2 ms·

Technology has always existed. The people that lived in nature had no idea how it worked. To them, a plow was technology and I’m sure there were people complain

by scoofy 5mo ago

Technology has always existed. The people that lived in nature had no idea how it worked. To them, a plow was technology and I’m sure there were people complaining about it. We only understand nature now because of technology. I’ll take scrolling myself to death at 80 over smallpox and dying of a trivially curable infection at 40 every time.

Zambyte 5mo ago
The plow is very obviously life sustaining technology. Plows help make food, food is required to live. I find it extremely unlikely that there was any noteworthy amount of "complaining" about it at any point in history. Every technology exists on a spectrum of obviously good to obviously bad. Lots of things are not in the middle of that spectrum. > I’ll take scrolling myself to death at 80 over smallpox and dying of a trivially curable infection at 40 every time Luckily we don't have to choose either.
- AngryData 5mo ago
  The plow probably isn't the best technology for the example because it is such a substantial improvement in farming capabilities, but something like weaving loom technology or grain milling technology might work better. Because while they reduce labor, it is perfectly feasible to live your entire life using simpler techniques. Hand mills and hand weaving take a lot of labor but aren't hard enough to make living in any particular enviroment too difficult to sustain well into old age. And I can imagine many people scoffing at that tech as unneccessary and dieing without ever feeling a need or desire to adopt it.
- scoofy 5mo ago
  The nostalgic hunter gather hippies probably thought the plow was unnatural.
- hnfong 5mo ago
  > I find it extremely unlikely that there was any noteworthy amount of "complaining" about it at any point in history. "If plows had not been invented nobody would have to plow the fields!!!" OK, if that logic sounds ridiculous to you, just realize that this is the whole basis of the argument about things getting complicated.
BoorishBears 5mo ago
> I’ll take scrolling myself to death at 80 over smallpox and dying of a trivially curable infection at 40 every time. I think we could have stopped somewhere between dying of smallpox at 40, and children scrolling themselves into eating disorders and suicide at 13 so Zuck can go for some moonshots.
- scoofy 5mo ago
  Smallpox was eradicated in 1980.
  - BoorishBears 5mo ago
    80s would be a fine place to have stopped, you even get the Gameboy! But I also feel obligated to point out... the last time smallpox killed as many people in the US as social media does was well before 1980. The final US death was in the 40s. There's a lot of meat between "We beat smallpox!" and "I can click a button and expose myself to commentary from any of 3 billion people." in terms of technology.

by scoofy 5mo ago

Zambyte 5mo ago

The plow is very obviously life sustaining technology. Plows help make food, food is required to live. I find it extremely unlikely that there was any noteworthy amount of "complaining" about it at any point in history. Every technology exists on a spectrum of obviously good to obviously bad. Lots of things are not in the middle of that spectrum. > I’ll take scrolling myself to death at 80 over smallpox and dying of a trivially curable infection at 40 every time Luckily we don't have to choose either.

AngryData 5mo ago
The plow probably isn't the best technology for the example because it is such a substantial improvement in farming capabilities, but something like weaving loom technology or grain milling technology might work better. Because while they reduce labor, it is perfectly feasible to live your entire life using simpler techniques. Hand mills and hand weaving take a lot of labor but aren't hard enough to make living in any particular enviroment too difficult to sustain well into old age. And I can imagine many people scoffing at that tech as unneccessary and dieing without ever feeling a need or desire to adopt it.
scoofy 5mo ago
The nostalgic hunter gather hippies probably thought the plow was unnatural.
hnfong 5mo ago
> I find it extremely unlikely that there was any noteworthy amount of "complaining" about it at any point in history. "If plows had not been invented nobody would have to plow the fields!!!" OK, if that logic sounds ridiculous to you, just realize that this is the whole basis of the argument about things getting complicated.

BoorishBears 5mo ago

> I’ll take scrolling myself to death at 80 over smallpox and dying of a trivially curable infection at 40 every time. I think we could have stopped somewhere between dying of smallpox at 40, and children scrolling themselves into eating disorders and suicide at 13 so Zuck can go for some moonshots.

scoofy 5mo ago
Smallpox was eradicated in 1980.
- BoorishBears 5mo ago
  80s would be a fine place to have stopped, you even get the Gameboy! But I also feel obligated to point out... the last time smallpox killed as many people in the US as social media does was well before 1980. The final US death was in the 40s. There's a lot of meat between "We beat smallpox!" and "I can click a button and expose myself to commentary from any of 3 billion people." in terms of technology.