First, sorry in advance for the annoying unimportant nitpick and thank you for this exquisite resource.
too busy with their washing machines to think about light bulbs or computers
I think washing machines are not the best metaphor. They have actually contributed quite considerably to global economic growth in the past half century, as researched and explained by Economics Explained.
Perhaps something more like electric heated seats would be more fitting?
I agree with this critique; I think washing machines belong on the “light bulbs and computers” side of the analogy. The analogy has the form:
”germline engineering for common diseases and important traits” : “gene therapy for a rare disease” :: “widespread, transformation uses of electricity” : x
So x should be some very expensive, niche use of electricity that provides a very large benefit to its tiny user base (and doesn’t arguably indirectly lead to large future benefits, e.g. via scientific discovery for a niche scientific instrument).
I mean… I think adult gene therapy is great! It can cure diseases and provide treatments that are otherwise impossible. So I think it’s more impactful than heated seats.
First, sorry in advance for the annoying unimportant nitpick and thank you for this exquisite resource.
I think washing machines are not the best metaphor. They have actually contributed quite considerably to global economic growth in the past half century, as researched and explained by Economics Explained.
Perhaps something more like electric heated seats would be more fitting?
I agree with this critique; I think washing machines belong on the “light bulbs and computers” side of the analogy. The analogy has the form:
”germline engineering for common diseases and important traits” : “gene therapy for a rare disease” :: “widespread, transformation uses of electricity” : x
So x should be some very expensive, niche use of electricity that provides a very large benefit to its tiny user base (and doesn’t arguably indirectly lead to large future benefits, e.g. via scientific discovery for a niche scientific instrument).
I mean… I think adult gene therapy is great! It can cure diseases and provide treatments that are otherwise impossible. So I think it’s more impactful than heated seats.