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The value of an astronaut is at least 10x the value of the “statistical human life”. Probably closer to 100x. Maybe even more. The statistical human life is me

The value of an astronaut is at least 10x the value of the “statistical human life”. Probably closer to 100x. Maybe even more. The statistical human life is meant to represent the average person. The average person is not qualified to become an astronaut. Selection alone, nevermind training, is stringent enough that maybe 1 in 100,000 people meets the bar. And the difference between a qualified astronaut and the average person here isn’t small; it’s a power law relationship.

pfdietz 2y ago
Interesting! Since it doesn't cost that anywhere close to that much to create an astronaut, clearly we can make the nation incredibly wealthy by simply training more of them. By the magical transmutation of astronaut creation, this increases their value enormously. What a brilliant free wealth concept you have created! It's the greatest idea since Beanie Babies.
- philwelch 2y ago
  It’s a selection effect. If you trained all of the people qualified to become astronauts into becoming astronauts you would incur the opportunity costs of those people not applying their talents and ambitions elsewhere.
  - pfdietz 2y ago
    So, you're saying we're actually losing value by training an astronaut, since their talents are not available or elsewhere? Or that astronauts should be chosen from the otherwise useless? Trying to understand here. I'm sure we can find plenty of low value people to transmute into incredibly valuable secular saints of space. No need to waste the otherwise useful.
    - philwelch 2y ago
      > So, you're saying we're actually losing value by training an astronaut, since their talents are not available or elsewhere? This is called “opportunity cost” and it’s a basic concept. > Or that astronauts should be chosen from the otherwise useless? That wouldn’t work because those people couldn’t become useful astronauts. > I'm sure we can find plenty of low value people to transmute into incredibly valuable secular saints of space. No need to waste the otherwise useful. The smug, superior attitude here doesn’t really work when you’re mocking basic concepts like opportunity cost or being qualified for a job. It just makes you come across as an anti-intellectual clown. If you tried engaging in good faith you might learn something.

pfdietz 2y ago

Interesting! Since it doesn't cost that anywhere close to that much to create an astronaut, clearly we can make the nation incredibly wealthy by simply training more of them. By the magical transmutation of astronaut creation, this increases their value enormously. What a brilliant free wealth concept you have created! It's the greatest idea since Beanie Babies.

philwelch 2y ago
It’s a selection effect. If you trained all of the people qualified to become astronauts into becoming astronauts you would incur the opportunity costs of those people not applying their talents and ambitions elsewhere.
- pfdietz 2y ago
  So, you're saying we're actually losing value by training an astronaut, since their talents are not available or elsewhere? Or that astronauts should be chosen from the otherwise useless? Trying to understand here. I'm sure we can find plenty of low value people to transmute into incredibly valuable secular saints of space. No need to waste the otherwise useful.
  - philwelch 2y ago
    > So, you're saying we're actually losing value by training an astronaut, since their talents are not available or elsewhere? This is called “opportunity cost” and it’s a basic concept. > Or that astronauts should be chosen from the otherwise useless? That wouldn’t work because those people couldn’t become useful astronauts. > I'm sure we can find plenty of low value people to transmute into incredibly valuable secular saints of space. No need to waste the otherwise useful. The smug, superior attitude here doesn’t really work when you’re mocking basic concepts like opportunity cost or being qualified for a job. It just makes you come across as an anti-intellectual clown. If you tried engaging in good faith you might learn something.