2 ms·

My absolute favorite passage is "If the dinosaurs had a space program they would still be here"... Beyond the caricatural aspect of this phrase, i think it is a

by razzaj 15y ago

My absolute favorite passage is "If the dinosaurs had a space program they would still be here"... Beyond the caricatural aspect of this phrase, i think it is a deep statement that needs to be understood by all humans. We had that exact discussion the other day with a bunch of friends/geeks; we tried to calculate the cost (to humanity) of all the "wasted" time designing,building,marketing,selling things that reduce the likelihood of the human specie survival beyond then next 500 years (an arbitrary large number). Seriously just think of bankers (very popular scapegoat these days - not that they do not deserve it) and the money (=time x effort) they wasted and how this time x effort could have been a far better investment in advanced space programs. Obviously, bankers are not the only negative contributors on the planet...

oz 15y ago
You'll love http://www.lesswrong.com http://www.lesswrong.com. A lot of the discussion centers on 'Existential Risk Reduction.'
awj 15y ago
In all likelihood we wouldn't have gotten into or through the industrial revolution (hell, probably even the renaissance) without people performing many of the loan and financing functions modern day "bankers" fulfill. The current possibilities for space exploration likely wouldn't exist. I know it's fun to hate on bankers these days, and that there are some good high profile examples of things going wrong, but try to keep some perspective. Just because you can paint everyone with some brush doesn't mean it's actually a good idea.
nickik 15y ago
The bankers didn't waste money the gambeld and lost. The govs around the world wasted the money by spending on them. The freedom to do these things led to the innovations over the centuries, its like evolution. Evolution is never the road to perfection but it adapts and gets better (slowly). If we would set everything else aside and only work on human survival we would in a short term make great progress but it would not be good longterm. Curiosity into all directions is better.

by razzaj 15y ago

oz 15y ago

You'll love http://www.lesswrong.com http://www.lesswrong.com. A lot of the discussion centers on 'Existential Risk Reduction.'

awj 15y ago

In all likelihood we wouldn't have gotten into or through the industrial revolution (hell, probably even the renaissance) without people performing many of the loan and financing functions modern day "bankers" fulfill. The current possibilities for space exploration likely wouldn't exist. I know it's fun to hate on bankers these days, and that there are some good high profile examples of things going wrong, but try to keep some perspective. Just because you can paint everyone with some brush doesn't mean it's actually a good idea.

nickik 15y ago

The bankers didn't waste money the gambeld and lost. The govs around the world wasted the money by spending on them. The freedom to do these things led to the innovations over the centuries, its like evolution. Evolution is never the road to perfection but it adapts and gets better (slowly). If we would set everything else aside and only work on human survival we would in a short term make great progress but it would not be good longterm. Curiosity into all directions is better.