Why would you choose to solve it? Do you actually need unlimited resources to start?
Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
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Re: Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
#2Re: Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
#3Aging. Nothing brings more suffering. Resource needs are considerable due to long preclinical & clinical studies necessary, perhaps also due to novel paradigms which will have to be invented along the way.
Re: Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
#4Honestly, unlimited anything is a trap: unlimited destroys. It's the limited that makes things great.
If you need unlimited, try space, or the heart of the sun.
Something, something the allegory of the Krell...
Re: Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
#5Re: Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
#6Within the field of energy storage there are two important sub-fields... grid-level storage (cheap, long-lasting) and high-density (for transport applications). Both fields are already making good progress but I think I'd focus on grid-level first. Success here means basically being able to make the whole world's electricity grids "green". It will also be a massive economic stimulus because electricity will get very cheap.
No, you don't need "unlimited" resources for this, like I said, rapid progress is being made right now, it's just not quite rapid enough for the urgency and more focused funding and stimulus could definitely accelerate things. So if I had a lot of money and top talent I would distribute those among the handful of most promising approaches that are already being tried and keep funneling them there until it's "solved" for what we need.
Re: Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
#7poverty.
cancer.
explore ideas like UBI, modern Cybersyn, a renewed US Digital Service, various election algorithms/methods (e.g. Condorcet)
a new PARC
a new Bell Labs
Re: Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
#8Re: Ask HN: What problem would you solve with unlimited resources?
#9Computing efficiency - The fact is that most of the transistors in a computer sit idle, waiting for their 15 nanoseconds of fame. A first principles review of what is actually possible leads me to suspect we can run LLMs and other large compute loads for 1% (or less) of the current energy requirements without new process nodes, using current fabs.
The Supply Chain - We need to have a publicly documented and tested second supply chain for everything in our society. Less efficient, and more robust ways to make every essential tool and material required for a modern society should be developed. Even if it's 1000x more expensive, it's still better to have that backup rather that being completely without options.
Radio Mesh networking - I'd set up a system in which everyone, everywhere, could stay in touch with everyone else. Governments and other organizations would handle the fiber backbone for big stuff, but a low bandwidth system that could work slowly, and globally, without it should be the thing we can all own.