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> There are more scientists and engineers in the U.S. than ever before. None of this has translated into meaningful advances in Americans’ standard of living.
by milkytron 10y ago
> There are more scientists and engineers in the U.S. than ever before. None of this has translated into meaningful advances in Americans’ standard of living.
It seems like this article is attempting to state a problem that doesn't exist to create a stir. No meaningful advances recently? I cannot take this statement seriously when I now have the entire internet easily accessible in my pocket at all times compared to 10 years ago. I can talk face to face with my grandmother miles away from the comfort of my room. And virtual reality seems to be on its way to becoming a game changer for many industries if (or when) it catches on.
> Electric cars, for example, cost more and perform worse than equivalent gasoline cars; the batteries subtract space and add weight, and mileage is limited especially in extreme temperatures.
This statement has for too many variables to me to accept as true. There are many different ways to measure performance of a car. If the writer is talking speed performance, the Model S blows every competitor out of the water. Mileage is a different story, but maintenance from what I've seen appears to be cheaper (no oil changes, belt/chain replacements, etc). And the batteries and motor take up less space when compared to the engine and drivetrain of comparable vehicles. Maybe now electric isn't the most economical choice, but it seems like that's slowly changing.
His point about slowing growth in tech certainly may be true, but some of the statements he makes towards the affects of this lack of growth seem backwards to me.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- serge2k 10y ago> If the writer is talking speed performance, the Model S blows every competitor out of the water in 0-60 time. > And the batteries and motor take up less space when compared to the engine and drivetrain of comparable vehicles Lots of weight though. I still think the article is rubbish. The Model S is a pretty damn good electric car. We are right on the brink of VR and AR being everyday life. The past 10 years have revolutionized computing, again.
- milkytron 10y ago> in 0-60 time. Ah yes, I should've been more specific and said acceleration instead of speed. This is what I was talking about when I said there are a lot of variables to measure performance lol.
- alasdair_ 10y ago>None of this has translated into meaningful advances in Americans’ standard of living. My five year old likes space stuff. This morning, he wanted to know what the planet Venus was made of. To find out, he spoke to my phone and was immediately given an answer along with lots of other details. When I was growing up, the cost to find out such basic information was high - I'd need to find someone who knew, or dig out a paper encyclopedia after visiting the library, something I wasn't allowed to do by myself when I was five. By he time I could do so, it usually didn't matter to me any more. My son's standard of living far surpasses mine at the same age.