2 ms·

I'm almost regretting including item 1, because the percentage of HN commenters who embody that attitude appears to be much lower than in comment sections on ot

I'm almost regretting including item 1, because the percentage of HN commenters who embody that attitude appears to be much lower than in comment sections on other parts of the web. Anecdotally, I can tell you that a significant minority of modern humans who comment on news articles are just furious about actual or projected technological advances that allow people to prevent e.g. obesity or pregnancy without relying on strenuous mental and/or physical discipline. That's why I mentioned it.

XorNot 9y ago
I have no idea why you're getting down voted here and I agree completely - see the reactions to the mere existence of Soylent as a concept.
wutbrodo 9y ago
I mean, you're not wrong. If I'm reading his comment correctly, coldtea holds exactly the view you're describing.
- coldtea 9y ago
  Somebody has to. "Let's do X just because we can" has often lead us to more trouble than merely not doing X. Especially when we half-understand X and what it affects. Case in point, as others mentioned, albeit positively, Soylent.
  - wutbrodo 9y ago
    Just so we're clear, I wasn't saying that negatively. Just pointing out that the parent commenter's assumption was backwards.
glenstein 9y ago
I agree with that judgment. I think we have seen that some in the cultural reaction to Soylent, which is mentioned in the article. Even setting aside questions about nutrition, cost, and cultural weirdness, some people are simply opposed to it as a matter of principle, and feel extremely strongly about it.
Turing_Machine 9y ago
"Anecdotally, I can tell you that a significant minority of modern humans who comment on news articles are just furious about actual or projected technological advances that allow people to prevent e.g. obesity or pregnancy without relying on strenuous mental and/or physical discipline." Yep. And yet you never see these people volunteering to make their livings as agricultural stoop labor peasants or (if female) volunteering to have 15 or 20 pregnancies over the course of their lives.
- coldtea 9y ago
  So? That's a non sequitur. Someone wanting e.g. avoiding pregnancy to rely on "physical discipline" doesn't mean they are in favor of anybody having 15 or 20 pregnancies -- just that they are in favor of people having the discipline.

XorNot 9y ago

I have no idea why you're getting down voted here and I agree completely - see the reactions to the mere existence of Soylent as a concept.

wutbrodo 9y ago

I mean, you're not wrong. If I'm reading his comment correctly, coldtea holds exactly the view you're describing.

coldtea 9y ago
Somebody has to. "Let's do X just because we can" has often lead us to more trouble than merely not doing X. Especially when we half-understand X and what it affects. Case in point, as others mentioned, albeit positively, Soylent.
- wutbrodo 9y ago
  Just so we're clear, I wasn't saying that negatively. Just pointing out that the parent commenter's assumption was backwards.

glenstein 9y ago

I agree with that judgment. I think we have seen that some in the cultural reaction to Soylent, which is mentioned in the article. Even setting aside questions about nutrition, cost, and cultural weirdness, some people are simply opposed to it as a matter of principle, and feel extremely strongly about it.

Turing_Machine 9y ago

"Anecdotally, I can tell you that a significant minority of modern humans who comment on news articles are just furious about actual or projected technological advances that allow people to prevent e.g. obesity or pregnancy without relying on strenuous mental and/or physical discipline." Yep. And yet you never see these people volunteering to make their livings as agricultural stoop labor peasants or (if female) volunteering to have 15 or 20 pregnancies over the course of their lives.

coldtea 9y ago
So? That's a non sequitur. Someone wanting e.g. avoiding pregnancy to rely on "physical discipline" doesn't mean they are in favor of anybody having 15 or 20 pregnancies -- just that they are in favor of people having the discipline.