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Showing posts from August, 2006

Everything will cost nothing

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It is obvious at this point that the cost of data communication, storage, and processing is rapidly approaching zero. The cost of these commodities follow an exponential curve towards zero when viewed along a timeline of a century, let alone a millennia. Almost every good and service in our economy is following a similar pricing curve. The accelerating reduction in price of goods and services has become particularly pronounced in this century as we approach the tail end of the exponential curve. For example, the cost of a full day of food and crossing a continent was exorbitant 2000 years ago, relatively pricey 100 years ago, and it now costs $10 for some burritos and pizza and $100 for a JetBlue flight. When compared to the cost 2000 years ago, $110 is relatively nothing to eat all day and travel 3000 miles. Similarly, computing with a free tshatshki calculator costs almost nothing compared to having to have a team of people counting with abacuses 2000 years ago. The following c