the like. Past readings have looked at: the concept of progress, the blast furnace and steel production, factory safety and the toyota production system, progress glamour, industrial literacy, pandemic prevention, pallets, standards, and food history, among others.
PARTICIPATION: No prior engagement with progress studies or the broader community is necessary. We welcome curious minds interested in progress, humanism, and agency—whether you’re deeply invested or just exploring. Expect a range of viewpoints and constructive, thoughtful dialogue. Readings investigate both historical successes (to build on) and failures (to learn from); participants tend to have a positive or interested view of technological development on the whole, but critiques are common and respectful, engaged skepticism is welcome too. Interrogate the readings as much as you can in advance and come with questions and comments - if you only have time to do a quick read through, then come curious.
FORMAT:
1 - Intros
2 - Light context on first reading
3 - General reactions
4 - Deeper dive
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Agriculture (round 1 - crops)Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar, Austin , TX
Readings under discussion:
1) For some useful context, review these (very quick) posts by Jason Crawford: six stages of agriculture, advanced stages, terminology
2) Yields vs. land use: how the Green Revolution enabled us to feed a growing population, Hannah Ritchie, 2017
3) The King of Fruits, Étienne Fortier-Dubois, 2025
4) *Optional* | Why did agriculture mechanize and not construction? Brian Potter, 2021Image: wheat fields painting by Jacob Van Ruisdael (image cropped), public domain, via wikimedia commons
When & where: Discussion will be at 6:30PM on Wednesday September 3rd - we meet at Vintage Wine Bar & Bookstore (google) - 1101 E 11th St - typically upstairs.
Who should join?
No prior engagement with progress studies or the broader community is necessary. We welcome curious minds interested in progress, humanism, and agency—whether you’re deeply invested or just exploring. Expect a range of viewpoints and constructive, thoughtful dialogue. - Agriculture (round 2 - animals)Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar, Austin , TX
Readings under discussion:
How big data created the modern dairy cow, Jared Hutchins, 2024
Animals as chemical factories, Niko McCarty & Xander Balwit, 2024
How to be a techno-optimist for animals, Robert Yaman, 2024Image: Orpheus and the animals by Gillis Claesz (image cropped), public domain, via wikimedia commons
When & where: Discussion will be at 6:30PM on September 17th - we meet at Vintage Wine Bar & Bookstore (google) - 1101 E 11th St - typically upstairs.
Who should join?
No prior engagement with progress studies or the broader community is necessary. We welcome curious minds interested in progress, humanism, and agency—whether you’re deeply invested or just exploring. Expect a range of viewpoints and constructive, thoughtful dialogue.
