What's he is saying is that while technology advances, it is being put to ever more trivial and unimportant uses. Compare landing a man on the Moon with a computer not much greater in capability than today's pocket calculator with the development of today's power PC, which is multiples of hundreds better than the Apollo on-board computers and is used to chat and exchange photos on the internet.
That is such a myopic point of view.
I took my care to a one man mechanic the other day. He hooked his diagnostic computer to my car’s interface and read the service alarms. He went to his desktop computer and brought up the service manual for my car. Ran an app that estimated the time required to fix my problem and presented me an estimate in about 10 minutes. Then he went to another app and ordered parts from the cheapest source.
Inconceivable a small under capitalized entrepreneur could have that power even 10 years ago.
Are you sure putting a man on the moon isn’t “trivial and unimportant” too? A lot of effort for not a lot of payoff. We haven’t been back for a couple generations.
Contrast with making available to all the ability to stuff a Cray-2 in their pocket for about $50/mo and use it to instantly publish anything for the world to see. You may chat and exchange photos; I publish advice on frugal yet fulfilling living (see tagline).
To the article’s point:
“the prospect of death contracts the mind wonderfully.” - Douglas Adams
Faced, looming or remembered, with the reality of mortality individuals and cultures tend to get their acts together and do meaningful things. Without such a focus, minds wander to inanities and luxuries and sloth.