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Preventing the Collapse of Civilization / Jonathan Blow (Thekla, Inc)

DevGAMM · talk · Watch on YouTube

Software performance & optimizationFuturism & technology and societyGame design

What it is

A DevGAMM talk by Jonathan Blow arguing that civilizations can lose technological capability and that software quality is already deteriorating. He discusses how knowledge fails to transfer between generations.

Why Hacker News recommends it

It is the standard link in HN threads about software decay, lost knowledge and fragile technological civilization.

  • 14 people recommended it
  • 12 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2020, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “A fantastic talk.”

    Fantastic talk on fragility of technological civilization.

    cathalc, 2025-02 · Strong recommendation · in “We were wrong about GPUs”

  2. “makes a good argument that software quality has already suffered significant deterioration”

    Argues software quality has significantly deteriorated

    pdkl95, 2020-11 · Recommendation · in “Let's Make the Web Weird Again [audio]”

  3. “The eye-opening moment, for me, was the importance (and neglect) of the inter-generational transfer of knowledge in maintaining technological complexity.”

    Shows importance of inter-generational knowledge transfer in sustaining technology

    isolli, 2021-03 · Recommendation · in “The Air Force is having to reverse engineer parts of its own stealth bomber”

  4. “Anyone who finds this concept interesting to think about and hasn't seen this video may enjoy it”

    Talk on how civilizations can lose capabilities and collapse.

    anderspitman, 2021-12 · Recommendation · in “Tell HN: AWS appears to be down again”

  5. “Beautiful talk on that topic by Jonathan Blow, called”

    Blow on declining software quality and technological regression.

    elcapitan, 2022-01 · Recommendation · in “Disillusioned by Tech in 2022”

  6. “I am reminded of the excellent”

    Excellent talk on losing capability and software decay.

    ilrwbwrkhv, 2022-03 · Recommendation · in “What's the problem with old but excellent Mac apps?”

  7. “Super interesting if you have the time for it”

    Argues progress is not always increasing; technology can be lost.

    sjaak, 2022-04 · Recommendation · in “1.5-Inch Hand-Carved Agate from 1500 B.C. Shows Sub-Millimeter Details (2017)”

  8. “I think Jonathan Blow made a decent argument that we're in a decadent age of software.”

    Argues software is in a decadent age losing fundamentals.

    theonemind, 2022-04 · Recommendation · in “Ask HN: When did tech stop being cool?”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: jonathan blow, software decay, lost knowledge, technology regression, complexity

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