X-Message-Number: 20550
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
References: <>
Subject: Re:Chuang Tse's Singularity
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2002 12:46:58 -0000

> Message #20548
> Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 11:11:37 -0800
> Subject: Chuang Tse's Singularity
> From: Peter Merel <>
> But even now only 0.0001% of our engineering money is spent on
> qualitative improvements in technology - on new sprockets. This is true
> even in such relatively dynamic fields as bioinformatics. The stuff the
> great engineers of the past did for a living - Watt, Tesla, Fermi,
> Crick, Taylor - we don't fund that.

Anyone interested in this might like to take a look at
http://www.alecharleyreeves.com about the life and times of the PCM pioneer.
Also
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0306457849/longevitybooksA/
Strange Brains and Genius by Dr Clifford Pickover is worth a look.

The Windows/Linux confrontation is also relevant. There is a great deal of
hostility to Microsoft and yet people simply do not have the time to learn a
whole new operating system which many say is better and more reliable, as
well as a whole new range of software to go with it. Instead the put up with
every increasing upgrade costs and registration complications of the
existing product. My point is that sometimes a better "sprocket" is still
not taken up even if it is cheaper in terms of money, because of time
considerations.

--
Sincerely, John de Rivaz:  http://John.deRivaz.com for websites including
Cryonics Europe, Longevity Report, The Venturists, Porthtowan, Alec Harley
Reeves - inventor, Arthur Bowker - potter, Holistics, de Rivaz genealogy,
Nomad .. and more

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