Very interesting piece. The difference between the system we have and the one you propose seems to mirror the way theoretical physicists have viewed time.
Time is relative in special relativity. Every object has its own relativistic 'frame of reference' and so its own time. This is like the system we have now, the places in the world have different times, “I’m from a town in Nepal called Birgunj, which was always 15 minutes later than Rauxal…”
Time is general in general relativity. The universe has one spacetime for all space and time. This is like your, “single planet-wide time”. An idea I for one like very much. It would create some problems, but it would seem to solve a lot more than it would create. I would vote for it.
It might. But the two kinds of time, in practice, might not be different enough to have that effect. It seems that two kinds of time - let us call them government time an your universal time - could co-exist. People could choose which kind of time they prefer to use and nothing else need change.
Would your time be like the French Revolution? Pick a time as time zero, and restart the 24 hour, 60 minute etcetera time from there? You could put it on a website. universaltime.org. And it would show the time. Everybody who wanted to use universal time could buy a watch and set it to your time. Eventually, if universal time became popular, the time shown on my phone or on the desktop of my computer would show both the local government time and the universal time. What else would need to be done? What am I missing?
In principle, I do not believe you are missing anything. I think that is exactly the way it ought to work. (Except maybe not the French Revolution part.)
Tucker’s piece really gave me flashbacks of Rand’s portrayal in Atlas Shrugged of the same idea- how beautiful, unfathomable, un-top-down-controllable is the complexity of society at all levels. It’s quite the magical web we weave.
Hayek was a giant. The "knowledge problem" was a HUGE contribution to the field. Something we all should know and keep in mind.
I understand the human urge to control things. To clean up messy things. To want to organize and plan. It's natural. It's evolved.
But where we need to get our acts together, as a species, is in controlling our need to apply this urge to OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. It's the totalitarian temptation, and it is the source of much misery. People want to organize stuff?—they should start with their own closet, garage, or kitchen drawers.
Ayn Rand was a giant too. Intellectually smug and intransigent, but a giant!
I’ve never read Hayek, but naturally have come across his name in my studies. Thank you for expanding on my knowledge of him. 🙂 I ❤️ Rand’s fictions- Atlas, yes, but The Fountainhead even more so. Her depiction of the ideal MAN is so romantic to me and so sadly demonized in our current culture.
The control freaks really are the worst! Though I’m positioned more as a “neutral observer” these days, a part of me does yearn for some justice to come along and wipe the smug hubris off their faces. 🤨
“The Fountainhead” is, on the merits, a better novel. (She made me hate Ellsworth Toohey SO MUCH). But I like the story and setting of “Atlas Shrugged” more.
She made me love Howard Roark SO much!! What do you DO when listening to audiobooks?
And by the way, one of my publishers in the UK gave me the heads up the other day that they’ll be switching to AI narrators once they get the go ahead. 🤷♀️ I can’t imagine anyone wanting to listen to an entire book read by a computer. But such are the times we live in. I will have to figure out other ways to support myself, or else target the humans with ears who still want to hear real humans read to them.
Love it: "Will emergent order always get it right? No. It will be messy. Emergent order is equilibrium atop a sea of uncontrolled chaos. But it still almost always produces better results than the “experts” and busybodies in our capital cities.
Very interesting piece. The difference between the system we have and the one you propose seems to mirror the way theoretical physicists have viewed time.
Time is relative in special relativity. Every object has its own relativistic 'frame of reference' and so its own time. This is like the system we have now, the places in the world have different times, “I’m from a town in Nepal called Birgunj, which was always 15 minutes later than Rauxal…”
Time is general in general relativity. The universe has one spacetime for all space and time. This is like your, “single planet-wide time”. An idea I for one like very much. It would create some problems, but it would seem to solve a lot more than it would create. I would vote for it.
I like your way of analogizing and explaining this.
I wonder if a single planet-wide time would put people MORE in touch with natural cycles, circadian rhythms, sunrise/set, etc.…?
It might. But the two kinds of time, in practice, might not be different enough to have that effect. It seems that two kinds of time - let us call them government time an your universal time - could co-exist. People could choose which kind of time they prefer to use and nothing else need change.
Would your time be like the French Revolution? Pick a time as time zero, and restart the 24 hour, 60 minute etcetera time from there? You could put it on a website. universaltime.org. And it would show the time. Everybody who wanted to use universal time could buy a watch and set it to your time. Eventually, if universal time became popular, the time shown on my phone or on the desktop of my computer would show both the local government time and the universal time. What else would need to be done? What am I missing?
In principle, I do not believe you are missing anything. I think that is exactly the way it ought to work. (Except maybe not the French Revolution part.)
A beautiful blend of humility in not knowing with a genuine caring enough to wanna think about it. 🙏
🤗
https://fee.org/articles/hayek-the-knowledge-problem/
Love this, thank you for sharing!
“Knowledge is dispersed and uncollectible”. 🙌
“Planners can only plan the past”!! 🙌🙌
Tucker’s piece really gave me flashbacks of Rand’s portrayal in Atlas Shrugged of the same idea- how beautiful, unfathomable, un-top-down-controllable is the complexity of society at all levels. It’s quite the magical web we weave.
Hayek was a giant. The "knowledge problem" was a HUGE contribution to the field. Something we all should know and keep in mind.
I understand the human urge to control things. To clean up messy things. To want to organize and plan. It's natural. It's evolved.
But where we need to get our acts together, as a species, is in controlling our need to apply this urge to OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. It's the totalitarian temptation, and it is the source of much misery. People want to organize stuff?—they should start with their own closet, garage, or kitchen drawers.
Ayn Rand was a giant too. Intellectually smug and intransigent, but a giant!
I’ve never read Hayek, but naturally have come across his name in my studies. Thank you for expanding on my knowledge of him. 🙂 I ❤️ Rand’s fictions- Atlas, yes, but The Fountainhead even more so. Her depiction of the ideal MAN is so romantic to me and so sadly demonized in our current culture.
The control freaks really are the worst! Though I’m positioned more as a “neutral observer” these days, a part of me does yearn for some justice to come along and wipe the smug hubris off their faces. 🤨
Justice would be nice 😊
“The Fountainhead” is, on the merits, a better novel. (She made me hate Ellsworth Toohey SO MUCH). But I like the story and setting of “Atlas Shrugged” more.
I love the audiobook versions of both.
She made me love Howard Roark SO much!! What do you DO when listening to audiobooks?
And by the way, one of my publishers in the UK gave me the heads up the other day that they’ll be switching to AI narrators once they get the go ahead. 🤷♀️ I can’t imagine anyone wanting to listen to an entire book read by a computer. But such are the times we live in. I will have to figure out other ways to support myself, or else target the humans with ears who still want to hear real humans read to them.
Love it: "Will emergent order always get it right? No. It will be messy. Emergent order is equilibrium atop a sea of uncontrolled chaos. But it still almost always produces better results than the “experts” and busybodies in our capital cities.
Central planners, say it with me:
“I don’t know.”"
😁
And birds will do their thing,
As sure as summer follows spring.
And it matters not what is on the clock,
When you’re sitting on the dock,
And watching the sun as it dives away,
As surely night doth follow day.
I love it! :) <3