Tolkien was probably right in that he would have hated to live in 2026. We are literally building machines designed to replace people like him.

And yet, I can't help thinking that I would hate to live in Tolkien's time. When I was around 10, in 1975, I built a giant computer out of a cardboard box. To me, a computer was the same as a spaceship--something I would never own. Then in 1978, I saw an ad for a TRS-80 personal computer, and my world flipped.

Even now, in my 60s, I can't wait to sit down and start programming (with or without AI). I've had a long, fruitful, and extremely fun career with computers, and I can't imagine what I would have done without them.

Does that mean it's all relative? Whatever we're used to, that's what's good and any change is monstrous? Or is there really such a thing as progress and degeneration? Is it possible to say our time is better or worse than Tolkien's in some absolute sense?

I don't know. I think if you take a Rawlsian perspective, and imagine being a random person of the era, I think being born today is far preferable to being born in 1892. On every measure--childhood poverty, violent deaths, even air quality--2026 is better than 1892.

And that improvement is due almost entirely to technology--to the machine.

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gexla 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

One of my favorite movies as a kid was Explorers (1985) where kids built a spaceship from a Tilt-A-Whirl and other parts. It was an inspiration. Like you, I enjoy programming, but I haven't built a spaceship yet. Hehe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorers_(film)

	▲	switchbak 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		That movie was really incredible, right up until the part where they ran out of money making it and it took a right hand turn into being absolutely terrible. When I was young I only saw the first half. Decades later I got to finish it ... what a letdown after all this time.

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kazinator 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> When I was around 10, in 1975, I built a giant computer out of a cardboard box.

In around 1976, when I was five, I followed a smaller design: mine fit entirely inside an egg carton, with the tops painted various colors representing buttons. I had a roll of punched paper tape as a souvenir from my aunt, who worked in accounting for textile company. I fed that tape into the egg carton as input.

And so here we are ...

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xyzzy_plugh 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I heartily agree with you except for the ongoing childhood-screentime pandemic where kids aren't going outside to play, but instead are staying inside, alone, and maybe playing with others virtually, but with more exposure to harm (e.g. gambling). This is clearly going to cause some serious long term generational fallout.

	▲	GMoromisato 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Agreed--we're already seeing some of that, and I fully support minimizing kids' exposure to that. I probably should have been explicit that I don't think technology has no downsides--it most certainly does. It's just, IMHO, the benefits outweigh the risks. And, over time, we figure out how to ameliorate the downsides.

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gjsman-1000 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> and I can't imagine what I would have done without them.

You're falling into the trap of saying I could've only been happy if I did X. But humans aren't like that - even garbagemen find happiness in their work. The brain adapts to baseline no matter the field.

The second trap you're falling into is saying look how abundant things are compared to 1892. We have every statistic proven and locked down that abundance does not equal happiness.

	▲	GMoromisato 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Do you believe that all work is equivalent? That no matter what job I chose, I would be equally happy? That is hard for me to believe. Do you believe that, on balance, the world is no better today than in 1892? If so, that's where we disagree.
	▲	WillAdams 4 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Ages ago, I used to draw using pencils and having to ink drawings and then once 3 views were done, do all the work to make a 3D rendering --- while I appreciate Marshall MacLuhan's warnings concerning each technological advancement resulting in a matching amputation, the freedom and expressiveness which modern CAD affords is nothing short of miraculous --- it was pretty rare for there to be a draftsman whose artistic sensibilities allowed them to escape from the overnight drafting shift to making their own designs.
	▲	card_zero 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		But happiness wasn't mentioned. There was "fun", "I can't imagine what I would have done without them", and "preferable". If happiness is not the goal, your point about being happy with garbage is irrelevant.
	▲	IAmBroom an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		> even garbagemen find happiness in their work. Citation definitely needed. The ones I know find happiness in their relatively high pay for an 8hr/day, no GED-required job, with the job security that the first few days are blindingly difficult for anyone to adapt to, even highly fit college athletes (source: 40+ garbageman whose son couldn't hack two days of it).