4 ms·

You mean like burning oil and single use plastic?

CatWChainsaw 2y ago
No, no, we totally have an infinite number of technological tricks to pull out of a magic hat and will roll nat20 every time.
- lazide 2y ago
  It’s crazy how often it’s actually true though, when it really comes down to it eh?
  - CatWChainsaw 2y ago
    I don't think climate breakdown, industrial pollution, and microplastic saturation count as nat20s, nor do I think that we'll find a replacement fuel source that can sustain energy demand where it stands right now much less what this civilization would demand between AI/blockchain/metaverse everywhere, for everyone, for everything. But for a brief period of time we generated a lot of value for shareholders.
    - lazide 2y ago
      Eh, that’s a rather myopic view though isn’t it? None of those issues you’re talking about seem intractable using the same tools that caused them, frankly, and are likely no harder to solve (if we want) than some of the things we’ve already successfully resolved quite thoroughly like; - world hunger from a technical/energy basis, as the only remaining hunger issues appear to be politically driven. - Smallpox, Cholera, Typhoid, Leprosy, and a large slew of other infectious diseases which have ravaged humanity since at least the dawn of recorded history, and probably earlier. Even Malaria is controllable/controlled, depending on the political situation. - Death by violence or accident is a rare and distant possibility for humans today compared to even 100 years ago. - Actual life impacting environmental pollution (comparing historical norms like open sewers, indoor wood burning stoves, dangerous fine particulates/dusts), etc. is at historic lows. - Real world quality of life for the population of the world is at the highest level globally we’ve seen, probably ever. And while there will be dips, that is not likely to materially change back. At least not without a lot of work to intentionally break things. Do we still have issues that need to be solved, and more upcoming? You bet. Some of them quite urgent. We also have more tools than ever at our disposal to solve them, if/when we use them. Currently, the biggest issue appears that it isn’t actually obviously critical that we use them, so people are holding back. Because it’s more fun to live their lives than make the sacrifices necessary to use many of those tools. I mean, just look back to what was going on 100 years ago vs now.
      - CatWChainsaw 2y ago
        If my view is myopic, yours is rosy. Almost everything you listed is a consequence of us making use of a finite fuel source that was many times denser than anything before, which we are using up faster than ever at the price of the biosphere, but you're assuming the red queen will win her race because she hasn't lost it in the past. That whole "if" we harness the tools we have to solve our problems is doing way too much heavy lifting, and completely ignores the question of if we do indeed have the tools needed to solve the problems we face in the first place.
        lazide 2y ago
        The wheel turns. It is what it does. If your view is that all life will cease on this planet from our current state, then I have records of several billion years of past existence of life on this planet as proof that is relatively unlikely. Especially given the relatively minor (from a geological history perspective) nature of the things you are talking about. Also if your take on my view is that things will be pleasant, ‘fine’, ‘fun’, or with no change or conflict in the future, then I suggest you re-read it. I see no reason to think that things will not continue in some form. And I have no reason to think that the issues you are naming are unsolvable, with sufficient motivation. Pain and existential threat being historically very effective motivators. Right now there are historically very low levels of those motivators. We also have an exceptional ability to insulate us from those motivators (historically), especially in the developed world. Hell, we haven’t even taken a war time footing economically on things like energy yet.
        CatWChainsaw 2y ago
        Obviously things will "continue in some form". It just won't be a pleasant form, because we will not be equal to the challenges we face.
        lazide 2y ago
        Well, not with that attitude. (Literally)

No, no, we totally have an infinite number of technological tricks to pull out of a magic hat and will roll nat20 every time.

lazide 2y ago
It’s crazy how often it’s actually true though, when it really comes down to it eh?
- CatWChainsaw 2y ago
  I don't think climate breakdown, industrial pollution, and microplastic saturation count as nat20s, nor do I think that we'll find a replacement fuel source that can sustain energy demand where it stands right now much less what this civilization would demand between AI/blockchain/metaverse everywhere, for everyone, for everything. But for a brief period of time we generated a lot of value for shareholders.
  - lazide 2y ago
    Eh, that’s a rather myopic view though isn’t it? None of those issues you’re talking about seem intractable using the same tools that caused them, frankly, and are likely no harder to solve (if we want) than some of the things we’ve already successfully resolved quite thoroughly like; - world hunger from a technical/energy basis, as the only remaining hunger issues appear to be politically driven. - Smallpox, Cholera, Typhoid, Leprosy, and a large slew of other infectious diseases which have ravaged humanity since at least the dawn of recorded history, and probably earlier. Even Malaria is controllable/controlled, depending on the political situation. - Death by violence or accident is a rare and distant possibility for humans today compared to even 100 years ago. - Actual life impacting environmental pollution (comparing historical norms like open sewers, indoor wood burning stoves, dangerous fine particulates/dusts), etc. is at historic lows. - Real world quality of life for the population of the world is at the highest level globally we’ve seen, probably ever. And while there will be dips, that is not likely to materially change back. At least not without a lot of work to intentionally break things. Do we still have issues that need to be solved, and more upcoming? You bet. Some of them quite urgent. We also have more tools than ever at our disposal to solve them, if/when we use them. Currently, the biggest issue appears that it isn’t actually obviously critical that we use them, so people are holding back. Because it’s more fun to live their lives than make the sacrifices necessary to use many of those tools. I mean, just look back to what was going on 100 years ago vs now.
    - CatWChainsaw 2y ago
      If my view is myopic, yours is rosy. Almost everything you listed is a consequence of us making use of a finite fuel source that was many times denser than anything before, which we are using up faster than ever at the price of the biosphere, but you're assuming the red queen will win her race because she hasn't lost it in the past. That whole "if" we harness the tools we have to solve our problems is doing way too much heavy lifting, and completely ignores the question of if we do indeed have the tools needed to solve the problems we face in the first place.
      - lazide 2y ago
        The wheel turns. It is what it does. If your view is that all life will cease on this planet from our current state, then I have records of several billion years of past existence of life on this planet as proof that is relatively unlikely. Especially given the relatively minor (from a geological history perspective) nature of the things you are talking about. Also if your take on my view is that things will be pleasant, ‘fine’, ‘fun’, or with no change or conflict in the future, then I suggest you re-read it. I see no reason to think that things will not continue in some form. And I have no reason to think that the issues you are naming are unsolvable, with sufficient motivation. Pain and existential threat being historically very effective motivators. Right now there are historically very low levels of those motivators. We also have an exceptional ability to insulate us from those motivators (historically), especially in the developed world. Hell, we haven’t even taken a war time footing economically on things like energy yet.
        CatWChainsaw 2y ago
        Obviously things will "continue in some form". It just won't be a pleasant form, because we will not be equal to the challenges we face.
        lazide 2y ago
        Well, not with that attitude. (Literally)