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The Price of Intelligence Is Falling Rapidly

81 points · 85 comments · gotmedium

  1. silverFork · · focus · HN ↗
    Price of human intelligence is also falling rapidly. I suspect looking pretty is going to go up in value more rapidly.
    1. jordanb · · focus · HN ↗
      In my career I've worked with people with PHDs in Physics. People with advanced degrees in fluid dynamics and turbine engineering, people with chemistry and ChemE degrees, postdocs in Geology.

      All were working alongside me, a self-taught programmer making websites.

      I've long thought that there's an oversupply of smart people in the world but for the field of software development, which was hiding that fact by soaking all of them up.

      If SDE is collapsing as a field, a whole bunch of people who thought their intelligence and credentials guaranteed them a comfortable life are in for a shock.

      1. margalabargala · · focus · HN ↗
        > If SDE is collapsing as a field, a whole bunch of people who thought their intelligence and credentials guaranteed them a comfortable life are in for a shock.

        Even if we accept your precondition as true, that SWEs contain multitudes of smart people who will jump to other industries, I don't think the conclusion holds.

        In the US at least, SWEs are among the most entrepreneurial industry members. They'll bring that attitude to whatever their new industry is. I think there will be an explosion of new startups in different areas, and we'll Jevons Paradox our way forwards.

        1. jordanb · · focus · HN ↗
          I guess we're going to have a bunch of people innovating on jet turbines in their garages?
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