A Speed Limit for Computers
3 hours ago
- #Energy Equity
- #Technological Restraint
- #Computing Power
- Increased computing power beyond a certain threshold can reduce user autonomy and increase inequity, contrasting with the empowerment of early home computing revolutions.
- Ivan Illich's 'Energy and Equity' argues that above a per capita energy threshold, more energy leads to negative returns, concentrating control and creating inequality, as seen in transport speed limits reducing fuel use.
- The e-bike exemplifies beneficial energy restraint: its motor cuts out at 15 mph (25 km/h), a legal choice that maximizes utility without increasing time scarcity, making it accessible without harming others.