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Vaguely related by topic and somewhat obsoleted if we take the linked article's conclusions as fact - I've had in mind for a long time the idea for a short sto

Vaguely related by topic and somewhat obsoleted if we take the linked article's conclusions as fact - I've had in mind for a long time the idea for a short story (or perhaps novel) set in a future where one is able to purchase an "intelligence upgrade", given enough money, which bestows upon the customer a stronger reasoning ability and an overall more capable intelligence. If we accept that particularly capable people (disregarding why they are particularly capable, when adults) then imagine a world where already successful people are able to purchase neural upgrades that enhance the cognitive aspects that let them become as successful as they already were able to become. On the one hand, this might create an exponentially larger social inequality, if it is true that most successfully people are selfish and take advantage of others. On the other hand (and if you believe that at least 51% of the human race is "good"), it might not. Which one would it be, and would it depend on how and why society got to the point of developing those sorts of neural upgrades? I don't know. I think that the premise could make for an interesting thought experiment expressed in literary form, even if it would depend on its author's personal beliefs. Alas, I am not a creative writer by any stretch of the imagination.

loeber 10y ago
I think you're spot-on. FYI, the principle that you're working with is called economies of scale -- here it just applies in an unusual context. You usually see economies of scale in most economic feedback-loop situations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economies_of_scale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economies_of_scale
saiya-jin 10y ago
in this case, forget about those 51% - the term you would need to achieve this is altruism, and there are very few people who are truly like that. Don't expect many parents to ignore the clearest way to give their kids massive advantage in life (or later just catch up with rest of the crowd). This is one-way direction. Most of us are +- OK good morally, but always put their own/family/friends priorities above overall good of society. In described scenario, inequality would get much, much deeper (why stop with memory when you can enhance all senses ie night vision infra zooming see-through sight, cardiovascular system, skeleton and so on). Classic cyberpunk, not a question if, only when it comes

loeber 10y ago

I think you're spot-on. FYI, the principle that you're working with is called economies of scale -- here it just applies in an unusual context. You usually see economies of scale in most economic feedback-loop situations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economies_of_scale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economies_of_scale

saiya-jin 10y ago

in this case, forget about those 51% - the term you would need to achieve this is altruism, and there are very few people who are truly like that. Don't expect many parents to ignore the clearest way to give their kids massive advantage in life (or later just catch up with rest of the crowd). This is one-way direction. Most of us are +- OK good morally, but always put their own/family/friends priorities above overall good of society. In described scenario, inequality would get much, much deeper (why stop with memory when you can enhance all senses ie night vision infra zooming see-through sight, cardiovascular system, skeleton and so on). Classic cyberpunk, not a question if, only when it comes