Tech | June 12, 2011 | 4 comments

Al Gore: Systems define our world

source: http://progressivesforgore.blogspot.com/2011/06/al-gore-systems-define-our-world.html

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JanforGore
Even his harshest critics will acknowledge that Al Gore has considerable insight and wide interests.

During his keynote address at the 2011 Insurance and Accounting Systems Association conference in Nashville, a reliably wonkish but engaging Gore touched on everything from Moore’s Law to Minnie Pearl while pondering the impact of technology on the insurance industry.

Illustrating the speed at which technology advances, Gore noted that today’s iPad2 packs as much computational horsepower as the world’s most powerful supercomputer, the Cray 2, did a quarter century ago.

The former vice president of the United States and 2000 Democratic nominee for president noted that Moore’s Law has held steady for decades and has catalysed the dissemination of knowledge as much as any invention since the advent of the printing press.

This is the rule, posited in 1965 by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, that the number of transistors incorporated into a semiconductor would double every 18-24 months,

“There are now a billion transistors for every man, woman and child on the planet,” Gore said.

Gore also brought to light a lesser known theory, Metcalfe’s Law, which holds that the value of a communications network increases proportionally to the square of the number of people connected to and using the system.

This is important, Gore said, because both capitalism and democracy are reliant on the free exchange of information. “The systems that define our world are based on the democratization of knowledge.”


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  1. groups:
    Tech,   Al Gore
  2. tags:
    Environment,  Technology,  Human behavior,  Moore's law
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4 comments // Al Gore: Systems define our world

  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • Considerable insight is an understatement. The man is incredible in his knowledge of so many different topics and disciplines. And he writes poetry too. A man after my own heart. ;-)

      “The systems that define our world are based on the democratization of knowledge.”

      So true, and moreso, equal access to those systems. And how clever to connect this to the environment, because surely just as transistors and computer systems according to Moore's Law have increased exponentially through human behavior, so have the events related to biodistress. But just as we one day I believe will see the point where Moore's Law may well become obsolete, we will see that tipping point in our climate when human activity will outstrip anything we ever imagined we could do in affecting the systems of this planet that give us life. And we need to be prepared for both.

    • 12 months ago
  • Gravity_Man
    • 0
      Gravity_Man  
    • JanforGore:

      Technology is a self-fulfilling trap. 25 years ago a man knew how to work on his own car. Now we see men reduced to a shadow of their former selfs. Self-esteem flushed down the toilet from the deep inner realization he is no longer the master of his castle, his home, his family, his job or his car. Today's American male has been reduced to the importance of a vestigial organ, even less important than the shamed appendix or tonsils.

      Eventually Science found out they had jobs to do after all, but what does the Vegetable~Man have to prove his worth, his value, his wastrel use of space?

      Every man on earth today could die right now, this very second, and there would be plenty enough sprem in sperm banks, or the dead men's testicles, to bring more men to life. Men are no longer necessary => the axe that took us down was an Anti-Moore Law. Technology raised its Phoenix head as we were having our heads served back to us on a platter.

      Instant population reduction aimed at Men-Only would give us (oops, you women) next week the planet's problems all solved for 15-20 years, or more, driving robot-assembly-line vehicles women could easily man. New world population => 3.4 billion, Overnite Delivery Avon Calling do you have any Grey Poupon?

    • 12 months ago
  • Gravity_Man
  • Gravity_Man
    • 0
      Gravity_Man  
    • JanforGore:

      I've never seen one of your threads die this bad. I found it rather informative, but then again I don't demand everything be "peer-reviewed" either.

      Today's Date is AMAZING => 6/24; that's downright Biblical. Over in Lybya they're shouting in the streets and celebrating the cessation of US bombing.

      Obviously a false start on 1 Cor. 5 v 3 but, it's refreshing anyway. Foolish, Foolish, People thinking Peace has come at the hands of a WARMONGERING BUNCH OF PROUD-OF-THEIR-HIGH-TECH-WEAPONS UNITED STATES KILLERS.

    • 11 months ago
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