4 ms·

There is a significant chance of them living to see AGI, immortality and space travel. Half full vs half empty perhaps.

bluefirebrand 3y ago
Even if we did succeed at any of these it's not a given that they would be good for everyone. There is no good that can come of humanity discovering immortality for example. It would be the worst thing we could do. Do we really want an upper class of immortals and a lower class of people who aren't? Because that will happen. Space travel? Okay so all of the rich stay here on earth and send us peasants off to colonize cold and unforgiving rocks and mine asteroids for them? Don't even get me started on AGI.
deprecative 3y ago
If these things come to pass it won't matter to most kids. They'll be too poor and resource starved to enjoy it just in time for the drought and famines.
magic_hamster 3y ago
>living to see AGI, immortality and space travel. You mean living to see other people enjoying or otherwise benefitting from these advances. A homeless junkie is not exactly the kind of class with access to groundbreaking immortality treatments. Realistically, high schoolers of today are going to grow into a post-globalization era, everything will be much more expensive for them, housing and education will be out of reach for many. And then there's the absolute havoc they will inherit with climate change. The next generation is dealt a pretty terrible hand.
- the_only_law 3y ago
  They’ll get to experience some of it as indentured servants on some off world colony /s
  - akiselev 3y ago
    I believe the technical term is "bloodbag"
Clamchop 3y ago
AGI seems plausible enough but especially for the other two, I don't think we can take it for granted that the development of these technologies is imminent; that it will be economical, ethical, or just vaguely wise to use them; or that they will be generally good for mental health and quality of life, those things not necessarily being aligned with what does the most for the survival of our species, which inevitably comes up in discussions of being a space-faring civilization. A comfortable life on a healthy Earth, with less disease and suffering, privacy if you want it, liberty, and favorable opportunities seems both more achievable and reliably "good".

Even if we did succeed at any of these it's not a given that they would be good for everyone. There is no good that can come of humanity discovering immortality for example. It would be the worst thing we could do. Do we really want an upper class of immortals and a lower class of people who aren't? Because that will happen. Space travel? Okay so all of the rich stay here on earth and send us peasants off to colonize cold and unforgiving rocks and mine asteroids for them? Don't even get me started on AGI.

deprecative 3y ago

If these things come to pass it won't matter to most kids. They'll be too poor and resource starved to enjoy it just in time for the drought and famines.

magic_hamster 3y ago

>living to see AGI, immortality and space travel. You mean living to see other people enjoying or otherwise benefitting from these advances. A homeless junkie is not exactly the kind of class with access to groundbreaking immortality treatments. Realistically, high schoolers of today are going to grow into a post-globalization era, everything will be much more expensive for them, housing and education will be out of reach for many. And then there's the absolute havoc they will inherit with climate change. The next generation is dealt a pretty terrible hand.

the_only_law 3y ago
They’ll get to experience some of it as indentured servants on some off world colony /s
- akiselev 3y ago
  I believe the technical term is "bloodbag"

Clamchop 3y ago

AGI seems plausible enough but especially for the other two, I don't think we can take it for granted that the development of these technologies is imminent; that it will be economical, ethical, or just vaguely wise to use them; or that they will be generally good for mental health and quality of life, those things not necessarily being aligned with what does the most for the survival of our species, which inevitably comes up in discussions of being a space-faring civilization. A comfortable life on a healthy Earth, with less disease and suffering, privacy if you want it, liberty, and favorable opportunities seems both more achievable and reliably "good".