Agriculture simply multiplied everything. Hunter-gatherers still had and have tribal wars, murder, rape, rapine, torture, high infant mortality, much lower male life expectancy (due to fighting), plus the usual disease, famine, and social inequality of women.

The average college student in a dorm room enjoys greater luxury and comfort than kings of yesteryear; they have climate control, hot and cold running water, antibiotics, corrective eyewear, and of course a far greater selection of food year-round, not to mention a better selection of healthy mates.

Whether people are happier in modern technological society or hunter-gatherer society is almost beside the point; evolution seems to have selected for worried, discontented people -- they outcompete the easily satiated. Even as we precipitate the extinction of traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyles, we can imagine them at some point in the past wiping out even less technologically-savvy people who perhaps were even more happy and contented, leading an existence akin to our bonobo relatives. A similar article written then by gatherers might blame the widespread adoption of hunting for increasing societal violence and leading to a new class division: warrior, due to the ensuing upswing in human-human "hunting".

Increased population can be thought of as a tool; it has been exploited for ill much of the time, but it can also be used for the betterment of all. When we start to live in "The Matrix" (a pleasurable one), we may well rely on aquaculture to produce high-yield algae we farm for biofuel and for nutrients for our IV drips. At that point we may instead regard agriculture, regardless of temporary blips, as the best thing to happen to humanity.

The only problem is that 90% of Silicon Valley startups are that kind of meringue and marshmallow that VC love. The record companies love Britney Spears and VC's love Twitter. It's all a big get-rich-quick scheme and a waste of time. Sadly, as a native of Silicon Valley, it means that true innovation, when it is happening, is occurring everywhere.

Its really easy to start conversations with these people upon noticing a Django error page on their laptop or an ebay employee badge. The conversations are great.

Also there are lots of meetups, lectures and parties for startups. The place just breathes technology (can be frustrating as well if you additionally like other things such as frisbee or women).

I look forward to your rebuttal - if you could post a link to it in the Blogger comments, that would be ideal...

http://reddit.com/info/3895/comments

Not only that, but the article itself is 20 years old, and is not an attitude I have read in Diamond's later works like 'Collapse', where he certainly underlines the dangers and problems that face the human race, but does manage to strike a good balance between gloomy and cautiously optimistic about the possibility for improvement.

Harumph.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/ns-lst081607....