A mostly forgotten footnote in the development of modern transportation is that early railroad passengers were often locked into their carriages. In retrospect, it seems obvious that bolting people into combustible and accident-prone vehicles was a bad idea, but the railroad is a useful reminder that humans are not always good at anticipating the effects of novel and powerful technologies. 

Recommended Stories

Social media and smartphones cut children off from parents and communities. Some think that’s good

Freddie deBoer’s novel approach to mental illness

The harrowing effects of screen time on children’s brains