Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#1

Post by temp99990 » Fri, May 31, 2019, 7:36 PM UTC

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we live in a world of abundance, and somewhat more depressingly realizing that the earth is being ravaged by climate change and grateful to be alive now rather than 100 years from now.

Anyone else feel the same way?

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#2

Post by LinuxBender » Fri, May 31, 2019, 7:45 PM UTC

I think we are potentially close to the best time to be alive.

There is a lot of work being done on reversing age related diseases, so maybe in another 30 to 100 years, we will reach escape velocity so to speak, and people will no longer die of "old age".

This assumes we don't make humans extinct through warfare.

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#3

Post by smt88 » Fri, May 31, 2019, 8:57 PM UTC

It is for wealthy people in safe countries. I think people in, for example, Syria would gladly trade for a different decade or maybe even century.

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#4

Post by ohiovr » Fri, May 31, 2019, 9:16 PM UTC

We are going to have a lot of excitement in our lives coming in the months and years ahead but few will enjoy it. On the other hand some people would never shine had it not been for service in the midst of catastrophy.

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#5

Post by simonblack » Sat, Jun 01, 2019, 12:35 AM UTC

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” - Dickens

Nothing is all good, and nothing is all bad. Now is as good a time as any other to be alive.

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#6

Post by nocubicles » Sat, Jun 01, 2019, 2:24 AM UTC

Pragmatically thinking I can't imagine what could be better age or place to be alive.

We have abundance of food and can pick what and when we eat. We can travel freely and its relatively cheap. We work less hours and the work is physically not demanding. We have time for self fulfillment and hobbies. Medicine is widely available at least in Europe. Technology and communication is widely available and cheap.

What could be better? As a westerner and tech worker I can't really even imagine what else could be better in everyday life. More money wouldn't change much or make my life better. I don't want to live 150 years old if it means just existing.

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#7

Post by jryan49 » Sat, Jun 01, 2019, 2:48 AM UTC

Why do we always think climate change is going to be impossible to solve and it's some predestined, doomed dark future. I imagine some sort of new tech will be invented within the next 100 years that will easily solve it. Not saying we shouldn't start now though...

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#8

Post by quickthrower2 » Sat, Jun 01, 2019, 3:52 AM UTC

I’d swap places with my kids so they could enjoy pre climate change and I’d live in that future, assuming we don’t solve the problem.

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#9

Post by sdan » Sat, Jun 01, 2019, 6:46 AM UTC

nocubicles wrote: post #6

Pragmatically thinking I can't imagine what could be better age or place to be alive. We have abundance of food and can pick what and when we eat. We can travel freely and its relatively cheap. We work less hours and the work is physically not demanding. We have time for self fulfillment and hobbies. Medicine is widely available at least in Europe. Technology and communication is widely available and cheap. What coul…

Adding on to this: If you can make one or two SaaS apps that become popular, even if they're small programs, in theory, you'll still be able to live a regular life without working at all. I think it's a pretty good time to live, but obviously 20 years from now people will probably think the same.

Re: Ask HN: Is now the best time to be alive?

#10

Post by uxcolumbo » Sat, Jun 01, 2019, 7:30 AM UTC

jryan49 wrote: post #7

Why do we always think climate change is going to be impossible to solve and it's some predestined, doomed dark future. I imagine some sort of new tech will be invented within the next 100 years that will easily solve it. Not saying we shouldn't start now though...

According to the IPCC report we don’t have hundred years.