5 ms·
Exponential growth tends to work at the beginning of "something". Since the world is finite, at some point new somethings need to be created or discovered for a
by quantified 3y ago
Exponential growth tends to work at the beginning of "something". Since the world is finite, at some point new somethings need to be created or discovered for an exponential growth, quite possibly eating the last thing that was exponentially growing at one point. So part of the trick is to be in on the exponential growth phase and sell off / reduce exposure to the thing when that tapers off.
- jonny_eh 3y agoJust like how bacteria grow exponentially (as mentioned in the article), but are constrained by their petri dish or host.
- mtrimpe 3y agoAs they say... every exponential is a sigmoid in reality.
- esafak 3y agoThat's when you collect your check, step off the train, and start anew. Companies can do it too if they invest in new initiatives. There are no practical physical limits to wealth creation since ideas can be monetized with only energy expenditure.
- baq 3y ago> There are no practical physical limits to wealth creation since ideas can be monetized with only energy expenditure. This statement is internally inconsistent.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- philipswood 3y agoUntil someone finds drastically new physics the fastest possible expansion is cubic: Imagine a bubble expanding at the speed of light bringing everything inside it under complete optimal control.
- TeMPOraL 3y ago> Imagine a bubble expanding at the speed of light bringing everything inside it under complete optimal control. Here's a sci-fi plot idea: a bubble expanding at near-lightspeed is bringing everything inside it under complete optimal control. Lagging behind it a couple years is another bubble, also expanding at near-lightspeed - that of false vacuum collapse. Will the zone of optimal control find a way to stop the nothingness that comes just behind it from consuming the universe?
- 1tSlEv 3y agoYep, that's exactly the problem I have with coming up with ideas for a startup of my own: Everything I can think of is already done better than I ever could. Here's a universe-eating bubble for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schild%27s_Ladder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schild%27s_Ladder
- TeMPOraL 3y agoOuch. At least I came up with an idea worthy of Greg Egan himself, so that's some consolation.
- chrchang523 3y agoYup, and that's why I'd consider this a "101" essay. The larger exponential-growth trends (e.g. Moore's Law) practically always have a microstructure with many sigmoid curves. After you've encountered your first exponential, the "201" lesson about saturation becomes important.
- tempestn 3y agoAnd then generally all the smaller S-curves build on each other to make a curve that looks exponential for much longer, but ultimately turns out to be a sigmoid as well. One thing I muse on occasionally is whether the same will ultimately be true for technological progress as a whole.
- dsign 3y ago>> Since the world is finite Technically speaking, the world is not finite.