Prosperity in the modern world

Completely true. One of the synergistic effects of capitalism is that when you blend labor and capital and take advantage of the natural advantages present in various markets, you can build things that simply aren't achievable otherwise.

 

I used to sort of get depressed when I thought about the fact that if I was responsible for for everything, I could barely make a fire, much less refine bronze like people knew how to do 3000 years ago, or that some guy in the 1700's working on paper in a drafty attic knew more math than I ever will.

Now I realize it's just part of being in a more evolved, decentralized human culture.
Thanks English dude. Though, it's still a little deflating to try and come up with something that I am personally adept at, have cutting edge knowledge of, or specialized skill in. If I had life to do over I think I would want to find one something and focus on it.

 

Interesting

Rocket River

 

Yup, weird stuff. I used to be amazed that there isn't a single person that knows how everything in a 747 works, but humanity can make it.

This guy's simpler example blows mine out of the water.

Teamwork FTW!

 

I'm not so sure it's that no one knows how to build a computer mouse, or even a 747. It's a time and resource thing. Individuals only have the capacity to contribute one part of it. But the necessity of teamwork still stands.

 

I would argue that there are VERY few people can build a mouse from a deserted island setting (which is what he's talking about).

For example, to just build the plastic shell: you need to know how to extract petroleum from the ground, chemically refine it, build the mold... all while knowing how to build the tools needed in each step (which now predicates on other people's skills and perhaps tools for making tools).

Now that's just the plastic shell. Get into building a 6 layer PCB and building the tools needed to create ICs is beyond any one person's skills (though not necessarily knowledge). A 747... forget about it.

 

That's not really true. I'm sure one person who knows how to build a 747 can build it in his/her lifetime. The issue is, people are not willing to wait a lifetime to get a 747.

 

I may not know how to make a computer mouse, but I know how to destroy one. Take that damn homo erectus hand axe and BASH that sumbitch!

 

That's why I said it's a "time and resource" thing?