Re: The Singularity and Nanotechnology

Robin Hanson (hanson@hss.caltech.edu)
Wed, 25 Sep 96 13:17:00 PDT


"Dr. Rich Artym" writes:
>In message <9609222324.AA25858@hss.caltech.edu>, Robin Hanson writes:
>> The current economy is *not* driven by raw physical production economy
>> efficiencies. There are also costs to retool for new products, to
>> invent products, to market them, etc.
>
>Well, I've tried twice now, but you still evade the point completely.
>It's not just the products that will become easy and cheap to produce,
>but the blinking MEANS OF PRODUCTION too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>- What "retooling", when the tool is configured by software? Indeed,
> what "tooling", when the basic assembler costs nothing? ...
>- What "inventing", when 99.9999999999% of everything that people use
> or want is identical to that which their neighbours use or want? ...
>- What "marketing", when the whole costs/profit basis of current-day
> economics is virtually shattered when dependence on commercial means
> of production disappears almost entirely? ...

I'll say this one last time. These are just baldface claims, which
you have not bothered to argue for. I've had a nice conversation with
Dan Clemmensen, who is willing to offered arguments for things, and to
address holes in those arguments once they are pointed out to him.
You, on the other hand, don't appear to understand what an persuasive
argument is. So I would rather not converse with you.

Robin D. Hanson hanson@hss.caltech.edu http://hss.caltech.edu/~hanson/