An economist a couple of years ago predicted that space development would have the potential to increase the standard of living of everyone on Earth by a factor of 10.
Any additional clues on how to find that prediction? My google-fu fails me.
Yes, it would be good to be able to rigorously test his data integrity, modelling assumptions and forecasting methodologies
NASA had proposed several Apollo to Venus back in the 1970's, including a triple flyby that would take 800 days. The rational back then was to keep funding to manned space program going after the Moon landings were completed.
I think the rationale behind landing on objects in our Solar System disappeared once it was clear we weren't going to find intelligent life there.
Space mining or interstellar travel may have a purpose, landing on an inhospitable rock/sulphuric acid lake or whatever seems entirely pointless as an end in itself.
Excellent job extrapolating from 50 to infinity. Malthus would be proud.
It's no worse than extrapolating Moore's Law into "we'll have AI in thirty years time because the computing power available will dwarf the sum of all the puny human brains".
Then you've got Minecraft, played by literally hundreds of millions of people with little to no problems, including my 8 year old niece on her potato PC.
Exactly. if Minecraft was as ridiculously slow and unusable as suggested above, no one would be playing it at all.
I've only ever seen my kids play it a bit, and I can't see the attraction, but they manage perfectly well on a low cost family laptop.
You are implying that ones political stance is an indicator of their intelligence?
That is the clear intention of the article summary, because it highlights only those issues where Democrats are more likely to agree with scientists than Republicans. A more honest summary would have also brought attention to the subjects where Democrats differ from scientists: nuclear power, pesticide use in foods and animal research, for example.
You are assuming that the scientists are always right.
I have worked with PhD students and professional researchers, and I have worked with "average" people, and there is a big difference in intelligence. It is hard to quantify the difference, but it is there.
If she's skilled in java but doesn't love Java Enterprise stuff and the only jobs she can secure are related to Java Enterprise stuff, why not create her own company ?
Maybe she can learn the Androïd SDK and do mobile apps ? Or whatever she wants as long as she's motivated by it.
I have no idea of how favorable or hostile the spanish economic climate is for entrepreneurs, but this is the solution I applied to myself and I live in France of all places...
I thought the French didn't even have a word for entrepreneur?
Really? According to a quick Google search it's 30 days plus 14 days public holidays.
This is slightly better than most European countries, but hardly a deal breaker.
As for the rest, most European countries have employment protection laws that must look like pure socialism if you're from the US, Spain is not that different from Germany or France.
Now compare her with somebody else, who has — since graduating college — worked for two years, loves what he is doing and is enthusiastic about continuing. Like her husband.
Her husband? The one who says "I'm a Java developer myself with many years of experience but mostly doing boring Java Enterprise stuff"?
He just sounds like someone doing a job, not someone in love with it.
I have absolutely no interest in technology, computers, programming or any of that nerdy stuff but I would inexplicably like to work in some sort of programming/developer/IT role anyway. Any suggestions?
If you don't enjoy programming or technology, go find something else you are interested in. All the good programmers and IT people I've met have enjoyed what they do. The ones that don't are usually dragging down the rest of the team.
There's a huge difference between enjoying what you do and it being something you're passionate about.
Most people enjoy at least some of what they do for a job without being so interested that they would do it for no pay.
We so much of our lives working that it's really a waste to spend it doing something we don't like.
Most people do not have the luxury of only (or mainly) doing things they really like.
For example, the career opportunities for someone who enjoys drinking cheap booze, eating pizzas, listening to heavy metal and watching porn are somewhat limited. Not everyone can be a SysAdmin.
Slashdot Mirror
An economist a couple of years ago predicted that space development would have the potential to increase the standard of living of everyone on Earth by a factor of 10.
Any additional clues on how to find that prediction? My google-fu fails me.
Yes, it would be good to be able to rigorously test his data integrity, modelling assumptions and forecasting methodologies
NASA had proposed several Apollo to Venus back in the 1970's, including a triple flyby that would take 800 days. The rational back then was to keep funding to manned space program going after the Moon landings were completed.
https://falsesteps.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/manned-venus-flyby/
I think the rationale behind landing on objects in our Solar System disappeared once it was clear we weren't going to find intelligent life there.
Space mining or interstellar travel may have a purpose, landing on an inhospitable rock/sulphuric acid lake or whatever seems entirely pointless as an end in itself.
Excellent job extrapolating from 50 to infinity. Malthus would be proud.
It's no worse than extrapolating Moore's Law into "we'll have AI in thirty years time because the computing power available will dwarf the sum of all the puny human brains".
We can't even filter out a little carbon dioxide in our own atmosphere.
Well we _can_, it's just relatively too expensive at present.
I think "impossibly expensive" would be more accurate.
something something protests too much something something
He was involved in an electric car venture a while back and it didn't go well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Why aren't people like that convicted of fraud, theft and the rest, sent to jail and never allowed to run a business again?
Rather than being held up as heroes on slashdot.
I'm guessing they're being disruptive, which seems to excuse any sort of lawbreaking and skullduggery.
But it will provide valuable insights on how to 3D print 700 HP supercars for use on Mars!
Then you've got Minecraft, played by literally hundreds of millions of people with little to no problems, including my 8 year old niece on her potato PC.
Exactly. if Minecraft was as ridiculously slow and unusable as suggested above, no one would be playing it at all.
I've only ever seen my kids play it a bit, and I can't see the attraction, but they manage perfectly well on a low cost family laptop.
Saying "truth is socially constructed" is not the same as saying "facts are socially constructed".
So if most scientists say that Taylor Swift is a better singer than Lady Gaga, if you're a Lady Gaga fan you should shoot yourself.
Something like that.
I would think that a link to their fucking web page counts as a definition of the acronym. YMMV.
No, it doesn't.
Most people reading a summary expect it to make internal sense without having to go off and look things up.
You are implying that ones political stance is an indicator of their intelligence?
That is the clear intention of the article summary, because it highlights only those issues where Democrats are more likely to agree with scientists than Republicans. A more honest summary would have also brought attention to the subjects where Democrats differ from scientists: nuclear power, pesticide use in foods and animal research, for example.
You are assuming that the scientists are always right.
working with others requires above-average intelligence
By that definition every McDonalds employee is of above-average intelligence.
While not impossible, it seems unlikely.
I have worked with PhD students and professional researchers, and I have worked with "average" people, and there is a big difference in intelligence. It is hard to quantify the difference, but it is there.
You can't argue with facts like that.
Who wouldn't want to be able to download a spare screen from the internet on demand?
If she's skilled in java but doesn't love Java Enterprise stuff and the only jobs she can secure are related to Java Enterprise stuff, why not create her own company ? Maybe she can learn the Androïd SDK and do mobile apps ? Or whatever she wants as long as she's motivated by it. I have no idea of how favorable or hostile the spanish economic climate is for entrepreneurs, but this is the solution I applied to myself and I live in France of all places...
I thought the French didn't even have a word for entrepreneur?
22 weeks paid vacation
Really? According to a quick Google search it's 30 days plus 14 days public holidays.
This is slightly better than most European countries, but hardly a deal breaker.
As for the rest, most European countries have employment protection laws that must look like pure socialism if you're from the US, Spain is not that different from Germany or France.
Why don't you go out and get a job, and your wife can stay home and look after the baby.
He already has a job, genius, and it's pretty obvious his wife either wants or needs a job instead of staying at home looking after the kid(s).
Truly outstanding reading incomprehension.
If you took a three year vacation, your pay would be less too.
Not necessarily.
It is perfectly possible to spend years doing crap work which adds little of value to your CV or pay expectations.
Too many people on slashdot assume that everyone has the same carrier profile with an unbroken upward trend.
Now compare her with somebody else, who has — since graduating college — worked for two years, loves what he is doing and is enthusiastic about continuing. Like her husband.
Her husband? The one who says "I'm a Java developer myself with many years of experience but mostly doing boring Java Enterprise stuff"?
He just sounds like someone doing a job, not someone in love with it.
Well done, you managed to get in a misogynistic piece of crap without using the term SJW.
I have absolutely no interest in technology, computers, programming or any of that nerdy stuff but I would inexplicably like to work in some sort of programming/developer/IT role anyway. Any suggestions?
If you don't enjoy programming or technology, go find something else you are interested in. All the good programmers and IT people I've met have enjoyed what they do. The ones that don't are usually dragging down the rest of the team.
There's a huge difference between enjoying what you do and it being something you're passionate about.
Most people enjoy at least some of what they do for a job without being so interested that they would do it for no pay.
I'm pretty sure there's people that work in jobs they aren't passionate about but do it to keep afloat.
I would say over 90% of the workforce.
Does anyone seriously think that people stack supermarket shelves, flip burgers, clean toilets or whatever because they really love it?
We so much of our lives working that it's really a waste to spend it doing something we don't like.
Most people do not have the luxury of only (or mainly) doing things they really like.
For example, the career opportunities for someone who enjoys drinking cheap booze, eating pizzas, listening to heavy metal and watching porn are somewhat limited. Not everyone can be a SysAdmin.