[ExI] Economics 2

[Kevin Freels]

Unfortunately this is a reality. As you can see there are already a good 
many people content to shut out leisurely discussion in favor of 
improved efficiency.


ben wrote:
> Economics 2
>
>
> In a reply to the thread "Yesterday's Mashed Potatoes",
> Keith Henson wrote:
>
>   
>> There are extremely serious problems that face us in the very near
>> future, and even worse ones slightly further out.  I would like to see
>> more serious discussion, but it doesn't happen very often.
>>     
>
>
>
> OK, challenge accepted!
>
> Well, maybe.
>
> Here's a concept from a work of fiction (Stross' Accelerando), that gave
> me the willies: Economics 2. The idea is that a Singularity almost
> inevitably leads to a super-efficient economic system that leaves no
> room for the kinds of mental activities that we value so much, like
> enjoying life, fun-having, etc. In fact, it's so efficient that it
> basically squeezes out all trace of consciousness.
>
> Is that likely to be one of the serious problems that we face? If it's
> even the tiniest bit likely, how could we avoid it?
>
> It sounds to me like the kind of attractor that, if it got started,
> would suck everybody and everything in.
>
> This is the kind of nightmare scenario that i hope somebody can
> convincingly demonstrate belongs firmly in the realm of fiction (i.e.
> can provably never happen).
>
> ben zaiboc
>
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>   
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