I’m working with a bunch of folks at NASA Space Flight blog trying to turn the concept invented by Dr. Robert Bussard, the Bussard Fusion Reactor, into a practical research reactor to test the concepts involved.
What is striking about the people working on the project is that we have every one – from a diarist at Daily Kos to an American style Republican leaning libertarian. All of us have buried the political hatchet in order to co-operate on designing a research reactor that may lead to a production reactor if the research is favorable.
Which got me to thinking about Bucky Fuller and his concept of Energy Slave.
Early energy slaves replaced draft animals – the early age of steam. Then they replaced humans for simple repetitive tasks – like sealing cans of peaches at a peach canning factory. Now our energy slaves are smarter and can think for themselves to a certain extent and will follow orders without complaint. Like the thermostat that will make sure in the winter that during the day the house is warm but at night it is cooler except on Saturday night when it is kept warmer for the traditional Saturday night party. 24/7/365 for decades. Change the timing when you like. Down to the minute.
These energy slaves are getting smarter every day. They are precision machinists that can work at a speed and keep tolerances no manual machine could dream of. Some of them have hands. As many hands as needed.
One of the reasons slavery not to mention work is going out of style. Machines (energy slaves) can do it better, faster, and cheaper. John Henry couldn’t defeat steam. He has no chance what so ever against electricity. Design – understanding what humans want and how to make it will still be a human job for another decade or two. Selling is always human.
What is now universally understood is that for more people to have energy slaves we are going to need cheaper energy. We need to Enslave the Machines and Free the Humans. The sooner the better.
Cross Posted at Power and Control
Enslave The Machines And Free The Humans
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13 responses to “Enslave The Machines And Free The Humans”
What do ypu propose the humans do once they’re all freed?
What do you propose the humans do once they’re all freed?
Sorry about the double post. 🙁
What ever pleases them.
I think humanity should be a bit more focused than that. As a species, we’ve gone from hunters to farmers to workers. Not everyone has the skill to be a craftsman or artist to whittle away the time.
Panday,
You can tell anyone who will listen what to do.
In fact if that pleases you, do it.
If you feel under the auspices of freedom you need a job then that could be yours. Assume it.
In fact why wait? Start telling them now.
M.
I’m not sure why you seem confrontational- maybe it’s just coming through that way in text.
I’m actually interested in what you think would be specifically next, instead of simply “whatever pleases them”. I wasn’t simply advocating work and drudgery, but I think something should or will fill the gap, lest we slide into idleness with all of its consequences. What will?
In my long dealings with humans it has become clear to me that if you tell them what to do they will do the opposite. Otherwise they will do as they damn well pleases.
Currently I’m in the idle poor class. I’m retired. To keep my hand in I’m learning plasma physics and magnets and fusion reactor design. i.e. what I damn well please.
Some will enjoy idleness, others will want to DO something. It all suits me.
Interesting. What would you propose for those who are already idle and refuse to do anything now? And do you think that group would grow if and when machines took over?
The process has been going on since long before the steam engine. Consider that a horse without a collar does the work of the number of people whose food it consumes, but a collar lets it do several times the work.
People have been finding things to do with the resultant leisure ever since. If all else fails they can leave snarky blog comments.
The progress of increase in the power and flexibility of machines, starting from the stick and moving on through the SUV, represents an increase in leverage. I use ‘leverage’ as a metaphor for the power that can be wielded by one individual or group.
It seems that we will continue to increase that leverage, unless there’s an event.
But the biggest thing we can do with free electricity is water electrolysis, turning seawater into hydrogen and oxygen and then back into water, said water to be piped into the desert so people can live there.
People have been finding things to do with the resultant leisure ever since.
True, but this article gives me the impression that we’re talking about the end result: machines doing everything eventually, including building and fixing other machines. What to do when there’s no more work to be done? There will likely be a lot of surplus humanity around.
There will likely be a lot of surplus humanity around.
The notion of any amount of “humanity” being “surplus” is revolting. The more the better — there is no diminishing marginal return on humans.