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Life Improvements Since the 1990s

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Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#161

Post by TigeriusKirk »

iambateman wrote: post #14

I often ask people: “if you could be 20-years old in 1991 or 2021, which would you pick?” An incredible number of people pick ‘91. Some people even ask to go back to the seventies. This article explains why I would much rather be young now rather than before.

I was in my early 20s in 1991, and I'd easily pick 2021. The 1990s were a great time to have as my formative period, and it was fun to ride the web from gopher to mobile.

But the 2020s are going to be a transformational decade too, with a lot to learn and experience, and a ton of opportunities. Far more chaotic than the 1990s, but honestly that suits me personally. I thrive on that.

I would pick the 90s over the 2000s or 2010s though.

Well, I'd go back to the 2010s and buy even more bitcoin than I did, but other than that, I could skip that decade.

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#162

Post by mech422 »

technothrasher wrote: post #69
iambateman wrote: post #14

I often ask people: “if you could be 20-years old in 1991 or 2021, which would you pick?” An incredible number of people pick ‘91. Some people even ask to go back to the seventies. This article explains why I would much rather be young now rather than before.

I was 20-years old in 1991. It was good.

yeah - I enjoyed it...

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#163

Post by dougmwne »

throwaway0a5e wrote: post #20

I think he kind of missed the elephant that is modern communication technology has reduced the marginal cost of skilled services enabling pretty much every object designed in an office and manufactured in a factory to benefit from a broader array of engineering and design professionals and methodologies. The average product and service that the average actor in the economy interacts with is designed and optimized to…

I had a moment like this recently with, of all things, a snorkeling mask. It was one of those full face masks with a big snorkel sticking out the top like a unicorn's horn that popped on the market a few years ago. It is a marvel. It took all the downsides of the old masks and ingeniously fixed them. Full mouth and nose breathing so you can breathe naturally and comfortably, an airflow pattern that pulls dry air over the lens and keeps it fog free, a wide-angle lense for a better view and less claustrophobia, and an ingeniously designed system of valves that keeps water from flowing into the snorkel and uses your exhalation to push any leaked water in the mask out the bottom. All together, it eliminated the underwater panic I would usually have to fight through while snorkeling and made me feel like a dolphin. No way a product like this could have been made without the collaboration of a lot of very skilled professionals.

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#164

Post by inglor_cz »

iambateman wrote: post #14

I often ask people: “if you could be 20-years old in 1991 or 2021, which would you pick?” An incredible number of people pick ‘91. Some people even ask to go back to the seventies. This article explains why I would much rather be young now rather than before.

For a sexually active 20 y.o., 1971 was probably better than 1991. The threat of HIV had an enormous chilling effect on the casual dating scene.

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#165

Post by D_Alex »

gbrown wrote: post #52
aaron695 wrote: post #19

Time between 1990 to now is not linear. The web kicked off in the late 90's, picked up the 2000's but not real fast, and now is really flying and one assumes it will continue to accelerate. Power tools are amazing. And that's the internet pushing them. I can see reviews with each new advancement anywhere in the world. They can see R&D around the world. Each company has to keep up and so do the counterfeiters. I'll or…

What major power tool innovations have happened since 1990? Battery tech is the only big one I can think of.

Brushless motors, variable speed controls on everything, keyless chucks... new tools such as 3D printer... or this:

https://www.shapertools.com/en-us/

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#166

Post by laserlight »

JackPoach wrote: post #127
rthomas6 wrote: post #68

But are people happier and more fulfilled? Are they more able to have a meaning-filled life surrounded by people with whom they have close and lasting relationships? What should we be measuring when we measure improvement?

Should we be measuring at all? Claiming that people have to be more happy over time is a weird proposition for a biologist like me. Not only happiness does not exist (see reification), the idea that it can be 'measured and improved' is silly. Should the next generation of birds be more happy and fulfilled than the previous one? Should the next generation of chimps have stronger lasting relationships? Does it even mak…

I can tell whether I am happy or not. What do you mean when you say happiness doesn't exist?

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#167

Post by mech422 »

ghaff wrote: post #71
nivenkos wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'91 would be better though - better salaries in a lot of jobs, and lower house prices. GPS on the phone is awesome, but I'd still prefer financial security.

>better salaries in a lot of jobs Factory jobs that is probably true in general--though you're still into the period when a lot of traditional union manufacturing jobs were leaving (or had left) the country. As an engineer/software developer, you're probably going to be paid about $40K for an entry-level position [ADDED: For the US at a "tech" company]. And there is basically no equivalent to routine FAANG SWE salari…

I was making $50K/year as a developer on Wall St. with 2-3 years professional experience...and it was awesome. And yes, the HFT guys got 'FAANG' salaries. HFT was in its infancy, and those guys were making bank!

While the absolute numbers may seem small by today's standards, it was more then enough for a single 20something to have the time of their lives. Even paying Manhattan rents, we were out 5-6 nights a week clubbing and partying

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#168

Post by inglor_cz »

moron4hire wrote: post #35
BrianOnHN wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely depends on race. As a white guy '91 would have been easy sailing.

Being a white guy in 2021 is easy sailing.

In the USA, perhaps. Though I doubt it even there, a lot of the rural underperforming regions are mostly white.

In Belarus or Moldova, definitely not.

People somehow forget that being white is not the same as being white American. There is a lot of dirty poor whites living under dubious regimes elsewhere. Whiteness is not really a thing.

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#169

Post by JackPoach »

laserlight wrote: post #166
JackPoach wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Should we be measuring at all? Claiming that people have to be more happy over time is a weird proposition for a biologist like me. Not only happiness does not exist (see reification), the idea that it can be 'measured and improved' is silly. Should the next generation of birds be more happy and fulfilled than the previous one? Should the next generation of chimps have stronger lasting relationships? Does it even mak…

I can tell whether I am happy or not. What do you mean when you say happiness doesn't exist?

Do you understand the concept of reification? If not, see

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/reification#:~:text=Re....

So if you feel happy (or miserable) it means just that - that you feel happy (or miserable). It doesn't mean that happiness or misery actually exist literally.

Re: Life Improvements Since the 1990s

#170

Post by nemo44x »

kristofferR wrote: post #45
dminvs wrote: post #12

> stoves You'll pry my gas range from my cold, dead hands

Gas stoves creates high amounts of indoor pollution. The amount of pollution gas stoves creates inside are often illegal outside, the US doesn't have indoor pollution standards. Children living in homes with gas stoves are 40% more likely to develop asthma for example, according to some studies. Other studies have it closer to 10%. Anyway, it's clear that indoor gas combustion isn't advisable from a health perspectiv…

Those claims have been debunked as being misinterpreted. If you ran a gas stove for 24 hours then yes the amount of NO2 would be illegal outside. But this doesn't consider time-adjusted emissions but rather peak emissions. So you'd have to combine all of that into a single continuous blast, which isn't the case.

As for asthma, current U.S. federal agency involvement on the subject does not identify a connection between cooking with natural gas stoves and the risk of asthma development or direct association with asthma attacks.

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