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There Will Come Soft Rains (1950) [pdf]

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Re: There Will Come Soft Rains (1950) [pdf]

#101

Post by bell-cot »

laszlojamf wrote: post #66

The most interesting thing about science fiction to me isn't the things the authors get right, but what they get wrong. Like, the whole house talking in a ChatGPT voice, intelligent appliances, etc: brilliant prescience. But he still thought we'd be having linoleum on our floors...

> But he still thought we'd be having linoleum on our floors...

Yes, but no. He's writing a story about a character (the automated house) that needs lots (relative to the story length) of explaining. "Linoleum" very quickly conveys "kitchen floor", helps anchor the story in details familiar to his readers - and most of those readers would know linoleum is quite flammable, so it also advances the plot.

Futurism is a heavy theme in most SF writing, but you shouldn't let futurism get in the way of good story writing.

Re: There Will Come Soft Rains (1950) [pdf]

#102

Post by intrasight »

WillAdams wrote: post #98

One thing which I find striking here is that a modern home and attendant conveniences roughly embodies 10--15 horsepower of effort, or the work of 40 or so full time house staff. Thus far, the only notable robots are little disks which vacuum up floors (and they're getting outlawed: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49104371 ) and some innovations just haven't become widespread (an uncle of mine piped his home for…

It'll be a US or Japanese or South Korean robot since it's not allowed to come from China.

I'd be in favor of Apple entering that market.

I think they'll be a huge first-mover advantage because of the Chinese blockade preventing cheap clones.

Re: There Will Come Soft Rains (1950) [pdf]

#103

Post by [deleted] »

WillAdams wrote: post #98

One thing which I find striking here is that a modern home and attendant conveniences roughly embodies 10--15 horsepower of effort, or the work of 40 or so full time house staff. Thus far, the only notable robots are little disks which vacuum up floors (and they're getting outlawed: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49104371 ) and some innovations just haven't become widespread (an uncle of mine piped his home for…

[deleted]

Re: There Will Come Soft Rains (1950) [pdf]

#107

Post by schnitzelstoat »

intrasight wrote: post #102
WillAdams wrote: post #98

One thing which I find striking here is that a modern home and attendant conveniences roughly embodies 10--15 horsepower of effort, or the work of 40 or so full time house staff. Thus far, the only notable robots are little disks which vacuum up floors (and they're getting outlawed: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49104371 ) and some innovations just haven't become widespread (an uncle of mine piped his home for…

It'll be a US or Japanese or South Korean robot since it's not allowed to come from China. I'd be in favor of Apple entering that market. I think they'll be a huge first-mover advantage because of the Chinese blockade preventing cheap clones.

Roomba made some of the first robotic vacuum cleaners and they were based in the US.

Nowadays, they are just more expensive and inferior to the Roborock ones though. But thanks to the wonder of protectionism soon the customer won't be able to pick the better product.

Re: There Will Come Soft Rains (1950) [pdf]

#108

Post by intrasight »

schnitzelstoat wrote: post #107
intrasight wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It'll be a US or Japanese or South Korean robot since it's not allowed to come from China. I'd be in favor of Apple entering that market. I think they'll be a huge first-mover advantage because of the Chinese blockade preventing cheap clones.

Roomba made some of the first robotic vacuum cleaners and they were based in the US. Nowadays, they are just more expensive and inferior to the Roborock ones though. But thanks to the wonder of protectionism soon the customer won't be able to pick the better product.

What's "better" for the individual is not necessarily better for the society.

Also I think a better policy than blocking Chinese imports (which is probably not sustainable anyway) would be to require that the software be audited and comply with regulations. Same rules and regulations should apply to robots from all countries.

Re: There Will Come Soft Rains (1950) [pdf]

#110

Post by mrloopex »

Born in 1968 I missed “duck and cover” but rode the wave of Reagan brinkmanship with my skater friends until 1990, watching all the broadcast TV PSAs and songs and art about nuclear war. It was real. It pervaded daily life: the notion that two old white men were having a pissing contest with every human as disposable bargaining chips. And as always, 25% of the US population cheered for purification of the planet because Jesus was coming (see: Hal Lindsay).
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