Exactly. People tend to look at a chart of energy use per capita and GDP growth and assume that the same correlation must continue to hold. But a better design

Exactly. People tend to look at a chart of energy use per capita and GDP growth and assume that the same correlation must continue to hold. But a better designed game or app doesn't necessarily require more energy to run. I can envision a economy where people trade trade digital goods, and that economy can keep growing pretty much without limit because the value is all based on intangible factors. Imagine a hypothetical world where everyone is a programmer and everyone has the same small 20 watt computer. Would people just give up and stagnate? Or would they continue to improve and create more value for other users by making more efficient use of the 20 watt computers they are stuck with?