Comments on: Krugman on slowing pace of change http://futurismic.com/2009/08/12/krugman-on-slowing-pace-of-change/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Greg http://futurismic.com/2009/08/12/krugman-on-slowing-pace-of-change/comment-page-1/#comment-42158 Greg Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:53:20 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=8562#comment-42158 I don't know, I certainly do see his point; the physical structure of our cities has really changed little since the 1950s. I think that more than anything, though, that is the result of the existing infrastructure already being in place. The cost of making dramatic changes now would be much higher than the cost of building the infrastructure in the first place when there was nothing already there. I think that the pace of change really has been accelerating dramatically, it's just that the changes are less visibly obvious in our daily lifestyle because our infrastructure was put in place in the mid-20th century. However, I am convinced that in the next few decades the pressure of technological change will suddenly break through the shell of our 20th century infrastructure and change things dramatically. The combination of molecular manufacturing techniques and fully roboticized construction will allow us to rebuild everything with an order of magnitude more complexity at a fraction of the cost. I'm a firm believer in accelerating change, I just think that it is being held back by what is already here. I don’t know, I certainly do see his point; the physical structure of our cities has really changed little since the 1950s. I think that more than anything, though, that is the result of the existing infrastructure already being in place. The cost of making dramatic changes now would be much higher than the cost of building the infrastructure in the first place when there was nothing already there. I think that the pace of change really has been accelerating dramatically, it’s just that the changes are less visibly obvious in our daily lifestyle because our infrastructure was put in place in the mid-20th century. However, I am convinced that in the next few decades the pressure of technological change will suddenly break through the shell of our 20th century infrastructure and change things dramatically. The combination of molecular manufacturing techniques and fully roboticized construction will allow us to rebuild everything with an order of magnitude more complexity at a fraction of the cost. I’m a firm believer in accelerating change, I just think that it is being held back by what is already here.

]]> By: TomMarcinko http://futurismic.com/2009/08/12/krugman-on-slowing-pace-of-change/comment-page-1/#comment-41838 TomMarcinko Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:11:59 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=8562#comment-41838 First of all, how great is it to have a leading intellectual who embraces sf? Second, I'm grateful for his perspective, because I was bitten by FUTURE SHOCK when I was very young, and always thought the pace of change would continue to accelerate. It probably depends on how you squint at it. Toffler got a lot of things wrong--haven't seen any paper clothes lately--but if memory serves he did predict that politicians who promise a return to the "good old days" would do well. Score one for him. First of all, how great is it to have a leading intellectual who embraces sf?

Second, I’m grateful for his perspective, because I was bitten by FUTURE SHOCK when I was very young, and always thought the pace of change would continue to accelerate. It probably depends on how you squint at it.

Toffler got a lot of things wrong–haven’t seen any paper clothes lately–but if memory serves he did predict that politicians who promise a return to the “good old days” would do well. Score one for him.

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