I agree with you completely that (to paraphrase Homer Simpson’s line about alcohol) technology is the cause of and the solution to all our problems. In particular, I wish that my compatriots on the Left were more open to tech solutions to climate change, because that is the only thing that will save us. No one is going to want to go back to freezing in winter and heatstroke in summer. Austerity won’t work.
Speaking of dogs and wolves, I read about an amusing science experiment, where scientists put treats inside a puzzle box and compared what dogs and wolves did. The wolves used brute force and got progressively more frustrated, but they never did get the treats. The dogs, otoh, tried for like five seconds and then sat in front of the researchers looking cute. Of course the dogs got the treats. Austerity is the wolf’s non-solution for climate change—tackle a problem in the most unpleasant way possible, and then give up in frustration. Technology is the dog’s solution: use our creativity and sociability to work together to get what we want.
Your dog is adorable, btw. And you are reminding me that I have to go feed my own dog!
Great point. That feels so odd to me. I'm not saying technology is the solution to ALL problems, but the environment seems like a perfect example of a problem that is ripe for a technological solution.
Glad you’re back to writing. I’ve always enjoyed your takes on technology-both the positive and the negative. I’ve never found that aspect of your work confusing-optimism tempered by realism is far more useful than pessimism enhanced by doomerism, after all. In any case, I’m looking forward to more of your perspective, and maybe this Substack can even lead us to a solution for those damn scooters.
I liked both your QR code article and your AI art one. I went right back to using QR codes, but I think your AI article shored up my then-forming opinion that AI was simply a tool that could be used for good or for bad. So, either way, thank you
Thank you. And I think that's a great reading of it too. This cute image at the start of my post is an AI generated one. Without it, I would've just used a random stock image. Frankly, I think this way is better.
I always come away from reading your posts feeling good. And it’s not like I feel good because you write things to pander or whatever. It’s the optimism!!
WW2 was worse. Do you really think that on balance, firearms are a net positive as far as the uses humans made of that particular technology?
And how do you define technology? Are cultural or behavioral socio-techniques like the dog thing also technologies? Is, thus, for example, language a technology? Is representative democracy? Capitalism? Marriage? Culture as a whole (any culture)?
Can we have something that's not about AI after those two incoming articles about AI?
Yes! The next two are AI focused because I realized it was one overly long article, but even I am sick of writing about it.
To answer both your questions, yes, I consider all those technologies. I have an early article that needs to be completely rewritten that gets into the idea that we somehow substituted "computer hardware or software" for technology which just means any new thing we develop. I will try and rewrite that.
But I've spent almost a week pondering your question about guns and I honestly can't say. The horrors of them are easy for us to see. Yet, I am 41 years old and have never worried about being attacked by steppe nomads. Really I need to write about this to get to an answer because it's such a great question.
Welcome back. I look forward to more about amateurs. I have trouble distinguishing how important they really are from my strong nostalgia for Walt Disney movies’ depictions of them in the 50’s-60’s. I think both have a lot to do with the emphasis on the individual rather than faceless corporate “person” as creator, though.
Thank you, and I have written a piece specifically about the importance of amateurs. It likely won't be out until next month at the earliest, but I think you'll enjoy it.
Also people, feel free to use this as an opportunity to talk about anything you'd like to see here!
I agree with you completely that (to paraphrase Homer Simpson’s line about alcohol) technology is the cause of and the solution to all our problems. In particular, I wish that my compatriots on the Left were more open to tech solutions to climate change, because that is the only thing that will save us. No one is going to want to go back to freezing in winter and heatstroke in summer. Austerity won’t work.
Speaking of dogs and wolves, I read about an amusing science experiment, where scientists put treats inside a puzzle box and compared what dogs and wolves did. The wolves used brute force and got progressively more frustrated, but they never did get the treats. The dogs, otoh, tried for like five seconds and then sat in front of the researchers looking cute. Of course the dogs got the treats. Austerity is the wolf’s non-solution for climate change—tackle a problem in the most unpleasant way possible, and then give up in frustration. Technology is the dog’s solution: use our creativity and sociability to work together to get what we want.
Your dog is adorable, btw. And you are reminding me that I have to go feed my own dog!
Great point. That feels so odd to me. I'm not saying technology is the solution to ALL problems, but the environment seems like a perfect example of a problem that is ripe for a technological solution.
Glad you’re back to writing. I’ve always enjoyed your takes on technology-both the positive and the negative. I’ve never found that aspect of your work confusing-optimism tempered by realism is far more useful than pessimism enhanced by doomerism, after all. In any case, I’m looking forward to more of your perspective, and maybe this Substack can even lead us to a solution for those damn scooters.
Same. Totally seconding this.
We need to support honest voices on this platform! Thanks for seconding.
I liked both your QR code article and your AI art one. I went right back to using QR codes, but I think your AI article shored up my then-forming opinion that AI was simply a tool that could be used for good or for bad. So, either way, thank you
Thank you. And I think that's a great reading of it too. This cute image at the start of my post is an AI generated one. Without it, I would've just used a random stock image. Frankly, I think this way is better.
I always come away from reading your posts feeling good. And it’s not like I feel good because you write things to pander or whatever. It’s the optimism!!
WW2 was worse. Do you really think that on balance, firearms are a net positive as far as the uses humans made of that particular technology?
And how do you define technology? Are cultural or behavioral socio-techniques like the dog thing also technologies? Is, thus, for example, language a technology? Is representative democracy? Capitalism? Marriage? Culture as a whole (any culture)?
Can we have something that's not about AI after those two incoming articles about AI?
Yes! The next two are AI focused because I realized it was one overly long article, but even I am sick of writing about it.
To answer both your questions, yes, I consider all those technologies. I have an early article that needs to be completely rewritten that gets into the idea that we somehow substituted "computer hardware or software" for technology which just means any new thing we develop. I will try and rewrite that.
But I've spent almost a week pondering your question about guns and I honestly can't say. The horrors of them are easy for us to see. Yet, I am 41 years old and have never worried about being attacked by steppe nomads. Really I need to write about this to get to an answer because it's such a great question.
Welcome back. I look forward to more about amateurs. I have trouble distinguishing how important they really are from my strong nostalgia for Walt Disney movies’ depictions of them in the 50’s-60’s. I think both have a lot to do with the emphasis on the individual rather than faceless corporate “person” as creator, though.
Thank you, and I have written a piece specifically about the importance of amateurs. It likely won't be out until next month at the earliest, but I think you'll enjoy it.
I’ll look forward to reading that piece: