The printing press is often celebrated as a triumph of progress. But it also transformed power, authority, and belief in ways its creators never intended.
Dartmouth professor and author of Epic Disruptions, Scott D. Anthony, explains why innovation is collective, slow, and shadowed by unintended consequences.

Gutenberg didn’t set out to change the world. A failed venture, a canceled pilgrimage, and even the plague played a role in one of history’s most influential innovations. In this clip from the Beauty at Work podcast, Scott uses the printing press to answer four foundational questions about innovation: who drives it, how predictable it is, how fast it really moves, and whether it’s always a good thing.

From standardized religious texts to the rapid spread of Martin Luther’s ideas, this story captures the beauty and burdens of innovation – and offers a striking comparison to how we think about artificial intelligence today.

You can watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/BNrMIO8Z_NU

To learn more about Scott’s work, you can find him at:
https://www.innosight.com/

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This episode is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)

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Learn more in our podcast season on the beauty and burdens of innovation at www.beautyatwork.net

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