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2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

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3486517 No.3486517 [Reply] [Original]

Let's say that through a combination of methods and new technological discoveries, we manage to make electricity free/practically free.

What happens at a social, economic and scientific level?

>> No.3486524

I have more money and happiness.

>> No.3486530

Let's say that through a combination of methods and new technological discoveries, we manage to make sparkle fairy unicorn marshmallow fancy dust.

What happens at a social, economic, and scientific level?

>> No.3486532

Things go well for everyone. Trade and transportation costs get lower, very large cities form, and we start exploring the solar system.

>> No.3486537

Bottled water

>> No.3486546
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3486546

>social
morons of society spend money on other luxuries
>economic
because of morons spending money on other luxuries, more debt
>scientific
every lab consumes at least 100MWh/day, we build giant iron core transformers that step up mains voltage to >100kV with absolutely no efficiency, and we draw electrical discharges of at least ten feet in length and four inches in diameter.

that will be a good day

>> No.3486549

I can set my air conditioning all the way down to 65.

>> No.3486558

>>3486517
http://www.watchcartoononline.com/kinos-journey-episode-5

>> No.3486562

We build more shit and population expands until energy is expensive again.

>> No.3486566

Well, this is obvious, but there would a boom in electric devices and transportation.

Also, water purification from the sea would be cost effective, as well as hydrogen as a fuel.

>> No.3486573

>>3486537
lol

>> No.3486605

my local electricity is produced by a dam. The dam cost several million to build, and the power plant costs about 1.5 million a year to operate. The dam provides electricity to about 20k buildings, at a presumed cost of about 2million a year over its life, including maintenance and distribution infrastructure.

so the average cost of electricity in my are is about $100 a year, or about $8.33 per month.

the average charge for electricity in my area is about $175 per month, for an estimated profit of $166.67 per month per customer.

it doesn't matter if electricity is free, the people that sell it will still charge whatever they can by law. You're a slave, get used to it.

>> No.3486631

Chaos. The entire energy sector would collapse. Oil companies, power plant operators, etc. and all sectors of the economy that service the current energy producers would go out of business. Millions unemployed overnight. Rampant devaluation of currencies. Chaos.

Of course it would stabilize in a decade or to, but the sudden invention of "free energy" would be devastating in the short term.

>> No.3486666

>>3486631


Too fucking bad, its coming.

>> No.3486674

>>3486566

This.

>> No.3486684

>>3486631

Choice 1: free E, finally a shot at bringing the human species into a state of utopia.

Choice 2: Nothing changes, the fat fuck banks maintain control over everyone.

Which one?

>> No.3486758

>>3486684

Utopias, by definition, are unobtainable.

>> No.3486855

>>3486758
The problem here is that we live in a physical reality where people can still hurt each other. I suppose that would be your argument (is it?).
Now consider this proposition: instead of humans, you take a group of mind uploads or AGIs, they can live in a VR, their integrity is inviolable (hardcoded in the laws of the VR, just like what we can do is hardcoded in the laws of physics, or more generally, in the laws that make physics possible), they are given ever-growing amounts of computing power, at minimum starting with enough to run their own minds and allow for interaction with others. In our world, more energy is more computing power (my thought experiment can be considered in our world, but shouldn't be, if need be, assume the laws of physics of the world the VR simulation runs allow for ever-increasing computing power: in our world, we would have to be very expansionist to reach this and we would still have to face heat death, unless we find a loophole).

How is my proposal not a de-facto utopia? Is it because either:
1) With evergrowing computing power, some unethical bastard could simulate other minds and subject them to torture? In which case he would create a world "outside" the utopia which is no longer an utopia.
2) If a superintelligence or some other monitoring agent decides to stop case 1 by messing with one's resources (not truly destructive, but close to it, despite causing no suffering except the psychological suffering from being denied a toy), would that make it a dystopia?

>>3486631
Who cares? Industry exists to serve our needs. If an industry becomes unnecessary, but makes everyone happier, all the better! Instead of worrying about losing status quo, you should be happier with what you have to gain.

>> No.3486868

>>3486517
free and have little-no impact on the environment? It would be beneficial to everybody and probably solve most of the worlds problems.

>> No.3486955

>>3486631
>implying an energy company won't simply purchase the patent and forget about it, as per usual

>> No.3486982

>>3486955
> implying patent violation wouldn't happen in other countries or that violating such patent wouldn't be in society's interests. Exception for this is when the patent is too impractical to get implemented or when R&D costs would be immense.

>> No.3487021
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3487021

electric cars, US sheds its oil-related shackles, becomes an even bigger and more frightening monster than ever before
it will be a bad day

>> No.3487081

>>3486982
hahahaa, but no one is going to know how to build it except the patent-holder and the original creator

this seriously happens all the time

>> No.3487129

>>3487081

Agreed. This situation has occured many times in the past, it could happen to "free" energy as well.

>> No.3487149

>>3486631
It would take time asshole, the same reason oil or nuclear power or literally any other source hasn't destabilized the economy, the source must be fully exploited, reactors/plants built

>> No.3487158

>>3486605

I wonder. Just maybe..... If you realize that you are a few select people in that power company's massive customer base. Also the cost to provide power to the rest of that customer base is a lot higher. But you can't charge dickhead b a different price then you charge anon A.

Therefor they create what is called a rate

The rate is the average of what it costs to provide power to all of its customers per kwh.


Also yes just to ease your mind about silly money grubbers. Everyone is out to take all your money. But then again on the assumption you work. You are out to take all of their money as well. They just do it better then you... BITTER MUCH?

>> No.3487265

>>3486537
this

we could probably green the desert too