4 ms·
> And food production following an O(2^n) curve is highly improbable, the best we can imho do is something polynomial or linear. Why? All technology has so far
by saddlerustle 6y ago
> And food production following an O(2^n) curve is highly improbable, the best we can imho do is something polynomial or linear.
Why? All technology has so far outpaced population growth.
- corty 6y agoMoore's law was famously exponential, until it wasn't, because there are physical limits. Grain per hectare made some noticeable jumps, but no growth or even negative growth due to organics. Limit now is probably what the ecosystem will bear, and that is something linear or constant. The reason why I think a polynomial is the best we can do is that some very special processes generate exponential behaviour, mostly stuff that is self-replicating. I don't see those in technology. Technology doesn't reproduce all by itself, it needs to be invented, financed, etc. Those are limits that force it subexponential.