Category Archives: technology and us

..Where you will find thoughts on developments in technology and science, particularly those that might one day lead to a reexamination of what it is to be human.

Whacky Sci-fi Energy Proposals

Posted on October 29, 2017 by extropiadasilva

WHACKY SCI-FI ENERGY PROPOSALS Any mildly observant person is bound to notice that energy plays an important role in everyday life. Look around, and it is not too difficult to find various attempts at harnessing it. Plants extract energy from … Continue reading →

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THE SINGULARITIES

Posted on April 18, 2017 by extropiadasilva

THE SINGULARITIES In 1993 the science fiction author Vernor Vinge wrote a paper in which he predicted a coming event which would radically change life as we know it. “I argue in this paper”, he wrote, “that we are on … Continue reading →

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The Logistics Internet

Posted on January 26, 2017 by extropiadasilva

THE LOGISTICS INTERNET INTRODUCTION Whenever a new technology, machine or tool emerges on the scene, it needs to be given a name. Often, that name is derived from something older, more familiar, and which is reckoned to share some similarities … Continue reading →

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TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT: THE HORSE ANALOGY

Posted on January 10, 2017 by extropiadasilva

TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT: THE HORSE ANALOGY. (STEEMED) Ok, first of all I should admit that this analogy is not an invention of mine. It features in this documentary: But it is a good one so I thought I would spread the … Continue reading →

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SNOWCRASHING INTO THE DIAMOND AGE (PART 2)

Posted on December 27, 2016 by extropiadasilva

SNOWCRASHING INTO THE DIAMOND AGE 2 (PART 2): An essay by Extropia DaSilva. IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID. The ability to replicate the means of production themselves from cheaply available elements is what underlies most of the utopian expectations of a … Continue reading →

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A Warning For The Future

Posted on August 27, 2016 by extropiadasilva

A WARNING FOR THE FUTURE (This essay is the final part of the series ‘How Jobs Destroyed Work’) Earlier, we saw how market efficiency has no general consideration for what is being bought and sold. It really doesn’t care if … Continue reading →

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TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS AND ITS IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT

Posted on August 20, 2016 by extropiadasilva

TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE NECESSITY OF EMPLOYMENT (This essay is part thirteen of the series ‘HOW JOBS DESTROYED WORK’) The 21st Century could well witness a conflict between two opposing drives: The drive to eliminate work and … Continue reading →

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OVERCONSUMPTION AND THE PERPETUATION OF SCARCITY

Posted on August 6, 2016 by extropiadasilva

(This essay is part eleven of the series HOW JOBS DESTROYED WORK) Because we have built for ourselves a system that tends to cause debt to outgrow productive ability, it is essential for the perpetuation of such a system that … Continue reading →

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THE TECHNOLOGICAL PANOPTICON

Posted on July 16, 2016 by extropiadasilva

THE TECHNOLOGICAL PANOPTICON (This essay is part eight of the series ‘How Jobs Destroyed Work’)  Some observers, among them Noam Chomsky and Jaques Fresco, have noted how corporations tend to have the same organizational structure as fascist dictatorships. In other … Continue reading →

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MANAGEMENT, TECHNOLOGY AND DETERIORATION OF WORK

Posted on July 9, 2016 by extropiadasilva

MANAGEMENT, TECHNOLOGY AND THE DETERIORATION OF WORK THIS ESSAY IS PART SEVEN OF THE SERIES “HOW JOBS DESTROYED WORK”. Work combined with technology can make for a wonderful union. Described by W. Brian Arthur as ‘a reprogramming of nature’, technology … Continue reading →

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