Fear of new things in the past. Exploring pessimism and panic through the ages. Curated by @louisanslow - Substack:
Joined October 2015
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Stoking fears of mass job loss from automation is good way to tank consumer sentiment, which is good way to crash economy, which is good way to cause mass unemployment
Could this self-fulfilling doomsday prophecy have been a bigger factor in Great Depression than we’ve realized?
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20 Feb 2024
In 1999 the Power Mac G4 passed 1 gigaflop of computing power, so it briefly had Cold War era export controls applied to it.
Apple Vision Pro has 3600 gigaflops… newsletter.pessimistsarchive…
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Fable isn't the first.
In 1999 the department of defense blocked exports of the PowerMac G4 for crossing the 1 gigaflop threshold.
Steve Jobs turned it into an ad.
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Joe Biden accidently triggered a movement to keep encryption free and open. newsletter.pessimistsarchive…
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Jun 13
Ironic that Joe Biden helped kickstart that fight with an overly aggressive move to regulate a powerful technology in the name of safety…
Jun 13
Study the encryption fight from the 1990s — and how the Cypherpunks won.
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Jun 13
Study the encryption fight from the 1990s — and how the Cypherpunks won.
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Jun 13
Japan should do this to PS5 pre-GTA 6 until the USA allows them to use Mythos/Fable
5 Mar 2024
“Japan has imposed export controls on Sony's highly popular PlayStation games console, on the grounds that its components could be used for military purposes.” (2000)
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24 Jan 2024
In 1999 the US Government informed Apple the Power Mac G4 was so powerful it was considered a weapon and subject to export controls.
Steve Jobs said this inspired a marketing campaign for the G4... via newsletter.pessimistsarchive…
24 Jan 2024
1999: 1 GIGAFLOP Power Mac G4 classed as weapon by US Government, subject to export controls
2024:
iPhone 15 Pro: 2,150 GIGAFLOPS
M3 Macbook: 4,000 GIGAFLOPS
newsletter.pessimistsarchive…
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Jun 12
Adobe Founders: "David Hockney came down and learned Photoshop [in 1989]. He was smoking almost the whole time and he had these two little dogs that he brought with him… it was our first attempt at putting the tools in the hands of really creative people…"
Jun 12
On David Hockney's Pursuit of the Digital Image (1985-2026)
Of all of the 'famous' contemporary artist's of the era, Hockney (as well as Keith Haring) would engage the computer most persistently, sustaining acute interrogations of the digital medium across time.
More Below.
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Jun 12
BBC: “What advice did David Hockney give to you?”
BBC Guest: “Enjoy life and fuck everyone.”
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11 Jul 2025
"If nuclear power is not stopped by the year 2000, the survivors will envy the dead” - Ralph Nader, 1974
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We are deeply saddened by the loss of David Hockney, a visionary and friend to Apple. David showed that creativity has no limits, turning iPad into a canvas for some of the most vibrant art of our time. His legacy will inspire us all to see the world a little more beautifully.
ALT David Hockney sitting at a table, drawing on iPad with Apple Pencil.
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Jun 11
I don't know what Piketty, Stiglitz, and co. are smoking. Global poverty rates have never been lower. Progress on basic global health and wellbeing measures has been amazing over the past few decades. "End of the road"?!? Come again!?!
theguardian.com/commentisfre…
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Jun 11
Starmer’s national child-lock plan is a total reshaping of modern civil liberty.
If his Great British Firewall becomes a reality, future generations will not remember it as a child safety policy.
✍️ I’ve written for the Telegraph ⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06…
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Apr 15
Few know the Unabomber manifesto had a section about AI, we explored it here: newsletter.pessimistsarchive…
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