Thoughts on the future of mankind

**Lost Sultan** · June 30, 2009, 06:55 PM

Do not worry guys this is not a '' Will we ever see a nuclear war? Or will a meteor hit us?'' sort of thread. I just have a question for you.
Humanity advances exponentially. That is, not only we get to invent, innovate and create faster, but the rate we improve advances as well. So, if things go like this, we might witness a time where there is an endless flow of invention, innovation and creation.
I am just wondering how this advancement reflects on our economics. Brainstorm for a moment:
If you had a car during the 1910's, you were an upper class. Now any bum can buy a car.
What was the cost of a cellphone 15 years ago? What is it now?
What was the cost of a singe transistor in 1964? What is it now?

Obviously what I am trying to get at is the fact that science and technology makes us produce services and goods cheaper. Consequently, as time passes, we get to be able own things we considered as a luxury in the past.

My question is, do you think we will get to a point where the cost of producing a good or a service becomes nil? If yes, how do you think that's going to reflect on our society?

My opinion is yes and the disapperance of the word ''expense'' in our books will make the economic world as we know today completely meaningless, since no entity will try to profit as there is no purpose in making a dollar more when everything is 0 dollars to buy. Perhaps then we will see a complete, egalitarian society .

**Sebdeas** · July 01, 2009, 06:30 AM

No.
A price can't become nothing. If a price drops, the supply drops and demand rises. This ultimately will increase the price again.

As for the egalitarian society, humans are not capable of it. Marxism in all it's forms has shown us this.

**Chaigidel** · July 01, 2009, 06:46 AM

fusion power and algae based food farming could make food and energy cost almost nothing to produce--- if our technology can keep up we could see a human population in the 20 billion range , we need to keep concentrating in cities, and building up and down, all the while integrating food production into the city itself.

but more than likely we will just die out like the pitiful slaves to self agrandizement that we are.

**Domnul Ceaşcă** · July 01, 2009, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by Chaigidel

but more than likely we will just die out like the pitiful slaves to self agrandizement that we are.

That`s rather sad and true. Couldn`t have said it better myself.

**Lost Sultan** · July 01, 2009, 06:48 AM

No.
A price can't become nothing. If a price drops, the supply drops and demand rises. This ultimately will increase the price again.

As for the egalitarian society, humans are not capable of it. Marxism in all it's forms has shown us this.

Price drops as a result of the abundance of supply. When the supply is infinite, the price will be zero. Now you might argue whether the supply will ever be infinite in the future? I would say that technology is capable of drastically changing the meaning price and supply we know in economics today.

f our technology can keep up we could see a human population in the 20 billion range

The regression shows that the speed we reproduce is going to rapidly decrease when we reach 9 billion. So I m pretty sure we wont even reach 15 billion, let alone 20.

**Sebdeas** · July 01, 2009, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by Lost Sultan

Price drops as a result of the abundance of supply. When the supply is infinite, the price will be zero. Now you might argue whether the supply will ever be infinite in the future? I would say that technology is capable of drastically changing the meaning price and supply we know in economics today.

You underestimate the greediness of business men.

**Lost Sultan** · July 01, 2009, 06:55 AM

You underestimate the greediness of business men.

What in god's name greed is going to do when everything costs approximately nothing .

**hospik m** · July 01, 2009, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by Lost Sultan

What in god's name greed is going to do when everything costs approximately nothing .

There will always be people who want more than others. And these people don't mind that other people pay for it. These people will always find ways of accomplishing this. Even if things cost almost nothing.

ps. sorry for double posting

**Helm** · July 01, 2009, 06:55 AM

Only if we do away with money, which could be done if you have machines do all the work leaving humans free to lounge around.

**hospik m** · July 01, 2009, 06:56 AM

Price drops as a result of the abundance of supply. When the supply is infinite, the price will be zero.

And this only happens in a "perfect" economical system. Which we don't live in. The price will never be zero since supply can never be infinite and there will always be costs to produce goods.

And mankinds need for more, more and even more of everything prevends us from reaching an "ideal system", just like Sebdeas says.

**Lost Sultan** · July 01, 2009, 07:00 AM

Only if we do away with money, which could be done if you have machines do all the work leaving humans free to lounge around

Well, that is certainly included in the thought process.

And this only happens in a "perfect" economical system. Which we don't live in. The price will never be zero since supply can never be infinite and there will always be costs to produce goods.

Well we certainly do not live in a perfect economical system today. But is it that hard to imagine goods that cost next to nothing?

There will always be people who want more than others. And these people don't mind that other people pay for it. These people will always find ways of accomplishing this. Even if things cost almost nothing.

So let's see. Lets assume that fusion power finally took place and working in full capacity and electricity is 0.000000000000000000000000000001 cent per KW.

Are you saying that there is going to be a freak who says ''Hey, with this dollar I have, I will buy as much electricity as I can and sell it to some backward country for double the price! And with these two pennies I have, I will finally complete my penny collection.''

**Helm** · July 01, 2009, 07:31 AM

Old technology gets cheaper new technology stays the same price. It's not like computers are any cheaper now they're just better than they were.

**ivan_the_terrible** · July 01, 2009, 07:38 AM

Humanity seems to be heading the right direction, generally.

Though tbh, I don't really care, since I'll be in my cold, cold grave before anything changes profoundly.

**Lost Sultan** · July 01, 2009, 07:46 AM

Not if we achieve immortality.

**ivan_the_terrible** · July 01, 2009, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by Lost Sultan

Not if we achieve immortality.

I hadn't considered that. Still, I'd rather not care until I'm immortal.

**hospik m** · July 01, 2009, 10:02 AM

So let's see. Lets assume that fusion power finally took place and working in full capacity and electricity is 0.000000000000000000000000000001 cent per KW.

Are you saying that there is going to be a freak who says ''Hey, with this dollar I have, I will buy as much electricity as I can and sell it to some backward country for double the price! And with these two pennies I have, I will finally complete my penny collection.''

Without the sarcasm, yes that's exactely what I'm saying. But on a much larger scale. At the moment there are plenty of threads about Bernard Madoff, and I think he's the living proof of what I'm saying.

Also, we first need to get to the point when things cost nothing too. This is goning to be a huge investment, where people are bound to win huge amounts of money and others will lose maybe even more money (think OPEC and other recource producing countries).

You need to be aware of the fact that when things cost nothing, the stakes might even higher than they are today.