Innovation Stagnation?

Oxide and Friends · 7 Feb 2024 · 1h 00m · Episode 5

What this episode covers

Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal, co-founders of Oxide Computer Company, along with guest Steve Klabnik, critique a tweet by Nate Silver claiming innovation has stagnated by contrasting the 1900s with the 2000s. They argue that while 'groundbreaking' inventions like the Haber process and CRISPR are vital, modern innovation is often hidden in complex infrastructure like extreme UV lithography at TSMC or distributed systems consensus algorithms like Raft. The hosts emphasize that abstraction layers make it difficult for non-practitioners to appreciate the depth of current technological progress, citing Rust's safety features and horizontal scaling as critical, albeit less visible, breakthroughs.

Mentioned

Companies
Oxide Computer Company, TSMC
Products
Apple Vision Pro, Apple Newton
Tools
Rust
Also
Nate Silver, Raft, CRISPR, Haber process, Code Breaker, Dream Reaper

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