Hacker News Reader

For my part, I’d think of things like:

+The internal combustion engine

+Chemotherapy (which will hopefully seem shamefully primitive compared to future cancer treatments)

+American football, which is already starting to seem barbaric IMO

I don't see why chemotherapy is something future generations would be appalled by us approving off. It works and it saves lives and is the best we can manage. Most people don't see the saving of lives given the best means possible as something to be appalled about people doing. They may be appalled at the the fact the was no other option but not at the people who actually did it. It's like condemning a doctor in rural Africa for not using cutting edge medicine but only what they can scrounge up, no sane person would do so but would rather view them more favorably for persevering despite such limitations.

Yeah I don't think we look all that disfavorably on things like amputations to save someone's life if it's the only lifesaving option available on the spot (in the past or present).

Reply on news.ycombinator.com