> "Self-driving cars ... won't be materially different than having a good bus route." By this definition a cell phone is not materially different than having a

> "Self-driving cars ... won't be materially different than having a good bus route." By this definition a cell phone is not materially different than having a personal land-line available regardless of where you live, work, eat, play, etc. That seems like a fairly silly thing to say when you compare the two. One because it points out the absurdity of the notion of perfect coverage/perfect availability of a 'good bus route' and two because there's obviously much more you can do with a cell phone because it's everywhere, that not even a wired phone at every destination could achieve. (e.g. the entirety of pocket computing) Similarly, you see no societal advance in bringing something only the very wealthy can afford (personal servants) to the middle class? (initially, and then trending down with commoditization) That's nearly the definition of massive social change: making the quality of life of royalty affordable to the middle class.