rhino42

Really, all technological improvements in the last few centuries are "hacks" then, in a sense.

Each time we write a piece of software, we are taking an existing system (a computer), and altering it to perform a somewhat different task. Hack.

Each time I optimize a DSP system to take 10% less resources, its a hack.

Just stick 100 or 200 of these together, and we have moore's law.

But i'm surprised that there is low engagement for highly educated individuals. These are people who's jobs are most likely to have an impact and feel significant. Opinions?

I propose that the need for this is almost inevitable (given that humanity survives the next few decades). Human productivity per capita has been rising for the last several centuries (longer?); eventually, there will become a point where certain individuals will not be able to contribute substantially to society, despite their best efforts.

Of course, that time is not here today, or terribly soon.

Now if only we could have started working on the education problem 10 years ago (and encouraged STEM instead of casting star students as nerds)...

Hindsight being 20/20 and all

Indeed. I would "shamelessly" do damm well whatever I have to, in order to survive. Especially in a situation like this.

Plus, word is that Amit is a really great person. I wish I was south asian, so I could help...

Not quite. Popular culture "can only deal with" things that can be put on a simple number line, because they collectively like to be able to say definitively "this person is smarter than that other person", when the reality is (of course) far more complicated than that.

As far as I know, the scientific community agrees that IQ is not a strong predictor of true "intelligence"...