Increasing “Ephemeralization” and Efficiency

Bucky Fuller spoke of the “ephemeralization” of technology, in which machinery of various kinds often becomes smaller, lighter, more efficient, and cheaper to produce over time.

This, as we discussed above, has certainly been true of computers, as is obvious to anyone who has been using them for several years. In fact, the computer I’m using to write this is not only the most powerful one I’ve owned so far, but it’s also the smallest and the least expensive.

The same is true in a sense for automobiles. While, unlike computers, their prices haven’t declined in actual currency terms, modern motor vehicles are providing fantastic value for the money. Cars now are far safer, more comfortable and efficient than in the past.

Indeed then, how can one argue that the actual “cost of living” has increased, when middle-class American citizens now own computers, big-screen televisions, cell phones and other conveniences that even the richest people of only fifty years ago could not possess?

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