The Hard Steps model is applied to argue that the Industrial Revolution (IR) heralded a terminal phase of human existence. Assuming six hard steps, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov method is used to pinpoint the start of the IR to ≈ year 1700. Once these hard steps were cleared, the global economy...

This paper examines the macroeconomic implications of unrealistic optimism, a psychological bias that has been largely overlooked in economic models. While traditional models often link optimism to speculative bubbles and excessive risk taking, this study challenges that view by demonstrating...