I think you might be taking me to literally. I didn't mean that we've regressed technologically, or on average as a civilization. Of course our technology, abil

I think you might be taking me to literally. I didn't mean that we've regressed technologically, or on average as a civilization. Of course our technology, ability to build pyramids, is greater. I'm mean that we're having a very hard time with problems that are ultimately tractable. Pyramids, aqueduct systems and other impressive endeavours were big achievements. They put a lot of resources into these things, pushed boundaries and succeeded. When it comes to public works these days, it seems that fiasco avoidance is the high bar we set. Can we add a train system to a city from scratch? Impossible. More expensive than WW2. Think smaller. Well... such things aren't impossible. They're just hard. Equivalent projects have succeeded in the past.