Close readers of the Historical Perspective section will have noted previous Historical Perspectives based on the work of Julian Simon. Mr. Simon, a professor
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Danger and the Press
Two weeks ago the Historical Perspective section of the Positive Press examined travel in Medieval Europe. We found travel in the 1500s to be
Relative Horror: The Plagues of the Past, AIDs, and COVID
The world is shut down with COVID fear, but modern epidemics are very modest compared to the sweeping plagues of pre-modern times. Diseases such
Death in Athens
As the institute which produces the Positive Press is named after the city of Athens, Greece, it won’t surprise readers to learn that we
Our “Natural” Ancestors?
Looking back at history and comparing it to our own times, one would probably have to admit that, yes, we have better medical technology
Accident Rates in the United States
Although you might never know it from reading the morning newspaper or watching the nightly news, America is actually a much safer place than
Air Safety Since 1960
In 1960, U.S. scheduled air carriers made 3.8 million departures, and carried 62 million passengers. That year, there were 90 accidents, 14 of them
Living Standards in the United States: Water
There is much controversy over income distribution in the United States. Obviously, the incomes of the richest segments of the population far exceed the
Living Standards in the United States: Housing
Last week we began a series in the Historical Perspectives section about living standards in the United States. We mentioned that there are almost
Life Inside the Home
This week we continue to examine living standards in the US over time. Two weeks ago we looked at one of the basic commodities