The Software Revolution

Post by yummyfajitas » Tue, Feb 17, 2015, 6:43 AM UTC

intended wrote: post #324

logicchains wrote: post #311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>And because of this, a breathtaking gap opened up between wages in the West and wages everywhere else. This was because of the West getting richer, not everyone else getting poorer. Had the 'third world' countries had the right economic structures in place they too would have gotten richer like the West, much as East Asia has caught up to the West's economic development since economic and social reforms after WW2.

This is factually incorrect, the extensive documentation of the era makes it clear that the east India company and British rule made it a point to destroy native industry, vaccum raw material, on top of introducing laws and acts which penalized you for being a particular race. All of those economic structures were destroyed and perverted by the conquerors.

Post by jameshart » Tue, Feb 17, 2015, 7:11 AM UTC

Micaiah_Chang wrote: post #327

jameshart wrote: post #317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First: what do you mean 'upgrade everything from human secure'? I think if we've learnt anything recently it's that basically nothing is currently even human secure, let alone superintelligent AI secure. Second: most doomsday scenarios around superintelligent AI are, I suspect, promulgated by software guys (or philosophers, who are more mindware guys). It assumes the hardware layer is easy for the AI to interface wit…

By 'upgrade everything from human secure' I meant that some targets aren't necessarily appealing to human targets but would be for AI targets. For example, for the vast majority of people, it's not worthwhile to hack medical devices or refrigerators, there's just no money or advantage in it. But for an AI who could be throttled by computational speed or wishes people harm, they would be an appealing target. There jus…

Post by sdrothrock » Tue, Feb 17, 2015, 7:53 AM UTC

lkrubner wrote: post #198

I disagree with this: "The previous one, the industrial revolution, created lots of jobs" That industrial revolution caused massive unemployment in India, in the Ottoman empire, in China... almost everywhere that had once been a famous textile center. The idea that the industrial revolution did not cause unemployment is an illusion that is caused by looking at only one nation state. But Britain was the winner of the…

Post by Thimothy » Tue, Feb 17, 2015, 8:42 AM UTC

pajaroide wrote: post #322

falcolas wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Designing new viruses or bacteria for a neo-plauge is less likely Humankind has been genetically engineering organisms for most of our existence. Corn originally looked like grass. Chickens were lean, tough, and could fly. Dogs have been transformed from generalist survivors into purpose-built machines breed for beauty, farm work, and everything in between. The avocado, of all things, is a fantastic example of how…

Can you expand on the avocado stuff, or do you have a source? Sounds pretty interesting.

Post by dnautics » Tue, Feb 17, 2015, 9:52 AM UTC

pixl97 wrote: post #168

dnautics wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am puzzled by this. There is also this first order decrease in cost of living that technology drives, that really is the 'rising tide that lifts all boats', in effect, a 'natural' progressive redistribution[0]. It would be hard to argue that inequality increased between, say, 1700 and 1900 because of the increase in technology. [0] This 'natural' redistribution tends to be counteracted by authorities that debase th…

> It would be hard to argue that inequality increased between Based on averages, why would it be? Inequality does not measure where you are coming from, it measures the relative economic distance between groups now. We can all live better these days and yet have a far greater difference in wealth between the richest and poorest.