Consumption as the Old Driver vs. the Need for New Drivers
We are use to this the model, buy stuff to satisfy our wants and needs at low, low prices. In the space age will will be doing the same things but it will be STEM (Science, Tech, Math and Engineering) and design powered. However, STEM powered things are costly mainly because the people who dream up these STEM based things demand a high pay for their training.
The Race to the Bottom
Seth Godin in a recent post said “[t]here's a race to the bottom, one where communities fight to suspend labor and environmental rules in order to become the world's cheapest supplier. The problem with the race to the bottom is that you might win”. Seth Godin goes onto explain that companies were able to charge a higher price and workers were able to earn more because of inefficiencies in the system. Now, as we remove each inefficiency, wages and prices drop. It seems we are stuck in this cycle.
Macro-engineering is the Solution
Macro-engineering project change the game. They remove inefficiency but rise wages because of a higher quality product being produced. This is why space is so important, we can make better stuff in zero gravity. We can produce more energy in space. It is the difference between bargain beef and organic beef.
Photo by gynti_46
I think the most innovative people in STEM don't so much demand high pay for their training, but so long as that training costs them so much money up front, and with the full awareness that OTHERS will grow wealthy exploiting their discoveries and innovations, of course they want to be paid. Unfortunately, we seem to have lost that drive to discover and innovate for the sake of satisfying curiosity. And it costs money to carry out research and experimentation - if there's no clear profit potential to be exploited, it's hard to get that money. So I think you're absolutely right - until we can get investors to invest for the sheer joy of discovering and innovating, for the competitive thrill embodied in "first to put a man on the moon," STEM's going to look a little stagnant for a while. And other nations will step in to fill the void, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Holly. You might find this episode of The Space Show with Dr. David Livingston interesting, they discuss this very issue:http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/esther-dyson-sunday-2-13-11/
ReplyDeleteYour comment also sparked an idea for a blog post, so I'll give you a more full reply later.