4 ms·
> We've got it made. That's one way to look at it. Another way is to ask yourself whether we could've been much farther ahead, as a civilization and a species,
by upquark 14y ago
> We've got it made.
That's one way to look at it. Another way is to ask yourself whether we could've been much farther ahead, as a civilization and a species, in terms of quality of life, human rights, technology and science, and so on, in 2013 given what we had accomplished already in say 1913, or even 13. I think the answer is a solid yes, we could've been 100 times ahead of where we are now. I wouldn't congratulate ourselves just because we have some professions where people don't suffer injuries at work, that's a pretty low bar we should've crossed ages ago. (I realize this is a tangent and I'm not really arguing against your main point...)
- Tichy 14y agoNot sure, some problems can't be solved by brute force.
- drakeandrews 14y agoIn the years between now and 1913, Europe has risen from literally centuries of war, China has lifted more people out of poverty than I can fathom, the USA has made great strides towards equality and we have made the first steps towards being a spacefairing civilisation. Medical technology has advanced a hundredfold, or even a thousandfold. We still have quite a way to go, but we should not kid ourselves into thinking we have not come a long way already lest we begin to slip back again.