I think the fundamental problem is that we have grown so used to the idea of advanced progress within our own lifetime that we now refuse to do anything where we cannot see the payoff within our own lifetimes, this means we will likely not have any more major multi-generational project timelines, which are necessary for things like mass human space travel, or even solving global warming.
Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
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Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#12Some of the links are from 10 years ago, and it shows. His views on solar being too expensive for practical use seem anachronistic now, and I'm sure his opinion has changed with the market.
Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#13Some interesting insights. I never thought of "stagnation" of non computer tech as something due to overregulation. However, I'm a bit hesitant to allow unregulated biotech/medical research.
Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#14Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#15>“Clean tech” has become a euphemism for “energy too expensive to afford,”
. . . oh the non-clean is cheap for you. Expensive for the rest of us.
Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#16Why should I think this man has special insight into the state of the world? He is quite rich, that is true. But if anything, by definition that means he is deeply out of touch with the needs, desires, and problems of the vast majority of the people on this planet.
Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#17I've listened to some of these interviews and agree completely with the basic premise. However, I don't think it's correct that China's success is entirely explained from simply copying America. Of course copying is responsible for part of their success, but there are clear examples of the reverse. For example, integration of payments into WeChat, which has been duplicated by Facebook and others (but not as successfully as in China). They certainly disruptively innovate by making extremely cheap electric cars that poor Chinese can afford.
Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#18It's interesting that many of his date coincide with the WTF happened in 1971 website: https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/
Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#19>“Clean tech” has become a euphemism for “energy too expensive to afford,” . . . oh the non-clean is cheap for you. Expensive for the rest of us.
Some of these quotes are 8-10 years old, referencing events older than that. Back then solar wasn't that good of an idea financially and you had scandals like Solyndra. Now it's finally beating the cheapest dirty energy sources.
Re: Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation
#20Why should I think this man has special insight into the state of the world? He is quite rich, that is true. But if anything, by definition that means he is deeply out of touch with the needs, desires, and problems of the vast majority of the people on this planet.
Taking your comment at absolute face value, this essay is about technological progress, not the needs desires or problems of anybody.