Re:We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death (2019)
by inglor_cz on Monday November 23, 2020 @02:50AM
(#25184448)
"they couldn't run the numbers, so for safety margins, they just overengineered."
That was definitely the case in the Ancient World and may be the reason why some Roman buildings are still standing.
(Roman concrete was awesome, BTW. Rebar is a major source of eventual concrete failure and Romans did not use any. On the other hand, they used volcanic ash in their concrete. Some Roman concrete piers are still standing, 2000 years of waves beating on them made them harder!)
Re:We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death (2019)
by TheCoelacanth on Sunday November 22, 2020 @08:00PM
(#25182556)
And in spite of having larger safety margins, they were much less safe for the occupants.
Re:We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death (2019)
by ntsplnkv2 on Sunday November 22, 2020 @11:32PM
(#25183614)
> What this speaks to is re-examining our values and perhaps directing our priorities to something other than maximizing ROI at all costs.
Our entire system is built upon maximizing ROI at all costs. Dealing with these values is extremely difficult.
Re:We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death (2019)
by npsimons on Monday November 23, 2020 @11:04AM
(#25188174)
> Our entire system is built upon maximizing ROI at all costs. Dealing with these values is extremely difficult.
I may have miscommunicated; perhaps I should have phrased it as re-evaluating what "return" we want to maximize.
I don't bemoan having a clearer picture of costs or margins of safety. What this speaks to is re-examining our values and perhaps directing our priorities to something other than maximizing ROI at all costs.