At its most fundamental level, human material progress is simply using energy and matter to create beneficial counter-entropic forms. This requires knowledge.
What we call “economic growth” is just a rough measure of the rate at which this knowledge accumulates. The “GDP” as such, is roughly analogous to the total stock of human knowledge.
We grow this stock of knowledge like a supercomputer solving algorithms; billions of human minds coordinate every day, acting in their own interests, and finding new and better pathways forward.
The primary data signal used to coordinate these billions of minds is pricing data. That’s why Elrich was wrong. When the price rises it signals scarcity, and the “social supercomputer” is set into motion finding alternatives.
Essay on the “Progress’s First Principles” is coming soon, stay tuned.
This is a good read for neo-Malthusians. Instead of banking on scarcity and fear mongering, we should encourage human ingenuity and progress.
At its most fundamental level, human material progress is simply using energy and matter to create beneficial counter-entropic forms. This requires knowledge.
What we call “economic growth” is just a rough measure of the rate at which this knowledge accumulates. The “GDP” as such, is roughly analogous to the total stock of human knowledge.
We grow this stock of knowledge like a supercomputer solving algorithms; billions of human minds coordinate every day, acting in their own interests, and finding new and better pathways forward.
The primary data signal used to coordinate these billions of minds is pricing data. That’s why Elrich was wrong. When the price rises it signals scarcity, and the “social supercomputer” is set into motion finding alternatives.
Essay on the “Progress’s First Principles” is coming soon, stay tuned.