Recent comments in /f/Futurology

Petal_Chatoyance t1_jed1zrs wrote

Reply to In a post-scarcity utopia, is there a real necessity of human labor of any kind? by kvothekevin

In a post-scarcity world, human craftsmanship would become the most coveted and rare and high-status thing imaginable.

If you could have anything - anything - made instantly by machine process, at any time, for basically no cost (I'm talking Star Trek post-money civilization here), then every ordinary, machine-made thing you own matters little. Even 'owning' things doesn't matter most of the time - just get a new one made.

But - that crappy, raggy doll your grandmother made just for you? Priceless. And to a collector of dolls - beyond priceless. Just owning such a thing would increase your social status.

Handmade furniture in such a world would be hard to get - because it takes work, human work - and thus would be rare. The Amish would be in unimaginable demand.

A new scarcity would appear - and that scarcity would be the final one: human, hand made artifacts. They would be treasured in a way they are not, now.

Anyone in such a world could easily own the fanciest car, the most powerful device.

But only a very few would be able to walk around in a hand-knitted sweater with a story behind it of love and attention and appreciation. Such a thing would be a treasure, a work of art. It would draw fascination. People would envy it.

Which means, in a 'status economy' beyond money, that for the first time in history - artists, even not so great ones, would finally be truly appreciated.

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viavant t1_jecymlw wrote

Reply to US puts Italy-sized chunk of Gulf of Mexico up for auction for oil drilling by capcaunul

Article said proposed area will produce approximately 1 billion barrels of oil over the next 50 years. That may seem like a lot of oil but that number could only supply all of humanity’s current demand for about 10 days. Tainting a large portion of America’s gulf waters for an entire generation just to supply 10 days worth of oil…

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SlurpinAnalGravy t1_jecyfrb wrote

Reply to comment by Jackal427 in US puts Italy-sized chunk of Gulf of Mexico up for auction for oil drilling by capcaunul

>The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior, and as such, it is accountable to Congress through the Secretary of the Interior. The BLM is required to provide regular reports to Congress on its activities, budget, and performance, as well as to respond to requests for information or testimony from congressional committees. Congress also has the power to authorize and appropriate funds for the BLM's operations and programs, and to conduct oversight and investigations of the agency's activities.

Hit me up when you understand anything kiddo.

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InsuranceMan45 t1_jecxvgw wrote

Reply to comment by warren_stupidity in Could Life extension help with demographic collapse? by samwell_4548

Yeah I’m sick of working people getting screwed. Middle class get screwed over too if you aren’t including them. The poor get enslaved in prisons and the military, the middle class pays for it all. The ivory castle pricks get away with it. They built a land of laws that screws us and benefits them. The system is cornered and falling apart after 80 years of exploitation and recklessness.

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BigMemeKing t1_jecwrq2 wrote

Reply to US puts Italy-sized chunk of Gulf of Mexico up for auction for oil drilling by capcaunul

I was once asked in a very "You're stupid" kind of way, if I believed corporations could buy up all the property on the planet.

Yes.

Yes I do.

As long as there is a need for space to produce goods, procure raw materials or house the ridiculously large homes of the wealthy. Those in a seat of wealth and power will find the way to lay claim to the space they need to further push their personal agendas.

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robertjbrown t1_jecuazk wrote

Reply to comment by jphamlore in In a post-scarcity utopia, is there a real necessity of human labor of any kind? by kvothekevin

I enjoy talking to ChatGPT, even today, more than talking with, for instance, my parents' caretakers.

If there is a robot or other device that can help me use the bathroom, I'd prefer than to a human.

I can't think of much else that a robot/AI couldn't do in terms of caretaking. Prepare food, keep track of my medications, get me places, help me up and down, keep an eye on me and alert others if there is a problem, and so on.

If I want company that isn't a machine, what about other people who also want company as well, as opposed to a paid employee? And maybe a dog. Which the caretaker can feed and walk and such.

I can't see people in a post scarcity economy wanting to be caretakers, since everything they need isn't, well, scarce.

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