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Well, that sucks for us normal people. Perhaps in a hundred years, the cognitive gap will be so large that there will be little meaningful interaction between t

Well, that sucks for us normal people. Perhaps in a hundred years, the cognitive gap will be so large that there will be little meaningful interaction between the two groups. I wonder who'll do the boring middle management tasks then. Perhaps those people who can do mild intelligence, repetitive tasks will then be the highly paid ones, seeing as all the geniuses will have a lot of competition.

j_baker 16y ago
If the geniuses have a lot of competition, then they're not geniuses anymore now are they? And besides that, who says there aren't already highly-paid repetitive jobs requiring mild intelligence? Accountants and lawyers come to mind (people from both of these fields tell me they really don't require a whole lot of intelligence and are pretty repetitive (although the accountants are quick to point out that it's not as repetitive as you probably think)).
- jacoblyles 16y ago
  It's worth noting that part of the wage of lawyers and accountants is monopoly rent extracted by strict licensing requirements that put hurdles in the way of potential competitors. It doesn't matter if you can pass the bar or the accountancy exams, most states will require that you also get a college (or post-college) degree. Credentialism keeps competitors and innovation out of fields like medicine, accounting, law, and taxi services, maintaining high prices and high wages.
- WildUtah 16y ago
  who says there aren't already highly-paid repetitive jobs requiring mild intelligence? Cops and firemen make big money in many parts of the USA with $200,000+ mid career salary and benefits very common. Genius level scientists and engineers rarely make it that high in any endeavor with reasonable hours and job security.
sliverstorm 16y ago
That depends on whether there is a niche for the 'normal people'. Traditional ecological models suggest that without such a niche, the 'normal people' will die out and the average intelligence of the human race will increase. So long as, of course, we don't wind up in an "Idiocracy"-type scenario.
rdouble 16y ago
Perhaps those people who can do mild intelligence, repetitive tasks will then be the highly paid ones That is already the case. Most medicine is routine procedure. The average salary for a dermatologist in the USA is around $300,000 per year.
- mikeklaas 16y ago
  Don't forget about skin cancer </seinfeld>
jerf 16y ago
"Perhaps in a hundred years, the cognitive gap will be so large that there will be little meaningful interaction between the two groups." The Morlock and Eloi scenario? Certainly a venerable idea.
mkramlich 16y ago
> Perhaps in a hundred years, the cognitive gap will be so large that there will be little meaningful interaction between the two groups. Eloi and Morlocks
Charuru 16y ago
My personal belief is that people will be able to hook their brains into machines and become one with the network.

j_baker 16y ago

If the geniuses have a lot of competition, then they're not geniuses anymore now are they? And besides that, who says there aren't already highly-paid repetitive jobs requiring mild intelligence? Accountants and lawyers come to mind (people from both of these fields tell me they really don't require a whole lot of intelligence and are pretty repetitive (although the accountants are quick to point out that it's not as repetitive as you probably think)).

jacoblyles 16y ago
It's worth noting that part of the wage of lawyers and accountants is monopoly rent extracted by strict licensing requirements that put hurdles in the way of potential competitors. It doesn't matter if you can pass the bar or the accountancy exams, most states will require that you also get a college (or post-college) degree. Credentialism keeps competitors and innovation out of fields like medicine, accounting, law, and taxi services, maintaining high prices and high wages.
WildUtah 16y ago
who says there aren't already highly-paid repetitive jobs requiring mild intelligence? Cops and firemen make big money in many parts of the USA with $200,000+ mid career salary and benefits very common. Genius level scientists and engineers rarely make it that high in any endeavor with reasonable hours and job security.

sliverstorm 16y ago

That depends on whether there is a niche for the 'normal people'. Traditional ecological models suggest that without such a niche, the 'normal people' will die out and the average intelligence of the human race will increase. So long as, of course, we don't wind up in an "Idiocracy"-type scenario.

rdouble 16y ago

Perhaps those people who can do mild intelligence, repetitive tasks will then be the highly paid ones That is already the case. Most medicine is routine procedure. The average salary for a dermatologist in the USA is around $300,000 per year.

mikeklaas 16y ago
Don't forget about skin cancer </seinfeld>

jerf 16y ago

"Perhaps in a hundred years, the cognitive gap will be so large that there will be little meaningful interaction between the two groups." The Morlock and Eloi scenario? Certainly a venerable idea.

mkramlich 16y ago

> Perhaps in a hundred years, the cognitive gap will be so large that there will be little meaningful interaction between the two groups. Eloi and Morlocks

Charuru 16y ago

My personal belief is that people will be able to hook their brains into machines and become one with the network.