Rockets, Culture and Progress
Some underappreciated sources of fuel and drag.
Dear SoTA,
Before the rockets are built, their engineers must be inspired to study physics, perhaps by TV broadcasts of the moon landings. Those engineers must communicate discoveries through scientific journals. And the rockets must be launched from a world ultimately governed by public opinion, which is shaped by mass media.
This isn't theoretical. More progress-oriented language in 17th century European media was followed by industrial progress.
If you accept that today's media shapes tomorrow, you should pay close attention to its three big levers:
The media seen on social platforms is filtered by recommender systems. Some people call it 'the marketplace of ideas'. But you should note that this marketplace's dominant currency is 'engagement'.
Algorithmic filtering will grow in importance. Generative artificial intelligence will further reduce media production costs, growing its total volume and thereby the need for filtration.
Media will grow in importance. Our society is at a technical inflection that will have unevenly distributed effects.
Media is upstream of everything else. By what mechanisms, dear SoTA, do you believe it ought to direct the current?
Let me know,
Maurice
Write to sota@maurice.fm, drop time in my calendar https://cal.com/mbanerjeepalmer/chat or see what I've been working on at https://bnqt.app