Living with Exponential Change (with Azeem Azhar) 3/11/24

The world of today would seem alien to someone living 30 years ago: people seduced by their screens in private and public and now AI blurring the lines between humans and the machine. Author and technologist Azeem Azhar chronicles the pace of change and asks whether the human experience can cope with that pace while preserving what is fundamentally human.
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[@FlamingBasketballClub]

Good episode on the topic of technological changes.

[@pascalbercker7487]

Regarding the issue of solar and wind power, I suggest that you consider interviewing experts such as Robert Bryce from the Power Hungry podcast, Dr Keefer from the Decouple podcast (who promotes nuclear energy in Canada), Professor Simon Michaux (a mining engineer from Finland), or Nate Hagens. The discussion on wind and solar power in the previous conversation was limited and did not cover all aspects of scalability and integration on a large scale. It is important to note that electricity for homes and offices is only a small part of the total energy required, including large-scale industrial processes that require heat. The economics of wind and solar power are much more complicated than what was discussed earlier. Integrating them on a large scale on the grid is much more difficult than anticipated. There is now a clear pattern emerging that the more wind and solar a grid has, the more expensive the electricity bill becomes. This can be seen by comparing California with other states, and by comparing France (where 70% of electricity comes from nuclear power) with Germany (which has shut down its nuclear power plants). In the long run, wind and solar power will not save the world. In regards to the topic of solar and wind power, I would like to suggest that you consider interviewing experts who can provide more comprehensive insights into the matter. Some of the experts that come to mind include Robert Bryce from the Power Hungry podcast, Dr. Keefer from the Decouple podcast (who is a strong advocate of nuclear energy in Canada), Professor Simon Michaux (who is a mining engineer from Finland), or Nate Hagens.

[@casey2806]

I appreciate the discussion and its interesting points. However, I suggest considering the perspective of experts like Nate Hagens and Simon Michaux, who have described humanity's approaching resource limits. They have great insights into how our limited resources will significantly impact society. It is uncertain whether this will slow change, but it will have a PROFOUND effect on how society changes.

[@realHampson]

Enovix is revolutionizing the battery technology sector with its silicon-anode lithium-ion batteries and 3D cell architecture.

[@ajlenze8]

Does that mean I should wait until I buy an electric car?

[@ajlenze8]

Didn't Russ have a previous guest who claimed that scientific advances were requiring more and more effort? That seems to conflict with this idea of exponential change. Also, couldn't exponential change argue for waiting before purchasing. I personally am considering buying solar panels for my roof and an electric car, but in both cases, I hear the argument that maybe I should wait because technology is going to improve so much in the near future.

[@pascalbercker7487]

Careful what you wish for. At least one country has a completely decentralized energy system. That country is Nigeria. "Nigeria has the lowest access to electricity globally, with about 92 million out of the country's more than 200 million population lacking access to power, according to the Energy Progress Report 2022". There are some things - and some services - that best work in a more centralized and integrated system. I suspect that providing electricity is one of those services. I hope that you revisit this issue with more experts as it is (I believe) a very pressing matter where we need a more educated citizenry that can resist some the propaganda on this issue.