By Peter Klein
The distinguished historian of technology Nathan Rosenberg passed away this week. Here are tributes from Josh Gans at Digitopoly and Dick Langlois at Organizations and Markets. As Josh puts it: "If Rosenberg was known for one thing, it was to bring economics, real economics, into the study of the history of technological change. To be sure, Marx was not unaware of how capitalism promoted technology and Schumpeter certainty saw competition and technological change being intimately linked. But it was Rosenberg who identified where, in the thinking of so many, circa 1970, they had failed to appreciate the endogeneity of technological change. And not just the innovations that lead to new apps but instead right to the heart of science itself."