5 ms·

Two of the most forward thinking folks I believe are Bill Gates and Elon Musk. While Elon wants to carve way into science fiction, Bill wants to ensure no one g

by nojvek 10y ago

Two of the most forward thinking folks I believe are Bill Gates and Elon Musk. While Elon wants to carve way into science fiction, Bill wants to ensure no one gets left behind. Exciting time to be alive. In this case big kudos goes to Narendra Modi and the Indian govt to ensure this happens. I believe such fundamental things are the most effective when govt pushes for it rather than individuals.

pm90 10y ago
To be sure, it is a combined effort. The part I really like about this is that they are really serious about solving the problem and are thinking outside the box in many situations. If it was a purely government directive, I don't think it would have made much difference. But yes, it does help immensely when the country's leader declares it as a top priority.
victor106 10y ago
Who is Narendra Modi? Edit:- read the article.thanks...
- myko 10y ago
  India's Prime Minister
- msound 10y ago
  Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. He has a very interesting (and controversial) history. He grew up selling tea at a railway station and now he's Prime Minister of the largest democracy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi
  - chetanahuja 10y ago
    > He has a very interesting (and controversial) history Sure does. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_riots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_riots
    - throw_away_elec 10y ago
      From the wikipedia entry you quoted: >> "In 2012, Modi was cleared of complicity in the violence by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court of India. The SIT also rejected claims that the state government had not done enough to prevent the riots." >> "In April 2014, the Supreme Court expressed satisfaction over the SIT's investigations in nine cases related to the violence, and rejected as "baseless" a plea contesting the SIT report."
  - andrewvijay 10y ago
    Its thought that he sold tea but just like many lies he says and those that surround him, this may be a lie too.
lern_too_spel 10y ago
You can't carve away at science fiction without the human capital to do the science. Lifting huge populations out of disease and poverty is going to have a larger effect on scientific progress than spending money on directing the few who can do science right now.
- sqeaky 10y ago
  I don't know if you are right or not, and I think it is hard to measure. I certainly think you don't deserve downvotes for your otherwise positive message though.
- akvadrako 10y ago
  I agree with the sentiment and some aspects of science, like medical trials, may scale fairly well. However the most significant scientific discoveries seem to come from the top of the pile. You need to be in the right place and time with the right background to make the right connections that reveal a previously hidden truth. Science is about seeing something that's staring you in the face but nobody has even noticed before. That generally can't be farmed out. So it's a long road from poverty to understanding to discovering something really new.
  - lern_too_spel 10y ago
    Even finding many major breakthroughs like the blue LED is ultimately just probability. The more people who are able to find them, the more breakthroughs you will find.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
- oblio 10y ago
  I think you were a bit too negative but I don't agree with your downvotes. Back to the topic: I agree with you. I think people underestimate, especially in the current Trumpist/Brexitist/etc. climate, the long term impact that lifting ~4 billion people out of poverty will have. By 4 billion people I mean China, India, Africa. China's probably 20 years away from having 30% of the world's middle class in their country. India will probably follow the same trajectory, only with a 40 year delay. Africa is lagging but even there things seem to be moving and my money's on things accelerating as soon as they get some strong regional poles. Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia seem strong contenders.
delecti 10y ago
Two internet celebrities I follow (John and Hank Green) call those two approaches to making the world better "decreasing worldsuck" and "increasing awesome", and I really like that model of thinking. Obviously there are a lot of awesome things we can be doing in the world, but we can't let society leave people behind either.
- ilyagr 10y ago
  Did you just translate the grandparent comment into silicon-valley-speak? It means the same thing, but sounds so much more marketable :)
  - delecti 10y ago
    Well one of the brothers lives in Montana and the other in Indiana, so if it's SV-speak it's just because they're both big nerds.
fizixer 10y ago
I like to put it this way. Elon Musk is working on the cutting edge (make new tech), Bill Gates on the spine edge (make existing tech available to everyone). You need both for humanity to progress.
throwaway12837 10y ago
Frankly I'd take Steve Jobs over those two. People who want to do "good" to boost their (and their nations') egos are rather dangerous. When you fight a war for "righteousness" rather than greed, you're one awful enemy to have. Then again, Steve was a Zen student. No surprises there.
- joe636434 10y ago
  World would not have been much different without appleII and iPods. All Steve did was produce products for rich. Not something like RMS who founded free software movement and changed the direction of software industry for the good of humanity.

by nojvek 10y ago

pm90 10y ago

To be sure, it is a combined effort. The part I really like about this is that they are really serious about solving the problem and are thinking outside the box in many situations. If it was a purely government directive, I don't think it would have made much difference. But yes, it does help immensely when the country's leader declares it as a top priority.

victor106 10y ago

Who is Narendra Modi? Edit:- read the article.thanks...

myko 10y ago
India's Prime Minister
msound 10y ago
Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. He has a very interesting (and controversial) history. He grew up selling tea at a railway station and now he's Prime Minister of the largest democracy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi
- chetanahuja 10y ago
  > He has a very interesting (and controversial) history Sure does. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_riots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_riots
  - throw_away_elec 10y ago
    From the wikipedia entry you quoted: >> "In 2012, Modi was cleared of complicity in the violence by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court of India. The SIT also rejected claims that the state government had not done enough to prevent the riots." >> "In April 2014, the Supreme Court expressed satisfaction over the SIT's investigations in nine cases related to the violence, and rejected as "baseless" a plea contesting the SIT report."
- andrewvijay 10y ago
  Its thought that he sold tea but just like many lies he says and those that surround him, this may be a lie too.

lern_too_spel 10y ago

You can't carve away at science fiction without the human capital to do the science. Lifting huge populations out of disease and poverty is going to have a larger effect on scientific progress than spending money on directing the few who can do science right now.

sqeaky 10y ago
I don't know if you are right or not, and I think it is hard to measure. I certainly think you don't deserve downvotes for your otherwise positive message though.
akvadrako 10y ago
I agree with the sentiment and some aspects of science, like medical trials, may scale fairly well. However the most significant scientific discoveries seem to come from the top of the pile. You need to be in the right place and time with the right background to make the right connections that reveal a previously hidden truth. Science is about seeing something that's staring you in the face but nobody has even noticed before. That generally can't be farmed out. So it's a long road from poverty to understanding to discovering something really new.
- lern_too_spel 10y ago
  Even finding many major breakthroughs like the blue LED is ultimately just probability. The more people who are able to find them, the more breakthroughs you will find.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
oblio 10y ago
I think you were a bit too negative but I don't agree with your downvotes. Back to the topic: I agree with you. I think people underestimate, especially in the current Trumpist/Brexitist/etc. climate, the long term impact that lifting ~4 billion people out of poverty will have. By 4 billion people I mean China, India, Africa. China's probably 20 years away from having 30% of the world's middle class in their country. India will probably follow the same trajectory, only with a 40 year delay. Africa is lagging but even there things seem to be moving and my money's on things accelerating as soon as they get some strong regional poles. Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia seem strong contenders.

delecti 10y ago

Two internet celebrities I follow (John and Hank Green) call those two approaches to making the world better "decreasing worldsuck" and "increasing awesome", and I really like that model of thinking. Obviously there are a lot of awesome things we can be doing in the world, but we can't let society leave people behind either.

ilyagr 10y ago
Did you just translate the grandparent comment into silicon-valley-speak? It means the same thing, but sounds so much more marketable :)
- delecti 10y ago
  Well one of the brothers lives in Montana and the other in Indiana, so if it's SV-speak it's just because they're both big nerds.

fizixer 10y ago

I like to put it this way. Elon Musk is working on the cutting edge (make new tech), Bill Gates on the spine edge (make existing tech available to everyone). You need both for humanity to progress.

throwaway12837 10y ago

Frankly I'd take Steve Jobs over those two. People who want to do "good" to boost their (and their nations') egos are rather dangerous. When you fight a war for "righteousness" rather than greed, you're one awful enemy to have. Then again, Steve was a Zen student. No surprises there.

joe636434 10y ago
World would not have been much different without appleII and iPods. All Steve did was produce products for rich. Not something like RMS who founded free software movement and changed the direction of software industry for the good of humanity.