It's OK - browsing HN all day can make a lot of people cynical. I'm cynical when it comes to cynicism. You don't need to analyze tone and phrasing here. Just l

It's OK - browsing HN all day can make a lot of people cynical. I'm cynical when it comes to cynicism. You don't need to analyze tone and phrasing here. Just look at the facts. Google has employed some of the most diverse and qualified people in the world to work in a lab with funding that most researcher-builders could only dream of. That alone should excite the mind to think of the possibilities. We know the lab continues to develop self-driving cars, and that they've already put a bunch of miles on them. I don't care how cynical you are - that is AMAZING! Self-driving cars will change the world. Even if we can cut the death rate in half, that's over 17,000[1] loved ones who will return home each day rather than dying unexpectedly and without warning. That thought should at least inspire us! This is to say nothing of preventing minor wasteful accidents and injuries so common we measure them in millions.[1] The lab itself might not be secret, but its projects are. Let's not argue meaningless semantics. Judging by the people who have gone into the lab, and the things that have come out so far, there's some pretty awesome stuff happening inside. I for one am thrilled to see what they come up with. [1] http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1103.pdf http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1103.p...