The Rational Optimist_ How Prosperity Evolves - Matt Ridley [216]
obesity 8, 156, 296, 337
obsidian 53, 92, 127
occupational safety 106–7
ocean acidification 280, 340–41
ochre 52, 53, 54, 92
octopi 3
Oersted, Hans Christian 272
Oetzi (mummified ‘iceman’) 122–3, 132–3, 137
Ofek, Haim 131
Ohalo II (archaeological site) 124
oil: and ‘curse of resources’ 31, 320; drilling and refining 242, 343; and generation of electricity 239; manufacture of plastics and synthetics 237, 240; pollution 293–4, 385; prices 23, 238; supplies 149, 237–8, 280, 281, 282, 296, 302–3
old age, quality of life in 18
olive oil 167, 169, 171
Olson, Ken 282
Omidyar, Pierre 99
onchoceriasis 310
open-source software 99, 272–3, 356
Orang Asli people 66
orang-utans 60, 239, 339
organic farming 147, 149–52, 393
Orinoco tar shales, Venezuela 238
Orma people 87
ornament, personal 43, 52, 53, 54, 70, 71, 73
O’Rourke, P.J. 157
Orwell, George 253, 290, 354
Ostia 174
otters 297, 299
Otto I, Holy Roman emperor 178
Ottoman empire 161
Oued Djebanna, Algeria 53
oxen 130, 136, 195, 197, 214–15
oxytocin (hormone) 94–5, 97–8
ozone layer 280, 296
Paarlberg, Robert 154
Pacific islanders 134
Pacific Ocean 184
Paddock, William and Paul 301
Padgett, John 103
Page, Larry 114
Pagel, Mark 73
Pakistan 142–3, 204, 300
palm oil 57–8, 239, 240, 242, 339
Pan Am (airline) 24
paper 282, 304
Papin, Denis 256
papyrus 171, 175
Paraguay 61
Pareto, Vilfredo 249
Paris 215, 358; electric lighting 233; restaurants 264
parrots 3
Parsons, Sir Charles 234
Parthian empire 161
Pasadena 17
Pataliputra 173
patents 223, 263, 264–6, 269, 271, 413–14
patriarchy 136
Paul, St 102
PayPal (e-commerce business) 262
peacocks 174
peanuts 126
peat 215–16
Peel, Sir Robert 185
Pemberton, John 263
pencils 38
penicillin 258
Pennington, Hugh 308
pensions 29, 40, 106
Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, The 174
Persia 89, 161, 171, 177
Persian Gulf 66, 164, 340, 429
Peru 97–8, 126, 162–3, 320, 387; silver 31, 132, 183–4
pessimism: and belief in turning points in history 287–9, 301, 311; natural pessimism of human nature 294–5; in nineteenth century 283–8; in twentieth century 281, 282, 288–91, 292–4, 296–308, 328–9; in twenty-first century 8–9, 17, 28, 281–2, 291–2, 308–311, 314–15; ubiquity of 280–85, 291–2, 294–7, 341, 352
pesticides 151–2, 154, 155, 336; DDT 297–8, 299; natural 298–9
Peto, Richard 298
Petty, Sir William 185, 199, 254, 256
pharmaceutical industry 260, 266
philanthropy 92, 105, 106, 295, 318–19, 356
Philip II, King of Spain 30–31
Philip II of Macedon 171
Philippines 61–2, 89, 234
Philistines 166, 170, 396
Phillips, Adam 103, 292
Phoenicians 166–70, 177
photography 114, 283, 386
physiocrats 42
pi, calculation of 173
pig farming 135, 145, 148, 197
Pinnacle Point, South Africa 52, 83
Pisa 115, 178
plagues 135, 176, 195–6, 197; forecasts of 280, 284, 307–310; see also Black Death
plastics 237, 240, 270
Plate, River 186
platinum 213
Plato 292
Plautus 44
ploughing 129–30, 136, 145, 150, 195, 197, 198, 215
pneumonia 13, 353
Polanyi, Karl 164–5
polar bears 338–9
polio 261, 275, 310
political fragmentation 170–73, 180–81, 184, 185
pollution: effects on wildlife 17, 297, 299, 339; and industrialisation 218; pessimism about 293–4, 304–6; reduction in 17, 106, 148, 279, 293–4, 297, 299
polygamy 136
Pomeranz, Kenneth 201–2
Ponzi, Charles 29
Ponzi schemes 28–9
population control policies 202–4, 210–211
population growth: and food supply 139, 141, 143–4, 146–7, 192, 206, 208–9; global population totals 3, 12, 14, 191, 206, 332; and industrialisation 201–2; and innovation 252; pessimism about 190, 193, 202–3, 281, 290, 293, 300–302, 314; population explosions 8, 139, 141, 202, 206, 281; and specialisation 192–3, 351; see also birth rates; demographic transition; infant mortality; life expectancy
porcelain 181, 183, 184–5, 225, 251
Porritt, Jonathan 314
Portugal 75, 183, 184, 317, 331
Post-it notes 261
Postrel, Virginia 290–91
potatoes 199
Potrykus, Ingo 154
pottery 77, 158, 159, 163, 168, 177, 225, 251
Pound, Ezra 289
poverty: and charitable giving 106; current levels