WELCOME TO MATT RIDLEY'S BLOG

My blog for the Radix think tank: I was pleased to speak at the recent Radix Big Tent Meet the Leaders session about innovation, a topic that is close to my heart and one of great importance. Innovation is the source of all prosperity. It is the reason countries get rich in the first place […]

The ‘great stagnation’ is a myth; wonders are being accomplished. But silly rules still block progress. My article for the Telegraph: Back in the early 1950s scientists were baffled by one aspect of life itself. Our cells were full of proteins whose properties depended on their precise shapes, and the key feature of life was […]

I went on The Knowledge Project podcast with Shane Parrish to discuss “writing books about science, the age-old battle between viruses and humans, rational optimism, the difference between innovation and invention, the role of trial and error and the effects of social media on seeing others’ points of view.” It was a wonderful conversation, and […]

China may now be the most innovative place on earth, but India may soon replace it as the world’s innovation leader My article for Discourse: Innovation is the “main event” of the modern age. It’s the reason why after millennia of comparative stagnation, the last several hundred years featured sudden, dramatic improvements in technology and […]

A Silicon Valley Legend Discusses Innovation and More The second half of my much-anticipated interview with Silicon Valley legend Naval Ravikant in May is now available. We discussed my new book How Innovation Works and more. It was a wonderful discussion, and I appreciated hearing the perspective of a true entrepreneur and innovator. You can listen […]

A Silicon Valley Legend Discusses Innovation and More The first half of my much-anticipated interview with Silicon Valley legend Naval Ravikant in May is now available. We discussed my new book How Innovation Works and more. It was a wonderful discussion, and I appreciated hearing the perspective of a true entrepreneur and innovator. You can listen […]

Update on Reviews, Events, and More I have taken a break from media appearances since Thursday—I needed a rest, and I’d say I like birds even more than innovation—but it was a wonderful first two weeks for me and for the book, thanks to you. Here’s an update on the launch, and what’s planned for […]

The solution to the current crises is more innovation, not less. My blog post for Human Progress: When you think about it, what has happened to human society in the last 300 years is pretty weird. After trundling along with horses and sailboats, slaves and swords, for millennia, we suddenly got steam engines and search […]

Order the Hardcover, Kindle, or Audiobook Now I am delighted to be launching my new book How Innovation Works this week, which has officially arrived in the United States and Canada. If you want to read it now, you can get the Kindle or audiobook (read by myself!) instantly. But hardcover orders are even better! […]

For private enterprise, time is money; delay can be lethal. My article for the Telegraph: At the start of the pandemic, China built a hospital in double-quick time and we all thought, “that’s why they are so good at economic growth”. Then Britain did the same, proving we can do it too. Medical devices have […]