[extropy-chat] technological equilibrium

[Spike]

> paul.bridger

> Spike wrote:
> > every society that is currently in or has ever 
> > reached technological equilibrium is primitive!
...
> 
> Well, I was thinking about a kind of technological 
> equilibrium imposed by an 
> increasing cost of energy (as we are seeing today). Progress 
> would be too 
> expensive, because simply staying still (surviving) would 
> take everyone's time.
> But then...before we reached that state we'd start doing 
> research to make 
> energy cheaper.


Ja I was thinking an major energy shortage would be a
huge technology driver.  It would force us to start thinking
again.  We have a vast array of cool new technologies that
are merely waiting for reduced risk of oil again dropping
below 30 bucks a barrel.

The best mechanism I can think of for technological stasis
would be excessive comfort, such as we now suffer.

spike