>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 wha

>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.