[extropy-chat] Popular Luddism

[Adrian Tymes]

A thought encountered this weekend, and some
permutations thereof...

In many cases where people turn against science and
technology in general, without applying logic (except
maybe after the fact to try to justify it), it seems
to be because they have encountered science mainly as
an irritant in their lives.  It heralds change, and
the labor needed to accomodate it, whether or not they
understand the reason for the change (or even if there
truly is one, in unfortunately many cases).

One wonders, then, if this could be ameliorated by
spreading the meme of using science and technology to
make one's life personally easier, including to
address one's worries.  Heard about the recent row
over nanostuff being toxic?  Rather than sit there and
stress out about this new unknown poison, google for
the facts.  At worst, you'll know what it is and how
to deal with it; at best, as in this case and probably
most others, you may find the fears completely
overblown and that in fact there is nothing to worry
about.  Either way: far less stress for a few minutes'
work.  Or, if one has been laid off because one's
skills are obsolete, find the easy way to retrain to
something attractive - and before that, spend some
time dreaming up what you'd like to do, then go
searching for jobs that use those skills.

And googling is but one example, though it is perhaps
the most broadly applicable.  Few 16 year olds in
America do not look forwards to gaining access to a
class of tools only about a century old: automobiles.
The DIY movements in, for instance, home improvement
are also an example of this - although that is best
done for reasons other than simply trying to save
money (which tends to lead to removal of safety and
quality, which tend to lead to higher overall
expenses, especially medical).  Or, going back a few
decades, the introduction of computers with word
processors to eliminate dedicated typists/secretaries:
sure, your workload increased because now you had to
do your own typing, until one found ways to actually
improve one's bandwidth when one could see what one
had just "uttered" and correct it, resulting in the
same output (which is all the boss cared about) for
less overall work.

Another thought on this: it has been observed that, in
the 19th century before the explosion of knowledge
near that century's end, the socially expected
stereotype of a Victorian gentleman included broad
education in a number of fields.  Thus, one did not
tolerate "math is hard" as a badge of pride, but
instead was able to follow at least the basics of any
new discovery, even if one could not comprehend the
details.  These days, with googling, it is possible to
scan any seemingly significant announcement for
keywords and search for them, learning what is really
being said (and thus brushing up on the field's
basics) only once it would be emotionally significant
to do so.

Indeed, it has been observed that the biggest
difference between "have" and "have not" schools in
America is not access to high-tech equipment like
computers - by and large, they have that if they want
it - but rather the percent of students who want to
become familiar with said equipment.  This is
influenced by a number of factors, of which a large
one is whether one's parents (or others one lives
with) use it and look favorably on it.  (I.e., luddism
can be hereditary, in the non-genetic sense.)
Students even at the poorest of schools, who
nonetheless have a drive to learn, tend to learn, but
it is difficult to form and maintain this drive when
most of one's peers do not have it.  Likewise, it is
easier to form and maintain it when most of one's
peers already have it.  (One wonders what forms of
motivation might affect this, and how to apply them
evenly so the motivation itself does not wind up as
the goal.  I.e., maybe pay students to reach a certain
minimum state-wide standard of knowledge, but enforce
the consistency of this minimum so you're not paying
for more As at the most grade-inflated schools.)

Just some thoughts for contemplation.