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If the population doubles, why do holodecks require 2x as many resources to invent? Alternately, if Keynesian stimulus or welfare reform causes Americans to ret

If the population doubles, why do holodecks require 2x as many resources to invent? Alternately, if Keynesian stimulus or welfare reform causes Americans to return to the workforce and raises GDP, why do holodecks require 2x as many resources to invent? That's the core question which you are ducking. No one, least of all me, disputes that research is useful - that's all you've actually argued. I'm merely disputing your assertion of a linear scaling law between GDP and the funds needed for research, and you haven't provided an argument why such a law would exist.

seanmcdirmid 12y ago
> If the population doubles, why do holodecks require 2x as many resources to invent? If the population doubles, what are those people going to do with all their time? Fast food check out? Speculation and day trading? > I'm merely disputing your assertion of a linear scaling law between GDP and the funds needed for research, and you haven't provided an argument why such a law would exist. Society has to do something with its resources. We've been investing in R&D since at least the neolithic revolution, increasingly more so as our populations increase. I don't see a good reason why that should stop, so .... > That's the core question which you are ducking. Our technology increases faster as our population increases. We'll get holodecks sooner if we have 2X resources to spend on it, and it would be nice to have them before I'm dead. It is quite nice to have a civil debate about these things.