[lorenzo]

There's this news of a 12 year old schoolkid who improves the design of complex 3-D nanotube solar cells, which "provide 500 times more light absorption than commercially-available solar cells and nine times more than cutting-edge 3D solar cells." link

According to some, technological innovation grows exponentially (and there's an exponential factor in this exponential growth). So we see ever more useful inventions ever more quickly succeeding each other. At one point in time, we will reach some kind of a singularity, where the collusion of innovative science & tech fields creates a whole new dimension ("the Singularity"). I agree with the possibility of the emergence of such an event.

But it might suffice just to say that there are now 6.4 billion brains on the planet all working in sync and all creating contexts in which geniuses might arise. One such a genius can change the world, through a particular invention or insight.
The question is: do doomers, who think of planetary socio-economic collapse, ever feel threatened by this under-the-radar presence of genius? Or do they just ignore it and repress it?

Because, obviously, it doesn't take that much for an invention to transform, for example, our energy landscape. And thus the entire doomer-framework would collapse. This doomer-narrative is weak; rational people know this. But the question is: do the doomers know?

[TheDude]

Far out, that kid lives about 20 miles from me.

Carhole had his singularity thread, in case you missed it Lor.

No geniuses prevented past collapses. I'm more interested in reading Homer-Dixon than hoping for nanotubes to save the day. Mere MENSA members have been trying to crack that nut for some time, you know. And in the US we'd still need to build 95 million EVs for all that too-cheap-to-meter electricity to mean anything.

This financial unwind is spreading like positive feedback melting in the Arctic. You have to have capital to build factories to build cars. Or PV panels.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', 'B')ecause, obviously, it doesn't take that much for an invention to transform, for example, our energy landscape. And thus the entire doomer-framework would collapse. This doomer-narrative is weak; rational people know this. But the question is: do the doomers know?

[shortonsense]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', ' ')One such a genius can change the world, through a particular invention or insight.

[diemos]

It would be nice to find out what the kid actually did without it being filtered through some clueless reporter.

Since an infinitly good solar cell can only absorb 100% of incident light, and this kid says his solar cell absorb 500 times more light than ordinary cells then we can conclude that ordinary solar cells are at best 0.2% efficient.

Some how I doubt that.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('diemos', 'I')t would be nice to find out what the kid actually did without it being filtered through some clueless reporter.
Since an infinitly good solar cell can only absorb 100% of incident light, and this kid says his solar cell absorb 500 times more light than ordinary cells then we can conclude that ordinary solar cells are at best 0.2% efficient. Some how I doubt that.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')t's that the peak oil theory and this website distill out a particular kind of mindset as measured against ALL the people who learn of the theory. Those whose imaginations are titillated by notions of impending civilizational collapse are more likely to remain here and submit regular posts which assume the inevitability of Doom.
Those who can immediately see flaws in the Doomer perspective drift off elsewhere or they do not contribute. The Doomers, therefore, tend to reinforce one another's thinking on the matter and then it becomes a group dynamic - an Us vs Them thing where "We" are right and "They" are delusional.
It's called Groupthink.

[yesplease]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TheDude', 'N')o geniuses prevented past collapses.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'A')in't you part of the groupthink that ran off Golem? Maybe you should rename it to stoogethink.

[AgentR]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', 'T')he question is: do doomers, who think of planetary socio-economic collapse, ever feel threatened by this under-the-radar presence of genius?

[MacG]

Nah, I'm not very afraid of geniuses. Idiots can scare me sometimes though.

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')o doomers fear geniuses?

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carlhole', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'A')in't you part of the groupthink that ran off Golem? Maybe you should rename it to stoogethink.

[Nickel]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('diemos', 'S')ince an infinitly good solar cell can only absorb 100% of incident light, and this kid says his solar cell absorb 500 times more light than ordinary cells then we can conclude that ordinary solar cells are at best 0.2% efficient.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Nickel', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('diemos', 'S')ince an infinitly good solar cell can only absorb 100% of incident light, and this kid says his solar cell absorb 500 times more light than ordinary cells then we can conclude that ordinary solar cells are at best 0.2% efficient.

[sicophiliac]

Perhaps investing more in medical research might have an enormous return on investment if we manage to enhance our IQs somehow? Maybe targeted stem cell injections into certain parts of the brain might be able to jack up the average persons processing power or genetic engineering for future generations.

[Ferretlover]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', 'T')he question is: do doomers, who think of planetary socio-economic collapse, ever feel threatened by this under-the-radar presence of genius? Or do they just ignore it and repress it?

[americandream]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carlhole', 'I')t's that the peak oil theory and this website distill out a particular kind of mindset as measured against ALL the people who learn of the theory. Those whose imaginations are titillated by notions of impending civilizational collapse are more likely to remain here and submit regular posts which assume the inevitability of Doom.
Those who can immediately see flaws in the Doomer perspective drift off elsewhere or they do not contribute. The Doomers, therefore, tend to reinforce one another's thinking on the matter and then it becomes a group dynamic - an Us vs Them thing where "We" are right and "They" are delusional.
It's called Groupthink. Groupthink has been studied in corporations and government because it stifles innovation and creativity. Don't tell me that the neo-Luddite contempt for science and technology around here is stimulating and creative!

[dorlomin]

This whole thread is a blatant strawman. But I do not fear genuises with solutions. I am very wary of obstification and false promises to delay action on dealing with peak oil.

The only thing that makes me a doomer is the endless hope of an easy solution. Such as kids inventing energy sources in there back yard being taken as gospil before its been properly scrutinezed for its energy and economic value.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dorlomin', 'S')uch as kids inventing energy sources in there back yard being taken as gospil before its been properly scrutinezed for its energy and economic value.