TED Talk: Response On Niall Ferguson

Niall Ferguson really interested and taught me many things that I didn't even know. The best part of his lecture was that he was able to keep everyone entertained while giving accurate information. The most important part of his lecture is when he speaks of the 6 six killer apps that include: competition, the scientific revolution, property rights, modern medicine, the consumer society, and the work ethic. The 6 killer apps are what allowed many civilizations to improve their economies and they sum up The Great Divergence. Now, The Great Divergence is the difference in GDP of various countries like America, China, India, and Britain. From this, Niall explained how in the 1500s, countries like China were more wealthy and grew stronger than a lot of other countries. However, through the 1600s - 1900s, the difference in GDP in various countries became drastically different. Niall explains that this occurred because of the economic and techological changes. For example, Niall says that the average American in 1970 is 20 times richer than the average Chinese and he says this all ties together with the lifestyle of the country and its people. Overall, Niall supported all of his statements with concrete facts and explained them in an easily comprehensible way.