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I find this whole way of looking at things weird. Did maths exist just to entertain and employ mathematicians? Surely maths is, like, useful? Not immediately, n
by dash2 2mo ago
I find this whole way of looking at things weird. Did maths exist just to entertain and employ mathematicians? Surely maths is, like, useful? Not immediately, not predictably, but in the long run? In which case, whether mathematicians feel bad about it is mostly irrelevant - it's like complaining about the railway because it may put coaching inns out of business.
- MinimalAction 2mo agoAbsolutely not the same! People need jobs to bring in income. I don't believe those who profit off of this will share it with the world. The power is all concentrated in the few hands that decide whether or not the rest get any semblance of income in the long run. I don't believe UBS until it happens.
- dash2 2mo agoIt sounds like you think no technological advances will make the world richer in the long run. I politely suggest that the past century of economic growth shows problems with this argument. I also think that, while jobs are important for prosperity, the jobs of mathematicians are a minuscule fraction of a percent of the total.
- MinimalAction 2mo agoSo, you're arguing that just because mathematicians are a minuscule, it doesn't matter for prosperity? Because, if so, that is an insane take honestly.
- dash2 2mo agoReally? "The benefit to all of humanity from advances in mathematics outweighs the lost jobs of research mathematicians". That's an insane take?
- MinimalAction 2mo agoIt is the very humanity that is absent in all of this. The power is still in the hands of a very few. I feel you're dismissing this with a grandeur vision of AI developement.
- deleted 2mo ago[deleted]